Language is acquired from birth and infants are able to distinguish sounds between two languages. When spoken to in different languages even babies know they are hearing two different languages, before they are able to produce any of the sounds themselves. Also language consists of four different areas; reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Each domain is acquired and mastered at different rates. Reading and listening are the easiest for second language learners to master due to the input method, this type of learning is more passive. On the other hand, speaking and writing are more related to output, therefore more difficult to master since students must produce, and are not passively learning. Language can vary from region to region, and the popular term ‘dialect’ should be replaced with ‘language variation’ to be politically correct. Languages are sometimes oral languages only, and written words do not exist.
Second Language Learners are often challenged by the American school system due to the restricting effects of the No Child Left Behind Act 2001. This policy has put into place English only initiatives, and set nearly impossible expectations. One example is when students in an early exit bilingual program are expected to exit by the end of third grade but research studies show it takes 5-7 years to master a second language. People can acquire a second language at any age; the only difference age makes is the ability to master a native like accent. This type of accent can be more easily acquired the younger the person is.
I began learning Spanish as a second language when I was in seventh grade. No one in my family speaks Spanish, so acquiring the language was an uphill battle. I had a best friend, Meredith, and I just wanted to be in the same classes as her, that’s how I got started. Then I realized language was my passion and the class where I shined. I continued my Spanish studies in high school, and was blessed to have the an awesome Spanish teacher for 3 consecutive years. I fell in love with language in high school, and continued through college. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a minor in Political Science and a Master’s in Bilingual Education with a minor in Educational Leadership. I believe my journey is unique because when I look around in my profession, the number of non-native Spanish bilingual educators are few and far between. I am often mistaken for Hispanic, but people are always surprised to find out I am mixed with black and white. Then people are even more astonished when they find out I was never in a bilingual class or a dual-language program. All of my Spanish was acquired in foreign language classes, college classes, and through a great deal of self-study. I have never lived in a foreign country, and after being born in Mississippi and raised in Iowa, I would say my path is one of a kind.
I think language is special because it immediately breaks down barriers and opens up a world of understanding. It allows for communication across borders and continents. Language is precious, as it carries culture, mannerisms, habits, and colloquialisms. Proverbs and idioms are other products of language which pass on wisdom and popular sayings. Language has been used to pass on knowledge and history since the beginning of mankind; from cave drawings to hieroglyphics, each language telling the story of its speakers. Language is a communication tool proving to be an important factor in today’s global society. Anyone with multilingual abilities is at an advantage, and anyone with young children would do them a great service by raising them to be a multilingual individual.
