Better

SAT

scores

Better reading skillsBetter math skills

Better vocabulary

Better

listening

skills

Better memory

Better

problem

solving skillsBetter cognitive flexibility

Better grades in

core subjects

Higher

self-

esteem

They consistently

outperform their peers on standardized tests in core subject areas

Studies: Armstrong & Rogers, 1997; Saunders, 1998; Masciantonio, 1977; Rafferty, 1986; Andrade, 1989; Kretschmer & Kretschmer, 1989; Bastian 1980

Students who study a second language… do better in core subjects

outperform their peers

Better grades in

core subjects

Students who study another language… do better in core subjects

Source: College Board, 2003

Students who study four years of a second language

outscore others on

verbal and math section of the SAT

They score over 100 points more in each section (College Board, 2004)

Learning a second language

benefits all students,

not just academically strong students

Students who study another language… develop stronger basic skills

Studies: Lapkin et al, 1990; Ratte, 1968

Studies find that second language learners develop

better listening skills and sharper memories

than their monolingual peers

BETTER LISTENING SKILLS

SHARPER MEMORIESBetter

listening

skills

Better memory

Students who study another language… do better in core subjects

Studies: Curtain & Dahlberg, 2004; Saville-Troike, 1984

Studying a second language enhances reading and

writing in EnglishBetter reading skills

Students who study another language… do better in core subjects

Study: Masciantonio, 1977

Second language learners consistently score higher in

measures of English vocabulary

Better vocabulary

Learning a second language

improves

math skills

Students who study another language… develop abstract thinking skills

Studies: Bamford & Mizokawa, 1991; Hakuta, 1986; Cummins 1981; Landry, 1973

Many studies show that language learners develop better problem solving skills and cognitive flexibility

Better problem solving skills

Students who study another language… do better in core subjects

Studies: Diaz, 1983; Saville-Troike, 1984

Several studies link studying foreign languages with improved spatial abilities leading to better performance in mathematics

improved spatial abilities

Better math skills

Students who study another language… do better in core subjects

Study: Eaton, 1994

A study in Kansas found students who study a second language surpassed

national averages in all subjects,

performing especially well in mathematics

Students who study another language… develop better basic skills

Studies: Bruck, Lambert, Tucker 1974; Hakuta, 1986; Weatherford, 1986

People who are competent in more than one language

in tests of verbal and non-verbal intelligence.

consistently outscore monolinguals Better

basic skills

Students who study another language… develop self-confidence

Studies: Masciantonio, 1977; Saunders 1998; Andrade et al, 1989

Several studies find language students have

significantly

higher self-esteem and

belief in their own abilities than non-language students.

Higher

self-

esteem

Students who study another language…

do better in college

Study: U.S. News and World Report, 2009

30% of college students drop out during their first year and only 50% finish a four year degree

Students who took 3 years of a

second language in high school

earn better grades in

college & are less likely

to drop out

Horn & Kojaku, 2001

National Security Council, 2007

“A pervasive lack of knowledge about foreign

cultures and foreign languages threatens the

security of the United States”

Students who study another language… do better in core subjects

Study: Dumas, 1999

A study of 13,200 students in Louisiana found,

regardless of race, gender or

academic level, children taking foreign

language classes did better on the English section of the Louisiana Basic

Skills test than those who did not.

A second

language is

for everyone

Bibliography

This PowerPoint presentation summarizes portions of a much larger document titled “The benefits of Second Language Study” published by NEA Research (2007) and available online at http://www.ncssfl.org/papers/BenefitsSecondLanguageStudyNEA.pdf Please see the bibliography of that document for many of the sources cited in this presentation.

US News and World Report, Dropouts Loom Large for Schools, published online at http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2009/08/19/dropouts-loom-large-for-schools

You can downloadthis presentationfrom my website:

mrpeto.com