Many Americans live their entire lives without ever learning to speak a foreign language, which is unfortunate considering humanity’s global interconnection. For instance, China’s growing economy, population and consumer spending power make the Chinese market attractive to many American businesses. However, American entrepreneurs who fail to learn Chinese may find it difficult to do business with the business people of China. With that in mind, here are five reasons why it’s important for kids to learn a foreign language:
Better Performance on Standardized Tests
According to studies published by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), learning a second language improves a person’s performance on standardized tests. In fact, one study carried out in Harwich, Massachusetts found that foreign language students outperformed non-foreign language students on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test.
Culture & Job Market
It is worth noting that learning a foreign language also helps children understand and develop positive attitudes towards other cultures. This means your child would be able to integrate and relate well with other students in a multi-culturally diverse American school, and ultimately develop into a well-rounded top student. Additionally, knowing a second language could possibly help your child’s job prospects in the future. Raul Munoz, a Spanish Tutor in Orange County states “in California there are a lot of opportunities for candidates who are bilingual”.
Enhanced Reading Ability
Another study published by the ACTFL shows that learning a second language usually leads to improvements in the reading abilities of students including pseudoword reading, memorizing, spelling, and completing oral cloze tasks. This is good news to parents because a child who is a good reader will likely perform well in school and access education opportunities unavailable to peers. One of REACH’s own French Tutors in Fremont commented “learning a foreign language will usually boost a child’s comprehension of their native language as well”.
Better Understanding of Scientific Concepts
If your child loves science subjects, consider enrolling him/her in a foreign language program. Learning a second language will likely enhance your child’s ability to hypothesize and grasp scientific concepts. If you cannot afford to enroll your child in a program that requires payment of tuition fees, take advantage of web-based foreign language resources or mobile apps.
Improved Learning Ability
Foreign language students find it easier to learn other languages because they simply make use of their advanced language learning skills. This is according to yet another study published by the ACTFL. What’s more, Martha G Abbott, Director of Education for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages says that all students have the ability to learn a foreign language. In particular, Abbott says young kids are more able to mimic the intonation and pronunciation of foreign language words compared to adults. Furthermore, children develop literacy skills at a young age, meaning it easier for them to learn new languages.
At REACH Pro Tutoring, our foreign language tutors work with children to develop their reading, written and oral skills for Spanish, Chinese, French, German and more! We understand that for some students, learning a new language can be frustrating. New concepts will build on each other and if a child falls behind, it’s easy to become discouraged. Our foreign language tutors will assess your student to see exactly how we need to supplement the in-class material in order to get your kid caught up!