The Benefits of Bilingualism for Early Learners

All across the region, families are finding themselves living in increasingly multicultural, multilingual communities. With more people from foreign countries moving to ours every day and the world itself getting smaller and smaller thanks to Internet technology and modern transportation, the ability to learn and communicate in multiple languages becomes all the more relevant and useful. But in addition to being able to read, write and speak another tongue, an introduction to foreign language education at an early age can start students down a path toward greater achievement and increased opportunities. Studying other languages, cultures and traditions has the potential to affect young minds in all sorts of critical ways – making for well rounded, curious and outwardly aware individuals.

Opportunities to expose children to foreign language instruction in both public and private schools are cropping up throughout Massachusetts. Available programs range from preschools featuring total immersion environments to grade schools that start with language introduction from the very first year. And while the idea of children learning to speak Spanish, Mandarin or French before they’ve mastered their native language might still seem Greek to you, there’s not only mounting evidence in terms of the benefits, but also a considerable spike in demand.

The Appeal of Learning Another Language

According to Martine Fisher, director of languages for the Milton Public Schools, there are clear advantages of starting to learn a second language at a young age. From having a powerful impact on mental development and cognitive skills to supporting academic achievement in disciplines such as math and verbal, there are numerous reasons why the school system adopted a French immersion program 25 years ago, followed by an elementary Spanish program five years later.

Additional benefits cited by Fisher include developing near native pronunciation and intonation, improved understanding of the student’s native language, a head start toward high school and college language requirements and broader employment opportunities. That’s not to mention the positive effect on attitudes and beliefs about other cultures and peoples.

The German International School Boston, a leading full-immersion German program in the region, emphasizes the powerful cognitive and social benefits of early multilingual exposure. Educators there note that children who engage with a second language from a young age often become stronger problem solvers and demonstrate enhanced executive functioning skills, such as improved focus and task management. They also tend to develop a deeper overall awareness of how language works, which can make learning a third language even more accessible. Just as importantly, early exposure to another language and culture broadens children’s understanding of diverse perspectives, helps them communicate across a wider range of people, and fosters a sense that they are part of a larger, interconnected world.

Maurice Fakoury, head of World Languages at the British International School of Boston, believes in-school language instruction broadens minds. The research he has seen shows kids who study a language may at first be a little slowed down from having to spread attention more widely. But once they draw parallels between their own mother tongue and another language, it will actually accelerate literacy across the board. Fakoury says the advantages of starting early resides in creating a familiarity with phonology and pronunciations – along with building up enthusiasm toward doing something different. “They’re not as self-aware and self-conscious when they’re younger,” he says. “The earlier you can get kids to start, the easier it is to motivate them to view it as a worthwhile thing to do.”

What It Means to Be Immersed

According to Anke Roost, Head of Early Childhood Education at the German International School Boston, there are three primary types of language-learning models commonly used in early childhood programs: full immersion, dual language, and bilingual.

“Dual-language programs typically offer instruction in a dominant language and a secondary language,” Roost explains. “They might structure part of the day in the partner language and the rest—often around 50 percent—in English. Certain subjects may be taught exclusively in one language or the other.”

In contrast, bilingual programs may include anywhere from 20 to 50 percent instruction in the partner language, with the remainder in English. “Bilingual programs are usually more fluid. They don’t always specify the exact percentage of each language being used,” Roost notes.

At the German International School Boston, the model is full immersion. “Our goal is for teachers, staff, and caregivers to interact with the children in German nearly 100 percent of the day,” says Roost. “That level of consistency supports meaningful language acquisition from the earliest years.”

Families may enroll children beginning in toddlerhood, and no prior exposure to German is required. “Children can join at any point, provided there’s space available. We simply recommend a minimum of two days per week, because consistent exposure is key,” Roost says. Most children who spend two or more years in the program leave with strong bilingual foundations.

Roost emphasizes that immersion is not just about language—it’s also about culture. Teachers at the German International School Boston come from across the German-speaking world, bringing with them songs, stories, celebrations, and traditions. “The benefits go beyond bilingualism. The cognitive advantages of early multilingual exposure, combined with immersion in a multicultural environment, are generating a great deal of excitement among families,” she says.

In-School Language Instruction

Fakoury makes it clear to prospective parents the British International School does not offer immersion, but rather an early start program that begins with what they call a sensitization to French in the pre-K class.

“Right from pre-K, the kids will have one hour a week, two half-hour sessions of French, where we use songs and music, games and things like that to infuse the kids and get them beginning to listen to the language and sounds,” he says.

That goes on until second grade, and then Spanish is also added in. Children get both languages for an hour a week through grade five, when it jumps to three hours a week per language.

“Then when we get to grade six, for the next three years right up until year 10, they do both Spanish and French in parallel, at which point they choose to take either one or two of their languages. And they keep that right up until the end.”

Along the way the school makes adjustments based on when the child enters the program, what her native language is and how she is progressing in subject work. Fakoury says the kids that have been with them for many years and really put the work in will be near fluent upon conclusion.

In Milton Public Schools, families are given the choice between two distinct paths for their child’s education: the English Innovation Pathway (core elements of education, including science, technology, engineering and math, are taught in English with weekly Spanish classes) or the French Immersion Program. Spanish starts in grades one and two with a weekly 30-minute session followed by 90-minute weekly sessions in grades three, four and five.

The French Immersion Program differs in that students are taught entirely in French in language arts, math, science and social studies in grades one and two. Art, music and phys-ed are in English. In grades three and four, half of the total instruction time is in French, the other half in English based on individual subjects. That goes to 30 percent French in fifth grade. Both programs continue through middle school into high school, typically resulting with students achieving advanced level placement and the opportunity to successfully transfer their linguistic skills to the study of another language.

Seize the Day to Learn a Language

“Language learning is tremendously important. We’re living in a world that’s becoming more and more interconnected,” says Fakoury, adding that from education to business to entertainment, it’s all going to increasingly be offered in multiple languages and multiple cultures. “There’s a rich world out there and it’s a shame to miss out on a lot of it.”

While enrolling a child in a full-immersion preschool like the German International School Boston can depend on factors such as available openings, foreign-language learning opportunities are becoming increasingly accessible across the region. Parents are encouraged to explore what programs exist in their communities and to pay close attention when touring schools to determine which environment feels like the best fit. In many cases, the most valuable insight comes from visiting in person and observing how a program functions day to day.

When the German International School Boston first opened its early childhood program, there were relatively few immersion or language-focused options available for young learners in the area. “Over the last decade, we’ve seen so many new language-learning opportunities emerge across Boston and throughout the country. There’s a growing understanding of the benefits of early exposure to another language,” says Anke Roost, Head of Early Childhood Education. “It’s exciting to see this level of interest in the community—it reinforces what we’ve been studying, practicing, and advocating for so many years.”