It's Elementary: Foreign Language Learning and the Benefits of Childhood Bilingualism (2015)

Undergraduate: Hayle Austin

Faculty Advisor: Patrick Akos
Department: Romance Languages

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Research suggests that bilingual children have many cognitive and developmental advantages in comparison to their monolingual peers. In advocating for foreign language learning in the elementary school classroom as a ¿¿¿specials¿¿¿ rotation supplement, I discuss the importance of creating an education policy that encourages bilingualism at an earlier age. I assess the benefits of childhood bilingualism and use them to influence policy makers to understand and support the necessity of foreign language instruction at earlier grade levels by highlighting the positive implications that would result for society in the future. Additionally, I use schools already practicing similar programs to assess, not only the successes of this practice, but also the limitations, in order to suggest the most advantageous process for implementation. By introducing foreign language to younger students, cultural competency will be encouraged at an earlier age¿¿¿better equipping American students for communication with diverse populations and creating well-informed global citizens.