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Leah Williams

Professor Fields

UWRT-1102-012

22 February 2017

Literature Review Paper

Most American public school students can testify that their initial introduction to

learning a second language, at least in a school sense, began in high school, with a few

perhaps a little earlier in middle school. Unfortunately, this is after a critical period has

already passed in language learning that can improve many abilities that enhance ones

fluency. The United States public schools should focus on implementing bilingual learning

earlier so that students can have the opportunity to fully grasp a second language.

English is considered the universal language; this mindset has hindered the United

States from completely adopting bilingual education. Knowing English is a formidable skill,

a reason why other countries around the world are bilingual, they learn English in addition to

their native language. However, there are many skills that can be obtained when bilingualism

is learned to its fullest extent and not brought later in education.

It is easier to gain fluency in another language when it is taken out of context as an

[Insert Language] class and instead used to teach other subjects. There are more benefits to

being taught in the second language as opposed to having one specific class geared towards

teaching that language. This is the dichotomy of traditional versus immersion teaching. Dual

immersion programs enable a student to be equally immersed in two separate languages;

English and Spanish, for example, being the most typical combination. This type of program

has shown cognitive improvement in comparison to monolingual counterparts; students in

this program do better academically than monolinguists by the fifth grade (Hadi-Tabassum).

Immersion raises the question of mixing up the two languages, but when taught at an early
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age, that is not a practical worry. The development of a childs ear muscles is still in progress

until roughly the age of twelve; linguists believe that the group of speech sounds of different

languages are unique and cannot be confused (Trautner; Hadi-Tabassum). Samina Hadi-

Tabassum, assistant professor at Northern Illinois University, expresses the importance of

separating each language to a certain context. This separation is used in dual immersion

programs; both languages are given their individual time or day, content or subject, and

sometimes separate teachers as well. This is beneficial to bilingualism as it allows an

individual connection to the specific language. Regardless of contextual discrepancies,

children can distinguish between two languages; the introduction of a second does not

interfere with the first. In fact, it can likely improve ones understanding of their native

language, because it gives a comparison to English grammar and structural rules (The

Benefits of Second Language Study). Learning languages stemming from the same family

as English, or languages where English has loanwords, can enhance ones vocabulary as

some basic words in a foreign language could be identical to English words with the

exception being the pronunciation. These words are known as cognates and are typical in

romance languages, but can also be found in some Germanic languages. Sometimes these

words are not as common in English, but by acquiring them through the learning of a second

language it is still expanding ones vocabulary.

In order to achieve all that bilingualism has to offer, people should be immersed as

early as possible. The brain is most flexible at a young age. It is most flexible, or plastic,

early in life to accommodate a wide range of environments and interactions (Center on the

Developing Child). Young learners are able to pick up on sounds, structural aspects,

intonation, and rules of a second language quickly, just as they do in order to learn their

first language. As a child grows, the skills capable of isolating specific sounds and producing

new ones decrease; this critical period of flexibility in ear and mouth muscles completely
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depletes around the age of eight to twelve. When learning begins early on, a child has the

opportunity to develop near native-like pronunciation and intonation because of their ability

to pick up and reproduce certain sounds. Jeanette Vos, a writer for Earlychildhood News with

a doctorate in education, found that babies babble using 70 sounds that make up all the

languages in the world (Vos). As a baby grows up, it discards all sounds it doesnt hear in

the first years, using only the sounds and words they pick up from their environment (Vos).

Noam Chomsky, known as the father of modern linguistics and a professor at MIT, has

continuously argued that there are various indications that humans are programmed to speak

in such a way similar to imprinting that ducks do; that is to say, young ducklings imprint,

but adults do not. Humans may possibly have the same sort of function, but with language

(McWorther). Chomsky further asserts that there could be a genetically specified trait linked

to language, but over time it diminishes because it is no longer needed. This would create

an obstacle for learning any languages after a certain age, and, by high school, the optimum

learning period has passed. It would make sense to start learning a second language earlier.

As researched by Helena Curtain, a former foreign language curriculum specialist for

Milwaukee public schools, achieving proficiency in a foreign language takes from four to

six years and suggests that study should begin in the elementary school (Curtain). Starting in

high school simply would not be the sensible approach.

Multilingual children hold advantages over monolinguals. They are typically better at

critical thinking; there are certain aspects of how one thinks and speaks in one language in

comparison to another. These aspects can contribute to how a child looks at a situation and

typically they see it in many different ways (Curtain). It also teaches children a broader

cultural outlook, which is arguably critical to introduce at a young age. It can help to expand

perspectives further from their fixation of Anglicized or Americanized aspects of culture.

Further from such arbitrary aspects, bilingualism promotes cognitive abilities. Abbot,
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Caccavale, and Stewart, members of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign

Languages (ACTFL), discuss that other benefits include intellectual and developmental help

and has been proven to aid in math and other subjects that are seemingly unrelated. Language

learning keeps the brain active and engaged and could potentially postpone Alzheimers

because of the continuous exercising of the brain. Bilingual children are generally more

creative, adaptable, and have a better memory (Curtain). Multilingualism trains the brain to

throw out unnecessary information which leads to better focus, memory, planning, and

multitasking. Early immersion allows favorable listening and speaking skills to develop.

While later immersion learners can catch up in reading and comprehension, they are likely to

fall short in oral and listening skills (Domnguez and Pessoa 474). Bilinguals also appear to

pick up on additional languages quicker than monolinguals (Schwartz). Multilingualism

would create even more advantages, be it in the workforce or with cognitive abilities, so long

as every language is continuously practiced.

It is crucial to stimulate a language to keep the skill and remain proficient. One

challenge of immersion programs is that if the language isnt practiced outside of the

classroom it cant be nearly as effective and beneficial. Casual colloquial conversations are

necessary to gain a true understanding of the language and since past generations have not

been strongly coaxed to learn a second language fluently, it would likely be difficult for a

parent to be the most help for a child to practice unless they have already been studied the

language for years prior. Regardless, the results of earlier immersion to languages show clear

and true benefits. Withholding the application of learning a second language until high school

simply has no logical benefits whatsoever and immersing earlier on allows a child more time

to grasp a language fully. Children are at a prime age to begin learning, and the earlier the

better. It is unfortunate that the United States hasnt emphasized bilingualism more when

there are so many advantages to gain. Language acquisition is not equal to language learning
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and requires application in order to reap all the benefits. When early immersion is applied,

learners have a better opportunity to actually acquire another language as opposed to

learning, especially through rote memorization methods.