Research suggests that identity matters for school success and that language and identity are powerfully intertwined. A monolingual solitudes understanding of bilingualism undermines children’s bilingual identities, yet in most bilingual education classrooms,..... 

The ability to speak one or more non-native languages is becoming increasingly important because of societal connections that are increasingly global, and the ability to bridge cultures in communities with shifting demographics.

A national report claims that Iowa is lagging behind much of the U.S. in foreign language instruction for K-12 students, but local school leaders say they are simply concentrating on multiple levels of Spanish teaching.

Legislation sponsored by Senator Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. to establish a grant program for school districts and charter schools to develop dual language immersion programs was approved by the State Senate during a recent legislative session.

“The best way for a student to excel in a foreign language is an immersion program,” said Senator Diegnan (D-Middlesex). “The ability to be bilingual or multilingual is increasingly necessary for study, work and coexistence and provides cultural awareness to children at a young age.  It also gives young people a more pluralistic vision of the world which helps them be prepared for the demands of the 21st century labor market.  Most important, it contributes to the economic diversity and growth of our state.”

“Dual language immersion is the perfect marriage of language learning and content that allows for students of all backgrounds to simultaneously develop literacy and proficiency in two languages,” said Amanda Seewald, President of The Foreign Language Educators of New Jersey (FLENJ). “New Jersey has the potential to stand out as a leader in this field and we thank Senator Diegnan for taking this opportunity to recognize and capitalize on the strength of rich diversity in our great state.”

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