Mod 2 Discussion: What the Research Means to Me

I found it really interesting that having a longer period of engagement with first language instruction actually makes it easier to acquire a second language.  I guess if I really think about it, it makes sense because it would allow a student to better understand how to apply language arts principals within the classroom, and that would mean the only thing they really had to adjust would be taking that information and applying it to their learning in their second language.  Instead of having to learn all of the ins and outs of reading and writing comprehension alongside a second language acquisition, the students would be able to solely focus on learning the language and then applying the concepts they already know in that new language, so to speak.  I'm not sure if I'm conveying what I'm trying to say very well, but essentially, instead of learning multiple skills at once, the students are only having to learn one that they could then apply to skills they had already learned. 

I also appreciate that it is important that students have access to bilingual immersion classes, but with the state of education funding in this country, it seems as though those classes fall by the wayside sometimes.  If I'm being completely honest, the video from Module 1 was the first time I had ever seen a bilingual immersion class or even heard of one, which is very frustrating if it is as important as the research says it is.  I'm not sure if language classes offered in secondary schools count as bilingual immersion classes, and if so, shouldn't there be more second language classes offered at the elementary level in order to expose native english speakers to the languages of their peers?