Elementary School Foreign Language Programs in the United States

Abstract

Although parental interest and support for early language learning programs is high, foreign language instruction in the United States beginning in the early elementary years continues to be an exception rather than the rule. Even as new programs are being added, it is also the case that old and established programs are dismantled mainly due to budget shortfalls, the time needed to prepare students for high stakes assessments, or shifting priorities concerning academic subject areas and programs. When money becomes scarce, non-mandatory programs can quickly lose their funding especially if the contents of these programs are perceived as non-essential to the community. Immersion programs in which children learn regular school subjects through the new language are the fastest growing elementary school language programs and show great promise. The growth of immersion programs and the continued growth of other early language learning programs, in spite of setbacks, provide hope that awareness of the importance of long sequences of language instruction beginning in the elementary school will become the norm rather than the exception in the United States.