Mod 2 Discussion: What the Research Means to Me

Education as a whole should expose our younger students to more cultures and languages whether if that is through true immersion, or simply offering language courses as an elective. It is so odd to me that it is a graduation requirement that is thrust upon them in high school, yet every other requirement has a foundation that is built in the students' primary years. 

This research shows that while we have come a long way with how we view students of different backgrounds and languages that there is still room for growth. While teachers are trained to handle and support this population more than ever; it begs the question of: is it enough? and is it the right thing for each student? So as educators we need to keep a watch on our students and continue to advocate for them in all aspects. 

 Districts definitely should be more concerned with the quality of being able to communicate rather than the speed at which a student can take a test and pass; a test that I am not sure all native speakers would excel on especially in younger grades. No one rushes a mastermind to be better, so why measure the time it takes a student to accomplish something that most people have on the back burner as a failed new year's resolution of learning a new language.  "Students in English immersion perform better on English language tests in the elementary grades, but students in two-language (bilingual) programs catch up and surpass their English immersion peers by the end of Middle School" This quote really stands out in the fact that it corresponds to the thought that learning a new language increases brain activity, IQ, and processing skills. You think that bilingual programs would be sweeping the nation with the data that is collected from current studies.