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| The benefits of
effective foreign language instruction focus on the role of the
individual in a multilingual, global society. No longer do Americans
live in isolation; instead, there is an ever-changing, interdependent
world in which diverse cultural and linguistic groups converge. The
National Standards for Foreign Language Learning establish the
academic, business, personal, recreational and practical benefits of
studying foreign languages, and the Illinois Learning Standards for
Foreign Languages are based on this rationale. The national document
states: "To study another language and culture gives one the powerful
key to successful communication: knowing how, when, and why to say what
to whom. All the linguistic and social knowledge required for effective
human-to-human interaction is encompassed in those ten words. . . . The
approach to second language instruction found in today's schools is
designed to facilitate genuine interaction with others, whether they
are on another continent, across town, or within the neighborhood." |
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Research studies
clearly indicate that studying another language may give students the
"edge" needed to succeed at higher levels in some other subjects. A
study of over 17,000 students applying for college admission revealed
that "students who had completed a foreign language course in high
school tended to have higher scores on the ACT exams in English and
math regardless of their ability level" (Olsen & Brown 1992). It
has also been verified that "high school foreign language students
perform significantly better on the SAT verbal exam than
non-foreign-language students, and that SAT verbal scores increase
successively with each half year of foreign language study" (Este texto
fue tomado del Illinois
State Board of Education & Illinois Learning Standards).
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East Aurora High School
