Sage-Tips

Is foreign language taught in elementary school?

Elementary Schools commitment to foreign language education for younger learners in the past two decades. Seven of the most successful of these programs have been identified as models in providing foreign language instruction to elementary and middle school students (see box below).

Why should schools not have foreign languages?

To summarize, foreign language classes should not be a requirement. Students rarely achieve proficiency even after several years of study, and the benefits of learning a foreign language in the US are limited. If taking a foreign language was not required, students would be able to pursue classes they want.

Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?

Yes. Students in elementary school should be required to learn a foreign language. Having elementary school students learn another language will better prepare them for high school or college where foreign language credits are required and for their future in our global economy.

Why should Spanish be taught in elementary schools?

While Most schools only offer Spanish at the secondary level, foreign languages should be taught at the elementary level because it helps with literacy in English, it enhances problem solving, attentional control and the ability to switch tasks, but most importantly, young children are intrinsically better language …

How many elementary schools in the US teach a foreign language?

Only 58 percent of middle schools and 25 percent of elementary schools offer a foreign language in 2008, according to a 2017 report by the Commission on Language Learning, which was formed in response to a request by Congress to look deeper into foreign language learning in the United States.

Why should foreign languages be taught in elementary?

Foreign languages should be taught at the elementary level because it helps with literacy in English, it enhances problem solving, attentional control and the ability to switch tasks, but most importantly, young children are intrinsically better language learners, and will, therefore, become more proficient and retain …

How many elementary schools in the U.S. teach a foreign language?

What are the disadvantages of learning a foreign language at an early age?

One of the major disadvantages of learning a second language in elementary school is that it might not be fun for the child. Children at this age want to do things that they enjoy doing, whether that’s playing games, coloring, singing, playing a sport or whatever it may be.

Do American schools teach Spanish?

Not surprisingly, Spanish is also the foreign/world language most often taught in public and private schools in the U.S. Although the selection of languages to be taught in schools sometimes appears to be politically motivated – schools change the languages they offer according to major world events and sociopolitical …

What happened to foreign language education in the United States?

Japanese and Russian programs experienced a decline. Only 39\% of elementary schools with foreign language programs had some type of articulation from elementary to middle school instruction. However, there was a significant increase in articulation from middle to high school (from 24\% in 1997 to 59\% in 2008).

Do students have access to foreign language instruction at school?

A signifiant number of elementary and middle school students, especially in rural and low socio-economic schools, do not have access to foreign language instruction at all. The results of the National Survey of Foreign Language Teaching in U.S. Schools conducted by the Center for Applied Linguistics in 2008 revealed the following:

How has no child left behind affected language teaching?

Nearly one-third of elementary and secondary schools with language programs reported that language teaching had been negatively affected by No Child Left Behind, because focus on reading and mathematics had drawn resources away from foreign languages which were not included in the law’s accountability measures.

What is the most common foreign language program at the elementary level?

However, there was a significant increase in articulation from middle to high school (from 24\% in 1997 to 59\% in 2008). At the elementary level, the most common foreign language program was an exploratory one, i.e., one that provides an introductory exposure to the language. 14\% of elementary schools followed an immersion model.