Feature
Article: 3 Steps Parents Can Take To Support Elementary
Language Education In Their Communities
Many parents and teachers are concerned about
cutbacks in funding for foreign language programs at the
elementary school level.
Is there anything a parent can do to support
early childhood language education in their communities?
Yes! I recently attended a presentation given
by Janis Jensen, the NJ Coordinator of World Languages
and the President of the National Network for Early Language
Learning. During her talk, she made these suggestions for
parents and teachers who are being faced with potential
cutbacks in their school's foreign language programs.
1. Be an advocate. Many of
the teachers at the presentation agreed that active and
vocal parents can play a very influential role (sometimes
more than teachers) in convincing school boards to support
funding for early language learning. Consider organizing
concerned parents, and presenting a compelling case to
the school board for maintaining adequate funding for early
language learning. Sending articles to the local newspaper
about the benefits of early language learning also can
help generate support for funding language programs.
2. Stay informed. To make
a case to administrators, you must clearly state the benefits
of early foreign language education. Research has shown
cognitive, academic, and social benefits to early language
learning. Furthermore, the nation as a whole benefits from
developing kids who have a global understanding and can
communicate with people from other countries and cultures.
Future issues of this newsletter will go into
greater detail about some of the studies that support early
language learning. You can also learn more by visiting
the website of the National Network for Early Language
Learning (www.NNELL.org).
If you are concerned that language programs
in your school are being cut or are substandard, find out
if your school is meeting state standards. You can find
out more about your state's world languages standards by
going to the Department
of Education website for your state.
3. Consider alternatives. You
may want your school to offer a great Spanish program,
but keep in mind that the specific language offered is
less important than the opportunity for the child to learn
ANY foreign language.
Note that the Bush administration
recently announced a National Security Language Initiative
to increase the number of Americans who can speak what
they deem to be “critical” languages (e.g.
Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Arabic). Recognizing the need
to start teaching these languages in the Pre-K and elementary
level, the government is offering funding for schools
to offer programs in these critical languages. If funding
constraints are keeping your school from offering a quality
program, suggest they develop a program in one of these
critical languages, utilizing the federal government's
new grants. One such grant is through the Department
of Education's Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP)
and provides incentives for teaching critical need languages
in K-12. $24M has been earmarked for these grants. For
more information on the FLAP grants, go to the following
website for funding updates (click on Chart 1): http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html.
With active advocacy on the part of informed
parents, there are many opportunities to support robust
early language learning programs.
© Anneke V. Forzani,
Language Lizard, LLC. 2006.
Want to use this article in your e-zine or
web site? Contact Language Lizard President and Founder,
Anneke Forzani, at [email protected]. |
Book
Review: Mei Ling's Hiccups