GoGo Lingo Blog

I just got back from the American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages World Language Expo in San Diego. The last time I went to a language convention was the 1991 Latin Convention in Memphis, TN. Needless to say, I was a bit apprehensive because I know how rowdy things at a Language Convention can get! All kidding aside, it was wonderful to be around so many energetic, passionate people. Hearing so many different languages spoken as I walked through the halls was music to my ears. Clearly, Spanish and Chinese had the largest presence, but I was happy to see German and Italian still had their own little streets in the exhibit hall.

What surprised me though, was how many of the sessions I attended were focused on helping teachers become advocates for language learning, particularly with politicians. Budget cuts and No Child Left Behind have left many districts struggling. For instance, the foreign language program in Fairfax County, Virginia which has been around for several decades is currently at risk. It troubles me to realize that many programs are being cut when it is more crucial than ever for our kids to be well versed in other languages. In my eyes, we need to be teaching more foreign languages and at earlier ages in order for our kids to succeed in our global economy. Of course, math and reading are important but the research is quite clear on the academic and cognitive benefits of learning a foreign language. Here are a few of the highlights that I pulled from the Discover Languages website:

1. Language learning correlates with higher academic achievement on standardized tests.
2. Language learning is beneficial in the development of students’ reading abilities.
3. There is a correlation between language learning and students’ ability to hypothesize in science.
4. There is a correlation between second language learning and the development of linguistic awareness- specifically grammatical judgement and word recognition.
5. There is a correlation between young children’s second language development and the development of print awareness e.g. understanding the symbolic representation of print (a key milestone towards reading).
6. There is a correlation between high school foreign language study and higher academic performance at the college level.
7. There is evidence that students who received foreign language instruction scored better on tests of cognitive abilities such as evaluation- the highest cognitive skill according to Bloom’s taxonomy.
8. There is evidence that foreign language learners score higher on IQ tests.
9. There is evidence that second language learners exhibit greater ability to depart from traditional approaches to a problem, and consider creative, new and different ideas.
10. There is evidence that early language learning improves cognitive abilities.

While there are more studies showing even more benefits, I thought 10 was a nice round number (and I don’t want to bore you). Our entire world is in the midst of change. And while there are many things that are important in helping our children develop 21st century skills, it is crucial that foreign language learning becomes a priority.

This month the Lake Oswego School District in Oregon approved piloting a Spanish immersion program for preschoolers, despite the fact that they are facing one of the biggest financial shortfalls the district has ever seen. A report on language immersion from the school board’s program committee suggested that 40% of Lake Oswego parents would be interested in having an immersion program. In fact, parent supporters said they’d even be willing to move to Portland if the district doesn’t expand its language programs. Advocates believe that a language immersion program will attract students from out of the district.

Despite tough financial times, these parents know all of the advantages that come with learning a foreign language. It’s better for brain development, future economic opportunities, cultural communication - essentially knowing a foreign language will help a child thrive in our global age. And there isn’t a better time to start than before the age of 5. We admire you Lake Oswego! Great work.

A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that the cognitive development of children raised in a bilingual household may be accelerated. Researchers compared the performance of monolingual and bilingual children in tasks that need control of ‘executive function’- the aspect of your brain that allows you to organize, plan, prioritize activities and shift attention from one thing to another. The bilingual children found it easier than monolingual children to switch attention, suggesting that they have greater mental flexibility, which extends to their entire cognitive abilities.

The study suggests these advantages have been demonstrated for kids living in households where two languages are spoken routinely. At Gogo Lingo, we are creating products to help all parents - monolingual or bilingual - turn their households into bilingual environments. Right now, we’re making music and online games to teach Spanish and providing tools for parents to practice and review Spanish with their kids.

GoGo Lingo wants to help parents provide their kids with all of the fantabulous advantages that come with learning a foreign language at a young age.

You can read the The Economist article written about the study.

You can also watch an interview on ABC News with pediatrician Jamie Wells about the study.