Transcript Slide 1

By
Silvina Iglesias
Spanish Curriculum Coordinator
James B. Sanderlin Elementary School
American Council on The Teaching of
Foreign Languages
CAL Center for Applied Linguistics
FFLA Florida Foreign Language
Association
National Virtual
Translation Center
 How many languages
are spoken in the world?
• There are roughly
6,800 languages
spoken on this planet.
• 96% of them are spoken by a mere
4% of the world’s population.
 Where are these languages spoken?
Estimated distribution of world languages
2,200
in Asia.
2,060
in Africa.
1,300
in the Pacific.
1,000
in the Americas.
230
in Europe.
 Why study Spanish?
The Summer Institute for Linguistics Survey (1999) lists top
languages by population (native speakers):
1.
Chinese (937,132,000)
2.
Spanish (332,000,000)
3.
English (322,000,000)
4.
Bengali (189,000,000)
5.
Hindi/Urdu (182,000,000)
6.
Arabic* (174,950,000)
7.
Portuguese (170,000,000)
8.
Russian (170,000,000)
9.
Japanese (125,000,000)
10.
German (98,000,000)
 Why study Spanish?
List from George Weber’s article
“The Worlds 10 Most Influential Languages” in Language Today
(Vol. 2, Dec 1997)
(number of native speakers in parentheses)
1.
Mandarin Chinese (1.2 billion)
2.
English (330 million)
3.
Spanish (300 million)
4.
Hindi/Urdu (250 million)
5.
Arabic (200 million)
6.
Bengali (185 million)
7.
Portuguese (160 million)
8.
Russian (160 million)
9.
Japanese (125 million)
10.
German (100 million)
 Educational Benefits:
• Children who learn a 2nd language show improved
performance in basic skills such as reading and math.
• Students of average intelligence seem to make particularly
impressive gains in reading skills.
 Educational Benefits:
• Children exposed to 2 languages from a very early age
“grow as if there were 2 mono-linguals housed in one brain,
and there is no contamination of either language by the
other.
• The earlier and more intensively the languages are
introduced, the better.”
 Educational Benefits:
• Vygotsky (1986) “It has been shown that a child’s
understanding of his native language is enhanced by
learning a foreign one.”
• Students in FLES programs have more practice and
experience w/ the TL than older students, leading to greater
fluency and effectiveness.
• Scovel (1988) “. . . children, but not adults, can attain
native like pronunciation in the 2nd language.”
 Cognitive Benefits:
• Students in FLES programs were reported to have greater
skills in divergent thinking/figural creativity than did those
who were monolingual.
 Cognitive Benefits:
• Students learning another language can show greater
creativity in complex problem solving.
• People who are competent in more than 1 language outscore
monolinguals on tests of verbal and nonverbal intelligence,
 Attitudinal Benefits:
• An early introduction to language study fosters respect and
appreciation of cultural diversity.
• The age of 10 is a crucial time in the development of
attitudes toward nations and groups perceived as “other.”
Children are in the process of moving from egocentricity to
reciprocity, and information introduced before age 10 is
well received.
 Attitudinal Benefits:
• Children prior to age 11 are naturally more open to
linguistic and cultural differences and are therefore
inquisitive about the diverse peoples of the world.
 Socio Cultural Benefits:
• Proficiency in multiple languages permits individuals to
expand their world.
• Leads to greater intercultural understanding, tolerance,
appreciation and respect.
 Socio Cultural Benefits:
• Learning to speak another’s language means reaching out to
others across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Language is
far more than a system to be explained. It is our most
important link to the world around us. Language is culture in
motion. It is people interacting with people.
 Economic Benefits:
•
Proficiency in another language will enhance career
potential, and will open up job prospects in business,
the diplomatic corps, tourism, or communications.
•
In the global marketplace, there are plenty of jobs
that call for bilingual proficiency. 4 out of 5 new jobs
in the United States are created as a result of foreign
trade, and the global market place is an ever-growing
reality.
 Economic Benefits:
• Business, cultural, political, and social activities around
the world call for people with different language and
cultural backgrounds.
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