"Earlier is Better - Do You Want Your Children To Learn a Second Language?"
Linda Faust, Parents Press. © COPYRIGHT 2003

Puberty may be the time of many new beginnings ­ independence, physical changes, social experimentation ­ but it also marks the end of a child's window of opportunity for easily acquiring additional languages. (Some parents insist that adolescence also means the end of English communication itself ­ but that's a subject for a whole other article.)

Science suggests that when it comes to ease of learning and proficiency in a foreign language, earlier is better. So why aren't second languages taught in every preschool and primary grade to take advantage of young children's natural capacity to pick them up?

Good question. As with so much these days, the answer lies at least partly in financing. Early foreign language instruction, like art and music, may be deemed nonessential when it comes to funding. As a result, many children will take their first foreign language class in middle school or even high school, just as their windows of opportunity slam shut.

There are exceptions. Private schools usually start foreign language instruction in early grades. Many public elementary schools offer languages, too, sometimes as an afterschool fee-charging activity taught once or twice a week by an outside contractor like Berlitz For Kids.

Let's briefly summarize the science behind the "earlier is better" conclusion. Then, in case you don't understand why your 4-year-old should speak, say, Mandarin when you don't, we'll look at the overall benefits of foreign language acquisition. We'll see how language is taught and explore your options for taking advantage of your child's optimum language-learning years.

The Brain and Language Acquisition:
The "window of opportunity" idea is widely accepted. Here is a very simplified explanation: From birth until puberty, the brain literally formats itself to perform various specialized functions, such as language, based upon the input it gets from the world. Neural networks gradually form, and they function more and more efficiently as they are used. If a second language is part of that input, networks for understanding and using it grow richer. Therefore, early exposure to a second language actually causes more connections to grow in a child's brain, and those connections, in turn, allow for easier additional learning in the second and first languages.

This "formatting" process, especially active in the first six years, ends at puberty, or around age 12, and the brain begins to shed connections it no longer uses. The capacity to distinguish and make sounds not encountered in languages the child speaks diminishes or disappears.

Many scientists believe that a newborn's brain is genetically "programmed" to learn language, just as a bird is programmed to sing or a spider to weave a web. No one actually teaches a child to talk. Rather, parents and others enable her learning by speaking while they interact with her. The interaction is a critical part of this process; merely hearing TV or radio is not enough by itself.

Baby talk by adults is part of this interaction. It involves simple sentence structure and vocabulary, exaggerated intonation and sounds, repetition, and questions, all of which help a child sort out meanings, sounds, and sentence patterns of a language.

During this early period, two languages can be learned simultaneously ­ as long as the child regularly interacts with speakers of both languages.

Pronunciation is more like that of a native speaker when language study begins early. Some experts believe this is due in part to physiological changes at puberty; by age 15, a child's facial muscles and bones are nearly mature, and his musculature loses sensitivity to phonetic distinctions that are not relevant to the languages he speaks. It is simply harder for the older student to make new, unfamiliar sounds. A psychological factor may also be at work: Older children are more inhibited in trying out new sounds and more concerned about making mistakes.

Why Should Your Child Learn a Foreign Language?
Isn't English enough? After all, much of the world's population speaks it as a second language, so your child can probably get by with English alone. Why add more academic study to his life?

These are legitimate questions, but the answers all favor introducing your kid to a second language as early as possible, preferably in an "immersion" program. The Bay Area offers many reasonably priced schools and classes ­ and which language you choose may not really matter, since studying any one of them provides benefits. Let's take a look at a few of them.

Acquiring a language is effortless for a young child. Getting him into a class early allows easy, natural absorption of a second language through play and exploration. I, for one, can vouch for the fact that starting Spanish in tenth grade is not effortless. Save your kid the struggle.

Improvement of overall academic performance. Statistically, children who study a second language score higher on verbal standardized tests conducted in English, according to the College Entrance Examination Board. Language students also perform better in math and logic skills than children with just one language. There is also some evidence that foreign language students are more creative and better at solving complex problems. Likewise, Chris Clark, director of Contra Costa's immersion preschool, Kids Into Speaking Spanish (KISS), notes that "no one expects the very young to master complex points of grammar, but the program seeks to make the children open to exploring other languages and cultures, Spanish or otherwise."

How Foreign Languages are Taught at Home
Where at least one parent speaks another language, a young child can learn it easily and naturally at the same time he learns English. One parent speaks to him and demands responses in English only, and the other does the same in the target language. The child learns two languages simultaneously and magically absorbs the structure of each so that he does not mix them up. This method can also work with a nanny or babysitter who speaks to and interacts with the child only in the foreign language.

And in Schools
There are three major types of language study programs in primary schools: FLES ("foreign language in elementary schools"), FLEX ("foreign language exploratory"), and immersion.

FLES is what comes to mind when you think of a traditional language class. Sometimes called "sequential," this method treats the foreign language as a separate subject, like math or reading, and meets for class from two to five days a week. Explanations may be in English, but the students hear, speak, and read the target language. Proficiency obviously depends to some extent on the frequency of classes, the opportunity to practice, and the accent of the teacher.

FLEX teaches language and its accompanying culture as a concept. Rather than trying to produce proficiency, the teacher emphasizes the nature of language, and he or she may explore one or more languages as examples. You shouldn't expect a child in a FLEX situation to become fluent, but the program can provide a basis for later learning and for appreciating other cultures.

Immersion programs come in three flavors: full, partial, and dual.

Full immersion produces the highest degree of second-language proficiency. In fact, Chris Clark of the KISS preschool, maintains that "a child can ... be bilingual by the end of one year" with full immersion. Using this method, children learn all their subjects ­ math, science, reading, social studies ­ in the target language, which is just the vehicle for teaching and is not taught as a separate subject. Curriculum with younger children focuses on games, songs, rhymes, cooking, holiday celebrations, and so on.

At each grade level, the percentage of time devoted to teaching in English increases, with the ultimate goal of instructing in each language half the time by around fifth grade. San Francisco's Alice Yu Alternative Elementary, for example, begins in kindergarten with about 85 percent of class time in Chinese and ends with 50 percent in fifth grade, at which point the students can communicate effectively in both languages. (Fortunately for these students, San Francisco has an immersion middle school where they can continue their

Full immersion was pioneered in Canada's bilingual (French/English) provinces and has been well studied for thirty years. Children in immersion programs do not experience any long-term delay in speaking English, but they do suffer an initial, temporary lag in English achievement. Research also shows that, ultimately, immersion students do as well as or better than other students on math and verbal skills.

In Canada, immersion programs have begun as late as grades 4, 7, and 9, but overall achievement levels of these students were lower than those of children who started younger. In the U.S., most immersion programs begin in preschool, kindergarten, or first grade. (Some, like Valley View Elementary School in Pleasanton, allow children to enroll as late as second grade, but only if they are native speakers of the non-English language.)

Immersion classes usually contain a mix of children whose families do and do not speak the second language at home. At KISS, for example, about two-thirds of the students come from non-Spanish-speaking families. Fifty-two percent of the families at the French American School speak only English, 28 percent speak French, and 20 percent speak a third language at home. Berkeley's Centro Latino, an afterschool program, says 99 percent of its parent population does not speak Spanish.

Partial immersion programs, as you might guess, teach only half of the curriculum in the foreign language, and reading and language arts are taught in English from the beginning. These students do not experience the same initial lag in English as total immersion students, researchers say, but partial immersion is not quite as effective in producing foreign language proficiency. Nevertheless, the students do absorb accent and vocabulary and obtain the other benefits of language study.

"Dual," "mutual," or "two-way" immersion is designed for schools with a large percentage of children whose mother tongue is, say, Spanish. Half the class time is in Spanish, thus "immersing" the English speakers, and half is in English, immersing the Spanish speakers.

"Early Childhood Bilingualism in the Montessori Children's House"
Montessori LIFE, Spring 1998 - Extract

Research shows that when children learn a second language before the developmental window closes, they enhance their own native language skills as well. They also increase their creativity, enhance their verbal and mathematical problem solving skills, and acquire advantages in concept formation. These skills contribute profoundly to a child's self-esteem and his or her sense of values. They prepare the child for life in the multi-cultural, multi-lingual world of the 21st century.

"Small Talk"
Thibaut, People Magazine, May 1999 - Extract

Babies can learn multiple foreign languages with ease. Early exposure to languages sets the stage for fluency later in life and, as an added benefit, actually stimulates overall brain development.... Thibaut says "Studies show [babies] recognize language as early as 4 months. He continues, "Even if the child doesn't continue in the language, learning so young clearly stimulates brain activity. Research now shows that learning a second language at a young age not only doesn't hinder children; it helps them do better in their native language and in other academic subjects. The first three years are critical to developing the intellectual potential a youngster carries for life."

"Gentle Hands, Quiet Voices: Secrets of Montessori"
By Randi Lynn Mrvos, Mothering Magazine, Issue 118, May/June 2003

Time was running out. My husband and I had to make a decision: Should we keep our three-year-old daughter, Abby, in daycare, or enroll her in a preschool? My sister had received an extraordinary education at a Montessori school from 1974 through 1980; however, I wasn't sure it would be right for my daughter. Perhaps visiting a classroom would help us decide.

We brought Abby to an open house at Providence Montessori, in Lexington , Kentucky . Like the interior of a home, the classroom was warm, inviting, and comfortable. Desks in rows of five were absent. Instead, small tables and chairs were neatly arranged near work trays that rested on low shelves. I gazed at the bright posters and Van Gogh prints, then peeked outside at the snow-dusted benches and birdfeeders. Even though I was impressed with the beauty and the meticulous organization, I wondered if Montessori would be right for us. Would my daughter be prepared for high school, college, and life?

Before visiting the classroom, I had bought two books: Lesley Britton's Montessori: Play and Learn and Cam Gordon's Together With Montessori. I learned that Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in a place called Chiaravalle , Italy . Rather than following her parents' wishes to become a teacher, she graduated as the first woman physician in Italy . Her interest, however, lay in working with special-needs children. Because she had also trained as an anthropologist, she was able to study and to work with these children in hopes of finding a way to educate them. Through her observations she developed a successful method, which was introduced to classrooms of more typical students.

Montessori became convinced that children develop in three-year intervals. In keeping with her theories, most Montessori schools offer Primary (ages 3-6) and Elementary (ages 6-9 and 9-12). Each class usually consists of 25 to 30 children taught by two or three teachers. The Primary curriculum includes practical life exercises such as pouring, washing, and sweeping. In addition, mathematics, language, geography, science, music, and art are taught. In Elementary, the same subjects are taught, but in more depth and with more individualized lessons. Children in Elementary learn zoology and botany, go on more field trips, and listen to guest speakers.

Through my reading, I discovered some secrets of the Montessori Method. Maria Montessori believed that the classroom should be furnished with child-sized tables and chairs. The work should be placed at levels accessible to children. In addition, teachers should encourage a child to repeat an activity until it is perfected. Montessori believed that intellectual capacity increased when children learned through sensory exploration. For example, in the teaching of geography, on some world globes the shapes of the continents are made of sandpaper. Items to be studied are sometimes placed in cloth bags to give the children practice in identifying objects through their sense of touch.

Reading books helped me partially understand Maria Montessori's principles, but observing the classroom let me see them in action. This was a special place--a child-friendly environment. Every square foot of the classroom offered educational choices. My husband and I liked the classroom, but what about Abby? At first, she shyly clung to my leg. Then, she slowly disengaged and walked over to a shelf. She lifted a puzzle, placed it on a table, and plopped on a chair to piece it together. When--four puzzles later--it was time to leave, we had to pry her away. Abby's reaction, and positive feedback from friends who have chosen Montessori, made our decision easy. We enrolled her in Providence for the fall.

Eight months later, we noticed that Abby had made huge progress in verbal, dexterity, math, and social skills. Her accomplishments were so impressive that I made arrangements to observe her class and see how she learned. On a brisk April day, Abby and I walked, hand in hand, to her classroom. She and other children laid their jackets on the floor, placed hangers inside, and zipped or buttoned their coats. After they'd hung up their jackets, they quietly found a project. What independence! Half an hour later, pupils and teachers gathered in a circle on the floor. Abby wasn't sure she wanted me to stay for Group Time, but as the class sang the cheery "Good Day" song, she pulled a chair up for me and sat pressed against my shins.

The teacher proceeded with a science lesson on the ocean, illustrated with pictures of fish, sharks, and coral. As part of the lesson, the teacher demonstrated a matching game of shells. Afterward, she dropped the shells into a sack of bright red velvet, which would be available to the children after Group Time. Ah-ha! Sensory exploration.

Group Time ended with the tinkling of a bell that the teacher rang softly as she closed her eyes. The children closed their eyes, and did not open them until she rang the bell again. She then handed the bell to a child. He got up to leave the group, placing the bell in the lap of another child, until the group dissolved. Gentle hands and quiet voices.

The children proceeded to find "work." Like strands of necklaces, rows of brightly colored stringed beads, for arithmetic, dangled on the wall. Math and spelling games tempted from the shelves. A majority of the children were interested in tackling the geography sand-paper puzzles, while others dispensed water from eye-droppers or spooned rainbow-colored beads into a cup. Abby chose to punch out the outline of a cardinal from a sheet of construction paper with a corncob pick. Such work helps children in dexterity skills. Next, she informed me that she was ready to "stamp." She placed the punching items back on their shelf and gathered an ink pad, a bird stamp, and ten strips of stapled paper, numbered 1-10. She proceeded to stamp as many images of birds as corresponded to the number marked on the paper. What a great counting idea!

After she had completed this "work," Abby grabbed a four-lined illustrated poem that had been clipped to a board. She slipped a piece of tracing paper on top and outlined each letter with a pencil. In ten minutes, poem and drawing had been transferred to her paper. She added the finishing touches: a splash of color from felt-tip markers and her signature across the bottom. So, this is how she's learning to write.

On to more work. Abby experimented with spelling puzzles, math beads, and spooning colored beads into bowls. A full morning for her--for everyone. I was impressed that children direct themselves, choosing when to work and when to take breaks. If they want a snack, they serve themselves in the kitchen area. They pour their own drinks and, if they spill, clean up with sponges. New "work" replaces old on a rotating schedule. The classroom offers countless choices. Children can practice work, paint on an easel, or go outside to draw pictures with chalk. All the time I observed, the children remained quiet, busy and absorbed.

I drove home thinking that Montessori was like a greenhouse. The parents supply the seed; the teachers provide the nourishment for growth. My visit to the classroom helped me understand how Abby plays at home. She likes to arrange her dolls in a circle and play school. Today, she taught her "class" about the ocean, just as she had learned in school. "I'm the teacher. Now, children, it's Group Time," she says. She shows her dolls the collection of seashells that she gathered on our family vacation. If they have questions, her "students" must raise a quiet hand (it's my job to lift their limp arms), and must repeat what she has taught them (again, I assist).

One night at bedtime, Abby propped her chin inside her palms, staring off. "Are you all right?" I asked. "I was just thinking about Montessori," she whispered. I patted her to sleep and thought about her school. The secrets of the Montessori Method can be easily revealed through reading, but better understood with a classroom visit. A Montessori school is a place where tranquility, creativity, discovery, freedom, independence, and love overflow, a place with quiet voices and gentle hands. We've planted the seed. We'll love it and watch it grow.