WorldView Good Reads - Spring 2016
Published: February 28, 2017
February 21st is the United Nation’s International Mother Language Day and this year’s theme is the importance of multilingual education in all countries around the globe. In that spirit, we offer good reads on this topic that have caught our attention this month.
Some People's Brains Are Wired for Languages
Babies' ability to soak up language makes them the envy of adult learners everywhere. Still, some grown-ups can acquire new tongues with surprising ease. Now certain studies suggest that it is possible to predict a person's language-learning abilities from his or her brain structure or activity. The results may eventually be used to help even the most linguistically challenged succeed. Read more from Scientific American.
The State of Languages in the U.S.
Very few of the more than 230 million English speakers in the United States develop proficiency in another language in our schools. And the number of school language programs and qualified language teachers is falling at a time when our business, military, diplomatic, and cultural needs for people who can communicate with the rest of the world is rising. The information is fascinating -- and troubling. Read more from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Lifting the Torch for Multilingual Students
Around 30 percent of families across New York State now speak a language other than English at home, resulting in 240,000 English language learners (ELLs) in the state’s primary and secondary schools who speak nearly 200 different languages. From Blueprint to Building: Lifting the Torch for Multilingual Students in New York State takes a look at New York State’s efforts to better support its growing multilingual population.
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