Languages and Academic Achievement

Bilingualsim is Linked to Academic Achievement

In many ways, the real trick to speaking two languages is managing not to speak one of those languages at an inappropriate moment. This is fundamentally a feat of paying attention to the given surroundings. This requires the skills of inhibition and task switching. These are subsets of executive function. People who speak two languages generally outperform single-speakers in measures of executive function. Children who have a higher attention span typically do better on tests and at school-learning.

When it comes to reading, Jennifer Steele at American University conducted a four-year, randomized trial and found that dual-language students outperformed their peers in English-reading skills by a full school year's worth of learning by the end of middle school. This is due to the fact that multi-lingual students are very good at decoding text. They pick up on the way that language works (grammar, sentence structure, etc.,) and are able to apply that to not only the second language that they are learning but their primary language as well.

There are many studies that show the benefits of bilingualism in an academic environment.

Studies About Languages and Academic Achievement

• Language learning correlates with higher academic achievement on standardized test measures.
• Language learning is beneficial to both monolingual English and English language learners in bilingual and two-way immersion programs.
• There is evidence that language learners transfer skills from one language to another.
• There is a correlation between language learning and students’ ability to hypothesize in science.
• Language learning can benefit all students.
• There is a correlation between language study and higher scores on the SAT and ACT Tests.

What You Can Do

Studies show that children who learn a foreign language have higher academic achievement than those who don't. Cultured Kids Club offers after-school programs throughout the Columbus area, as well as novice programs which support beginner students. We offer Chinese, French, and Spanish classes taught in an immersive environment by native and fluent teachers. Your child can learn a second language through a fun and engaging program, and improve their academic success as well.