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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Let’s learn Spanish with Don Quixote. Didactic and cultural, eminently practical and original, this book allows us to work on the Spanish language and to discover/learn about the universal works of Cervantes. In full color. “In a village of La Mancha…” In this way, Cervantes greets us. He greets us and he introduces us to the beautiful, fantastic world of life itself, guided by the Castilian language.
True bilingualism is a relatively rare and a beautiful thing, and by “true,” I mean speaking two languages with the proficiency of a native — something most of us will only dream of as we struggle with learning languages in school and beyond.
AS THIS year’s graduates walked down the aisle armed with Latin distinctions from valedictorian to summa or magna cum laude, tens of thousands of high school seniors also claimed an accolade dedicated to the languages they speak every day: the “seal of biliteracy,” which honors students who have demonstrated proficiency in English and another language.
A Government of Spain initiative developed by ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, and coordinated by the Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission Miami.
Study in Spain features the best higher learning studies, language and culture programs, educational opportunities and services, that position Spain as a top study abroad destination.
