KPCC – Deepa Fernandes
“Many parents experience the anxiety of their first child starting school. But for parents sending their kindergartners into a dual-language immersion classroom, especially when the language being taught is not used at home, the questions and doubts abound…How do children learn in two languages and does it help them academically?…Duarte mom Brooke Gomez has one word for her daughter’s nine months of kindergarten: amazing…according to Nina Hyams, another UCLA linguist, “We are prewired to accept any linguistic input that gets thrown our way,” she said. Babies are born with a “language program,” which allows them to acquire any language. However, “with time, it’s very possible that it becomes less active and less available.” For that reason, she is a strong proponent of teaching elementary school kids a second language.”(more)