Thinking Beyond English in the Classroom

This change will not be instantaneous.

Fairfax County has for years had partial-immersion programs for foreign languages in several elementary schools, but the model that eventually will be in every one of our elementary schools features language teachers who work with regular teachers to integrate foreign-language instruction into lessons in other subjects. Students will not suffer in reading, math, science or social studies. Instead they will learn to talk about these subjects in the foreign language they are studying. In any case, research indicates that students who learn a foreign language develop all academic skills better and perform better on standardized tests.

It is time to view language as a necessary tool in today's job market -- not simply a check-off requirement for college admissions.

And it's not just about jobs. Really understanding a nation's culture means learning its language. Being able to think in another language helps a person understand that a translation is not the same as the original. Respect for and knowledge of diverse cultures around the globe are essential life skills.

Increased language proficiency will make us safer as a nation. We put our country at risk when we depend solely on the services of interpreters and translators. We need to teach a broad range of languages that will make this generation of students full participants in the global society and give them the skills necessary to communicate and protect our national interests.

-- Jack D. Dale

Fairfax

The writer is Fairfax County Public Schools superintendent. His e-mail addr ess isjack.dale@fcps.edu.