The Truth Behind Second Language Acquisition During Middle School

What are the benefits of learning a second language?

Throughout the beginning of the twentieth century, the idea that learning a second language at an early age confuses children and hinders their cognitive development was the primary belief. However, new studies have shown that this common misconception is actually the opposite of the truth. Now, linguistics, psychologists, and educators all agree that second language acquisition, or the learning of a second language, improves cognitive development by enhancing abstract thinking, cognitive creativity, cognitive flexibility, and memory retention. The most recent studies have shown that the enhancement of creative thinking allows individuals to create solutions that they otherwise would not have thought of which leads to more complex problems solving abilities. Students who learn a second language also have been found to be better listeners and have a greater ability to concentrate. All of these benefits are acquired during language classes and can heighten student success in all subject areas. According to the National Council of State Supervisors for Language, the academic benefits of learning a second language are shown through increased abilities in reading, writing, and mathematics. Studies have shown that children who study a second language can outperform monolinguals in both tests of verbal and nonverbal intelligence. This increased ability to do well on tests is a result of physical brain growth and more neuron connections, both of which are a result of learning the second language. As children develop and transition through adolescents, the neuron connections that are used often become stronger while the ones that are rarely or never used become weaker or disappear all together. As the darkness indicates in the image below, the multilingual brain has many more neuronal connections. The younger a child begins to learn a second language, the more neuron connections they will be able to strengthen and keep intact which leads to an increase in intelligence and brain size.

"Children in foreign language programs have tended to demonstrate greater cognitive development, creativity, and divergent thinking than monolingual children."

Why should Second Language Acquisition start in Middle School?

It has been proven that the amount of time an individual studies a second language positively correlates with the amount of increase in cognitive and metacognitive processing. So, while these benefits apply to all second language learners despite the age at which they start learning a their second language, the younger a person when they start their language acquisition the greater benefits they will receive. Also, it is easier for an individual to learn a second language while they are in their adolescent years than when they are an adult. Several of the reasons for this increase in difficulty are described below.

• Younger language learners have better procedural memory, which is a type of unconscious and long term memory. Procedural memory that allows them to better retain formations of sentences or pronunciations of words that they have heard, expediting the language learning process. Those who acquire a second language at an older age must rely on rule based learning which requires more repetition and takes a longer period of time to master the same skills.
• As adolescents go through puberty their brain begins to lateralize which means different tasks get assigned to one hemisphere of the brain or another. Lateralization interferes with the language acquisition because as the brain develops the right hemisphere looses the ability to be equally responsible for language and the brain must rely on only the left hemisphere for language functions.
• Younger individuals are less concerned with how others perceive them. This allows younger individuals to more confidently respond in the second language or attempt pronunciation. As an individual goes through puberty they become more aware of others judgement and will be more reluctant to use their second language skills for fear of saying something incorrectly.

"Students who begin learning a foreign language in middle school have greater oral proficiency and motivation than students with similar levels of language experience who start learning it in high school"

Has the United States fallen behind when it comes to second language acquisition?

According to the research done by Penn State University in 2013, the answer to this question is yes. The United States is the only industrialized country that still allows students to graduate high school without taking a foreign language. Penn State University criticizes the United States education system for not starting classes in a second language until students are around fourteen years of age. By this time students are often too old to really become proficient in another language. In most european countries the addition of secondary language classes begins around ages three to six. Only 9% of the US population is bilingual while more than 50% of the population in Europe is multilingual. This huge gap in percentages is a result of to the age at which students begin learning a second language. While it might be difficult to begin language acquisition in elementary school, starting in Middle School rather than in high school or not at all, will increase the chances of students

successfully becoming bilingual.

"Only 10 states require some type of second language credits to graduate from high school whereas in many European countries children begin to learn a second language from 6-9 years old, or in some cases 3 years old."

For further reading about the benefits of second language acquisition, check out the following sources:

• Second-Language Acquisition and Bilingualism at an Early Age and the Impact on Early Cognitive Development
• The Intellectual Power of Bilingualism
• Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language
• A Case for Emphasizing Secondary Language Education in the United States

Annotated Bibliography