Many research in past has shown that early language study results insubstantial and long-lived benefits to the developing brain:
- In his research in 1981 Jim Cummins suggests that foreign language study “enhances children’s understanding of how language itself works. It also increases their ability to manipulate language in the service of thinking and problem solving.”
- In his book Mirror of language: the debate on bilingualism Kenji Hakuta established that multi language learners show greater cognitive flexibility, better problem solving and higher order thinking skills.
- People who are competent in more than one language consistently out score monolinguals on tests of verbal and nonverbal intelligence. (Bruck,Lambert, Tucker 1974, Hakuta 1986, Weatherford 1986)
- Children who have studied a foreign language show greater cognitive development in such areas as mental flexibility,creativity, divergent thinking,and higher-order thinking skills. (See Foster and Reeves 1989; Landry1973, 1974)
- Lapkin,et al (1990), and Rattle (1968) reported that those who studied a foreign language had better listening skills and sharper memories than those who did not.
- In the words of Dr. Susan Curtiss, UCLA Linguistics professor.“The power to learn a language is so great in the young child that it does not seem to matter how many languages you seem to throw their way…They can learn as many spoken languages as you can allow them to hear systematically and regularly at the same time.Children just have this capacity. Their brain is ripe to do this…there does not seem to be any detriment to…developing several languages at the same time”
- Strong evidence shows that time spent on foreign language study strongly reinforces the core subject areas of reading, English language literacy, social studies and math:
- Stephen Cary in his book Second language learners says Second language students with a solid primary language foundation established in bilingual programs, consistently outperform second language students in non- bilingual programs — in both their primary language and in English .
- In one study, students scored significantly higher in math and language arts after one semester of foreign language study 90 minutes per week.In this study, one experimental group actually received one and a half fewer hours math instruction per week and still did better than the control group in math. (Armstrong 1997)
- A study of 13,200 third and fifth graders in Louisiana public schools revealed that, regardless of race, gender or academic level, children taking foreign language classes did better on the English section of the Louisiana Basic Skills Test than those who did not. (Dumas 1999)
- Foreign language learners consistently score higher than their non language learning peers in measures of English vocabulary, particularly when the language studied has Latin roots. (Masciantonio 1977)
- “The age of ten is a crucial time in the development of attitudes toward nations and groups perceived as ‘other’ according to the research of Piaget, Lambert and others. At age 10, children are in the process of moving from egocentricity to reciprocity and information received before age 10 is eagerly received.”(Curtain & Dahlberg 2004)
- “The positive impact of cultural information is significantly enhanced when that information is experienced through foreign language and accompanied by experiences in culturally authentic situations.” (Curtain & Dahlberg 2004)