Foreign Languages In The Elementary School

Ten essays address aspects of second language instruction at the elementary school level: "Elementary School Foreign Languages: Perspectives, Practices, and Promises" (Carol Ann Pesola, Helena Anderson Curtain); "The Integrated Curriculum: Rethinking the Elementary School Foreign Language Program for the '90s" (Virginia Garibaldi Allen); "The Ages and Learning Stages of Children and Their Implications for Foreign Language Learning" (Myriam Chapman, Elizabeth Grob, Mari Haas); "Learning Language through Content: Learning Content through Language" (Myriam Met); "Creating Effective Foreign Language Learning Environments in Elementary Classrooms" (Eileen B. Lorenz, Sarah Rice); "School-District Perspectives on Elementary-School Language Programs" (R. Stephen Tegarden, Christine L. Brown); "Testing and Elementary School Foreign Language Programs" (John W. Oller, Jr.); "Mother Tongue and Father Grammar, or, Why Should Children Learn a Second Language?" (Donald G. Marshall); "Two Languages for All Children: Expanding to Low Achievers and the Handicapped" (Carolyn Andrade, Richard R. Kretschmer, Jr., Laura W. Kretschmer); and "Policy and Curricular Implications of Expanding Language Education in Elementary Schools" (Kurt E. Muller). (MSE)

There is a growing interest in teaching languages to young children. This publication brings together papers from 18 countries. It gives a cross section of major achievements and problem areas as well as an insight into research issues.

The most distant peoples are now our neighbors. With this awareness has come the realization that we need foreign languages in the building of international understanding. Once this need was recognized, our educators acted without delay. Latest estimates indicate that by the end of the school year 1952-1953 about one hundred communities in some thirty states were conducting foreign language programs in one or more public elementary schools. This little book is a study of this rapidly developing trend. - Foreword.

An increasing number of multilingual students, often with a migration background, are attending elementary schools in Germany these days. Also on the rise is the number of schools offering a bilingual program, where content subjects such as science and mathematics are taught in a foreign language. This book explores minority and majority language students' German and English reading and writing skills in elementary schools which offer either regular English-as-subject lessons or bilingual programs with varying degrees of English intensity. The focus is on effects of foreign language input intensity with respect to students' language background, gender, cognitive abilities, and socio-economic background. This book also provides recommendations for English reading and writing activities in the elementary school classroom.