The quotes in this post are from the article, “Bilingual Preschool Offers Best of Both Worlds,” October 20th, 2007, by Dawn Neuses, found at http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=359227 on October 21st, 2007.
This article describes a preschool that teaches Spanish speaking students with an ESL component. It is an early start on second language acquisition, but starting early is a good way to help students better master English. By learning early on, students will be better able to communicate with both students and teachers later in their school career. One thing I like very much about this particular preschool is the emphasis on learning in the native language before learning in the target language.
Students are taught in their native language, in this case Spanish. The preschool includes an English-as-a-Second-Language component where the children also are learning English.
This is a good way to teach English in addition to teaching other concepts. If the new concepts were introduced in English, the students would learn the language more but not be as able to comprehend the concepts.
Principal Pat Alexander said research shows how important it is for bilingual students to grasp concepts completely in their own language first before transitioning to English.
This transitioning between the two languages will help the students learn to transition fluidly between the two. It also keeps the student’s native Spanish from being de-emphasized. This is important to keep the students from feeling inferior to their fellow English speaking students when they are further along in their education. It is also important to teach the students partially in Spanish because preschool is fairly important for language development. They must develop their native language skills in addition to their second language skills.
This preschool program also emphasizes parental involvement. Parents who learn early on to be supportive of their bilingual children will be more likely to do so later on. Parental support is important to a student’s success in school. The head teacher of the district’s English Language Learners program describes the parental focus:
“This is a program where children can walk with their parents to get here,” Ms. Jordan said, “and because there is a parent education component, we can help parents understand how they can help their child be successful, not just in preschool, but throughout their educational career.”
More preschools such as this one across the country would be very beneficial for non-English speaking students. To be educated this way early on helps the students better learn English and helps their future ESL classes to be easier or possibly even unnecessary. This school is a good example of successful early second language education.
8 responses so far ↓
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Carrie Kirgis
// Oct 23, 2007 at 12:38 pm
This reminds me of a discussion we had just yesterday in my child development class. Apparently, people who learn a second language at a very young age can master the language better than those who try to learn it later in life. This is because when a young child learns two languages simultaneously, the brain designates one common area that is shared by both languages. However, when a child learns one language at a young and then tries to learn another language later, the brain designates one area of the brain for the first language and then later designates a second area for that new language. The result is that the person will always have to translate when switching from one language to the other. But apparently, if they are both in the same area of the brain, no actual translating takes place. (Sorry if I worded that in a confusing way).
I say all that to say that, yes, I agree that bilingual education in preschool is a good idea. In fact, considering what I now know about language development, I think it is probably more beneficial to have these language classes in preschool then in high school, which is when I (and I assume many of you) first tried to master a second language. I cant say that my two years of high school Spanish did me any good because I can’t remember any of it now. So maybe rather than just teaching Spanish to English speaking kids, we should also teach English to Spanish speaking kids. It can’t hurt, right?
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“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way.” George Evans | An attempt at critical pedagogy
// Oct 23, 2007 at 3:11 pm
[...] P.S. Here are my 3 replies: Jonathon, Michael, Chris [...]
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sapele110
// Dec 1, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I think that this is a great idea. It is important that children be exposed to the language as early as possible because studies show that the earilier the better. So in my opinion it only makes sense for more preschools to start focusing on teaching two languages.
I do wonder though how much the students actually learn about english as their second language. In my position, as a college student, I tend to think of second language acquisition as something people my age do. Because of this I view it as something that requires a lot of high level thinking. But this view couldn’t be further from the truth. Children have every cognitive ability to learn any language on the planet.
So in closing I like this idea. Looking back on things, I would have liked to had been exposed to another language as a child. That way when I was required to learn another language it would have been easier and I would have been able to diver further into the language to learn more.
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» 10 posts Ignorance is Strength
// Dec 1, 2007 at 5:37 pm
[...] 7. http://feuerdorn88.edublogs.org/2007/10/21/preschool-language-advantage/#comment-7 [...]
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Christina
// Dec 3, 2007 at 10:28 pm
I always think that the “earlier is better” method towards language is right on. It is, after all, much easier for a young child to acquire a first or second language than for an adult to acquire one. Linguistically, this school’s method makes sense. I think they’re going about it in entirely the right way. It is also really important for children (and adults) to take pride in their language. As a future English teacher, I think this is essential. It’s much easier to enjoy and appreciate a language if you understand it and have made it your own.
I also agree with Carrie. I think it a cryin’ shame that I wasn’t exposed to a different language before high school. Besides strengthening the appreciation for language in general, exposure to different languages is a gateway to exposure to different cultures and different ways of thinking. It promotes unity and awareness within and across barriers, which is always a good thing.
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rachelaren
// Dec 4, 2007 at 1:03 am
Earlier the better, absolutly! I will have to agree with Christina, as studies show, it is much easier for a young child to acquire a first or second language than for an adult to acquire one.
Espically with the Spanish speaking community growing in leaps and bounds every year, this children will benefit from being able to communicate in both languages. Not to mention that it does, indeed, open up the door for future opportunities.
I also think it’s important that the studnets know their native language isn’t being de-emphesized, and not give them a chance to feel inferrior to the other studnets.
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“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way.” George Evans | Comments…
// Dec 4, 2007 at 1:15 am
[...] Chris – Jamie (yeah, I made the same comment on two different blogs…oops!) [...]
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» Comments Galore! Writer’s Block Demolition Site
// Dec 4, 2007 at 3:02 am
[...] Chris: http://feuerdorn88.edublogs.org/2007/10/21/preschool-language-advantage/#comment-15 [...]
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