The best place for parents to foster bilingualism is the home, says Hakuta
Does being bilingual give young children a mental edge, or does it delay their learning?
It depends on who you ask.
Bilingual education is regarded by some in education policy circles as
little more than a half-baked technique of teaching students whose
native language is not English. Though it takes many forms, bilingual
education programs usually involve teaching students in both their
native languages and in English. How much each language is used, and in
which academic contexts, varies by program.
But neuroscience researchers are increasingly coming to a consensus
that bilingualism has many positive consequences for the brain. Several
such researchers traveled to this month's annual meeting of the
American Assn. for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C., to
present their findings.
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