>> second language immersion programs

Excellent Web sites on this subject:

The Issues: Language Immersion Programs: The Benefits of Learning in Two Languages
by Britton Redbord and Rachel Sachetti

Children are often able to acquire a foreign language much easier and faster if they begin their course of study at an early age. According to the Fairfax County Virginia Public School website, research studies also "show that learning a second language at an early age has a positive effect on intellectual growth and leaves students with more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and improved listening skills." ...
FOR MORE, GO TO http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/prek2/issues/1103issue.shtm
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What Parents Want to Know About Foreign Language Immersion Programs
~ Tara W. Fortune, Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, University of Minnesota and Diane J. Tedick, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Minnesota
GO TO http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/FAQs.html

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Being Bilingual Boosts Brain

People who are bilingual have an advantage over the rest of us, and not just in terms of communication skills. The bilingual brain develops more densely, giving it an advantage in various abilities and skills, according to new research.

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE, GO TO:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/13/health/webmd/main649050.shtml