WOODBURY ー After how many years of learning a language would you consider yourself fluent?
Would it be all four of your high school years, or would you need more?
It was these questions that the Region 14 Board of Education and superintendent had been asking themselves when they made the decision to start teaching Spanish to fifth graders at Mitchell Elementary School and Bethlehem Elementary School.
“Research states that the earlier you learn a language, the more successful you will be to speak that language fluently,” said Region 14 Superintendent of Schools Brian Murphy.
In fact, a study conducted by Harvard and MIT researchers discovered that to give a learner the best chance of fluency and comprehension, they need to begin learning a language before the age of 10.
Results are not limited to studies, as Nonnewaug High School Spanish teacher Karen Sandor says that she witnesses the distinction between students who have been learning Spanish for years and those who are only on their second.
“I can clearly see the difference in fluency between my students who come from districts with years of knowledge, and students who might only have one,” said Sandor. “The earlier that you are immersed in it, you hear it, and are forced to use it, the better.”
Rachel Evon, a senior at Nonnewaug who has been learning Spanish since eighth grade, agrees that learning earlier will be beneficial for students.
“The earlier you learn the more it stays with you,” says Evon. “As you grow up it gets harder for you to learn new things.”
While eighth grade might be late to some, Martin Razo, a freshman at Nonnewaug, thinks that regardless, Spanish is easy to pick up.
“It’s a pretty easy language to learn,” said Razo. “With a good teacher, you can learn it pretty quickly.”
Mitchell Elementary School fifth-grader Reece Antonacci echoes that sentiment.
“After I got the hang of it, it was a lot easier for me,” said Antonacci. “My Spanish teacher explains everything and makes it easier to understand.”
While it took a while to get there, Region 14 has started to prioritize its language education, and the benefits are endless.
Students who begin to learn a second language at an early age exhibit many core values a good learner should have, and by taking the initiative, Region 14 has instilled these values in its students.
