1. Better grades in core subjects Better SAT scores Better reading skills
Higher self-esteem
Better vocabulary
Better problem solving skills
Better listening
skills
Better math skills
Better memory
Better cognitive flexibility

2. outperform their peers
Students who study a second language… do better in core subjects
Better grades in core subjects
They consistently
outperform their peers
on standardized tests
in core subject areas
outperform their peers
Studies: Armstrong & Rogers, 1997; Saunders, 1998; Masciantonio, 1977; Rafferty, 1986; Andrade, 1989; Kretschmer & Kretschmer, 1989; Bastian 1980

3. Students who study another language… do better in core subjects
They score over 100 points more in each section
(College Board, 2004)
Students who study four years of a second language outscore others on verbal and math section of the SAT
Source: College Board, 2003

4. Learning a second language not just academically strong students
benefits all students,
not just academically strong students

5. Students who study another language… develop stronger basic skills
Studies find that second language learners develop better listening skills and sharper memories than their monolingual peers
Better memory
better
listening skills
Better listening
skills
sharper memories
Studies: Lapkin et al, 1990;
Ratte, 1968

6. Students who study another language… do better in core subjects
Studying a second language enhances reading and writing in English
Better reading skills
Studies:
Curtain & Dahlberg, 2004;
Saville-Troike, 1984

7. Students who study another language… do better in core subjects
Better vocabulary
Second language learners consistently score higher in measures of English vocabulary
Study: Masciantonio, 1977

8. Learning a second language
improves
math skills

9. Students who study another language… develop abstract thinking skills
Many studies show that language learners develop better problem solving skills and cognitive flexibility
Better problem solving skills
Studies: Bamford & Mizokawa, 1991; Hakuta, 1986; Cummins 1981; Landry, 1973

10. Students who study another language… do better in core subjects
Better math skills
Several studies link studying foreign languages with improved spatial abilities leading to better performance in mathematics
improved spatial abilities
Studies: Diaz, 1983; Saville-Troike, 1984

11. Students who study another language… do better in core subjects
A study in Kansas found students who study a second language surpassed national averages in all subjects,
performing especially
well in mathematics
Study: Eaton, 1994

12. Students who study another language… develop better basic skills
People who are competent in more than one language
in tests of verbal and non-verbal intelligence.
Better basic skills
consistently outscore monolinguals
Studies: Bruck, Lambert, Tucker 1974; Hakuta, 1986; Weatherford, 1986

13. Students who study another language… develop self-confidence
Several studies find language students have
significantly
higher self-esteem
and
belief in their own abilities
than non-language students.
Higher self-esteem
Studies: Masciantonio, 1977; Saunders 1998;
Andrade et al, 1989

14. Students who study another language… do better in college
Students who took 3 years of a second language in high school earn better grades in college & are less likely to drop out
Horn & Kojaku, 2001
30% of college students drop out during their first year and only 50% finish a four year degree
Study: U.S. News and World Report, 2009

15. “A pervasive lack of knowledge about foreign cultures and foreign languages threatens the security of the United States”
National Security Council, 2007

16. Students who study another language… do better in core subjects
A second language is for everyone
A study of 13,200 students in Louisiana found, regardless of race, gender or academic level, children taking foreign language classes did better on the English section of the Louisiana Basic Skills test than those who did not.
Study: Dumas, 1999

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Bibliography This PowerPoint presentation summarizes portions of a much larger document titled “The benefits of Second Language Study” published by NEA Research (2007) and available online at Please see the bibliography of that document for many of the sources cited in this presentation. US News and World Report, Dropouts Loom Large for Schools, published online at
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