In the United States, 21% of school-age children speak a language other than English in their homes. Meanwhile, worldwide, 66% of children are raised as bilingual speakers. Despite these statistics, the United States is clutching relentlessly to English-only language education.
In Abington’s current foreign language education system, language education begins in 7th grade at age thirteen, and is only mandated through 11th grade. This system is ineffective, as studies show that early language education before puberty is one of the only paths to fluency in a language. If a language is introduced in preadolescence, the brain will be more open to new sounds and language patterns. Generally, a student will not be able to adopt a native-sounding accent if the language is introduced after puberty. If a child taught a foreign language starting at thirteen is just going to forget it all anyway, it is much more efficient to begin education at a younger age, providing the child a realistic opportunity to retain what they have learned.
This petition proposes that language education be integrated into the core elementary school curriculum, alongside reading and math. As Spanish is the most popular language choice among Abington middle and high school students and the second most popular language in the U.S., Spanish teachers should be hired at each of the elementary schools. Classes should be sent to the language teacher three times per week, in a similar way to how students currently rotate between Art, Music, and Gym class each week.
As a graduate of the Abington school system, I can confirm that I feel that my education would have been complemented by second language education in elementary school. Bilingualism in children has been proven to have a myriad of positive effects, including increasing critical thinking skills and creativity. Students exposed to foreign languages repeatedly outscore their peers on not only reading, but also math sections on standardized tests. This in turn would generate more funding for the district and create more successful graduates. Introducing foreign language education in elementary schools would not only be possible and effective, it would also raise scores across the board and empower students to reach new academic heights.
Please sign addressed to the Abington School District to help our community’s children learn and succeed!