Dunwoody reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 20??-current, September 20, 2013, Image 13

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Dunwoody reporter., September 20, 2013, Image 13

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Newspaper Page TextEducation Guide www. ReporterNewspapers. net FALL 2013 Junior Achievers Local students win national JA competition PAGE 20 VIEW OUR SCHOOL DIRECTORY ONLINE @ ReporterNewspapers.net More schools push early language learning From left, Nicholas Thompson, Madame Tiphaine Chauvel and Jacob Wolf go over a lesson in French at the Atlanta International School’s Early Learning Center in Sandy Springs. Two years ago, the school began offering a “full-immersion” preschool program for 3 and 4 year olds, with all activities taught in German, Spanish or French. PHIL MOSIER Mastering another language gives students ‘an edge in life’ BY MELISSA WEINMAN melissaweinman@reporternewspapers.net Just a few weeks into the school year, Ashford Park El ementary School Principal LaShawn McMillan said she watches in wonder as her kindergarten students count and sing songs in German. “I’m just amazed at what the children have been able to do already,” McMillan said. This year, the Brookhaven elementary school began a “dual-immersion” language program in which kinder garten students spend half of their school day learning in German. Ashford Park is one of six elementary schools that re ceived state funding this year to implement dual-immer sion programs, with a goal of helping students become fluent in a foreign language by the fifth grade. Students typically don’t walk into their first foreign language class until middle or high school. But educators are beginning to prioritize learning a second language much earlier in life. Kevin Glass, headmaster at Atlanta International School in Buckhead, said research has found that young children are much better equipped to learn a new lan guage than adults. “Every human baby is born with ... the ability to sound every language on God’s earth,” Glass said. “If you don’t stimulate those young brains, you’re not going to get as much neuroplasticity, you’re not going to get those synaptic connections.” Glass said schools have been “notoriously slow” to ap ply this knowledge. “Adults often find it really, really difficult to learn an other language because their ears have been tuned to only the sound of their mother tongue,” Glass said. “Re-tun- ing those ears becomes more difficult the older we get be cause we lose neuroplasticity.” Glass said Atlanta International School has offered a dual-immersion curriculum in German, French and Spanish for 28 years. Once the students leave elemen tary school, they may continue their language studies through middle and high school with the International Baccalaureate program, Glass said. Two years ago, Glass said, the Atlanta International School began offering a “full-immersion” preschool pro gram for 3 year olds and 4 year olds. In that program, all preschool activities are taught in French, Spanish or German. The program has been a “phenomenal success” be cause the young children are able to learn so quickly, SEE STUDENTS, PAGE 14