In Europe, the average age at which a child starts to learn a foreign language is six years old. This is the age at which students are learning to read, learning to add two plus two, and in Europe children are also learning to say, "Hello! How are you?" In the United States, students often begin foreign language study at the end of middle school, at the age of fourteen to fifteen. Research shows that even with this gap of just under ten years, it is significantly easier and more effective for children to begin foreign language study at the younger age.
Last night I helped with a training focusing on world languages for teachers at the maternelle level here, the equivalent of preschool in the United States. While classroom foreign language instruction is not required in France until the CP level (US 1st grade), the local education inspection in Royan is encouraging exposure to languages and world cultures even at the preschool level. I see at least fifty children weekly at this age level with the two schools I am at, and from the discussions at the meeting last night there are several other teachers who have weekly English time with their students, and more who are interested in how to start this. We demonstrated examples of several nursery rhymes and games that could be played in the classroom, all of which emulate activities that already take place in a normal maternelle classroom. My coordinator is also working on a post card project for which there is a collection of post cards available from a "Traveling Teddy Bear," providing a launching point for a discussion about countries around the world. (If anyone is interested in sending one-comment or write to me!)
As we were driving back to her house from the meeting, Sylvie asked me what I thought of the material presented. I said that the general subject really interests me, which is why I wanted to attend/volunteer at the meeting in the first place. While in Morocco my friends and I attempted to learn some Arabic, but many of the sounds, such as the sound for 'r', are pronounced very differently than how we as Anglophones do, and even though we are only in our twenties it is already difficult for us to grasp how to make the sound. France and Europe in general is so much more advanced than the United States in terms of foreign language education. Another example: I have met several German assistants through this program, all of whom speak English and French conversationally. My friend Anna who is an assistant in La Rochelle also even speaks Italian! By attending this meeting therefore, I wanted to show my support for the inspection's initiatives to promote foreign language education at an early age.
I encourage everyone to take a look at this infographic passed on from my friend Rachel Kirk, a French teacher in New Orleans: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/06/second-language-infographic_n_4136915.html. While I continually hear that it is okay for Americans not to learn other languages, as English is a global language, I don't quite agree. Yes, when I get together with a group of assistants here in France, English is often the common language spoken even if not everyone is a native English speaker. However I have met many assistants this year who prefer not to speak English, and of the teachers I work with, only one has conversational English ability. Being able to speak another language therefore allows me to be able speak with a wider group of people than if I could only speak English, and this has had countless professional, academic and social benefits.
Last night I helped with a training focusing on world languages for teachers at the maternelle level here, the equivalent of preschool in the United States. While classroom foreign language instruction is not required in France until the CP level (US 1st grade), the local education inspection in Royan is encouraging exposure to languages and world cultures even at the preschool level. I see at least fifty children weekly at this age level with the two schools I am at, and from the discussions at the meeting last night there are several other teachers who have weekly English time with their students, and more who are interested in how to start this. We demonstrated examples of several nursery rhymes and games that could be played in the classroom, all of which emulate activities that already take place in a normal maternelle classroom. My coordinator is also working on a post card project for which there is a collection of post cards available from a "Traveling Teddy Bear," providing a launching point for a discussion about countries around the world. (If anyone is interested in sending one-comment or write to me!)
As we were driving back to her house from the meeting, Sylvie asked me what I thought of the material presented. I said that the general subject really interests me, which is why I wanted to attend/volunteer at the meeting in the first place. While in Morocco my friends and I attempted to learn some Arabic, but many of the sounds, such as the sound for 'r', are pronounced very differently than how we as Anglophones do, and even though we are only in our twenties it is already difficult for us to grasp how to make the sound. France and Europe in general is so much more advanced than the United States in terms of foreign language education. Another example: I have met several German assistants through this program, all of whom speak English and French conversationally. My friend Anna who is an assistant in La Rochelle also even speaks Italian! By attending this meeting therefore, I wanted to show my support for the inspection's initiatives to promote foreign language education at an early age.
I encourage everyone to take a look at this infographic passed on from my friend Rachel Kirk, a French teacher in New Orleans: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/06/second-language-infographic_n_4136915.html. While I continually hear that it is okay for Americans not to learn other languages, as English is a global language, I don't quite agree. Yes, when I get together with a group of assistants here in France, English is often the common language spoken even if not everyone is a native English speaker. However I have met many assistants this year who prefer not to speak English, and of the teachers I work with, only one has conversational English ability. Being able to speak another language therefore allows me to be able speak with a wider group of people than if I could only speak English, and this has had countless professional, academic and social benefits.