Language Immersion - Outcomes

Outcomes

• "Improvement in linguistic and meta linguistic abilities"

• An increase of cognitive ability "such as divergent thinking, concept formation, verbal abilities," listening skills "and general reasoning"

• Improves one's "understanding of his/her native language."

• "Opens the door to other cultures and helps a child understand and appreciate people from other countries."

• "Increases job opportunities in many careers where knowing another language is a real asset."

• Superior SAT scores and standardized testing

• Enhances memory

Learning a foreign language has its assets, and studies suggest that immersion is an effective way to learn foreign languages. Many immersion programs start in the elementary schools, with classroom time being dedicated to the foreign language anywhere between 50% and 90% of the day. Learning a second or third language not only helps an individual's personal mental skills, but also aids their future job skills. Jean Piaget, a developmental psychologist, had a theory that stated that when a child faces an idea that does not fit their understanding, it "becomes a catalyst for new thinking". As a new language is completely foreign to a child at first, it fits perfectly as this "catalyst for new thinking".

Baker found that more than 1,000 studies have been completed on immersion programs and immersion language learners in Canada. These studies have given us a wealth of information. Across these studies, a number of important observations can be made.

• Early immersion students "lag behind" their monolingual peers in literacy (reading, spelling, and punctuation) "for the first few years only". However, after the first few years, the immersion students catch up with their peers.
• Immersion programs have no negative effects on spoken skills in the first language.
• Early immersion students acquire almost-native-like proficiency in passive skill (listening and reading) comprehension of the second language by the age of 11, but they don't reach the same level in reading and writing because they have enough level to communicate with their teachers. Also, if they communicate only with their teachers, they don't learn the skills to hold day-to-day conversations.
• Early immersion students are more successful in listening and reading proficiency than partial and late immersion students.
• Immersion programs have no negative effects on the cognitive development of the students.
• Monolingual peers perform better in sciences and math at an early age, however immersion students eventually catch up with, and in some cases, outperform their monolingual peers.
• Studies have also shown that students in dual programs have "more positive attitudes towards bilingualism and multiculturalism".