Porque? Pourquoi? Warum?

Why? Why should you spend your time learning a foreign language when you already speak English? And everyone speaks English, right?

Wrong. According to the CIA World Fact Book, only 5.6 % of the world's total population speaks English as a primary language. That number doubles when people who speak English as a second or third language are counted. This means that well over four fifths of the world's population does not speak English!

Well that was reason enough for me to learn another language… or three. I picked up Hebrew at home, French at school, and even dabbled in some Spanish. But if the idea of connecting with people around the globe doesn't pique your interest, do read on.

Former U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, once said, “We have strong evidence today that studying a foreign language has a ripple effect, helping to improve student performance in other subjects.” Did you know that the study of another language can improve your understanding of your native language? Stronger vocabulary skills and higher reading achievement in English as well as enhanced listening and memorization skills have all been associated with extended foreign language study. In fact, several studies have revealed that with each additional year of foreign language instruction, a student’s scores on college entrance exams such as the SAT or ACT improve incrementally.

This might explain why colleges look so favorably upon, and often require, the study of a foreign language for admission. Surely, my language abilities boosted my college application, but I didn’t realize just how valuable they were until I got in. My knowledge of languages gave me options: I was able to choose from a larger pool of majors and study abroad in countries in which a lot of my peers could not. I chose to spend a semester in Paris, where I blended in with the locals, regularly devoured Nutella crepes, and learned all about a culture that I might never have encountered if it weren’t for all those years I spent learning French.

My eye-opening time abroad sparked a passion for travel and all things international, and speaking several languages made my newfound hobby more feasible and more fun. Language barriers can be frustrating at best, but when you know the native tongue, you have the comfort of being able to navigate all sorts of situations. Thanks to my language skills, I successfully ordered meals in Barcelona, negotiated lower prices in Tel Aviv, and somehow explained to a pharmacist in Rome that I needed drops for an eye infection (and yes, it healed just fine).

But the benefits didn’t end overseas. Having graduated from college without a clue about what I wanted to do professionally, I dove into the workforce and began exploring my options. SAT tutoring and translating gigs eventually turned into job offers from a research company, a law firm, several financial corporations, and even an entertainment group—all international businesses and all competing in the global marketplace. Whatever your career goals may be, speaking another language will increase your employability by giving you an edge over your monolingual competitors.

As you can see, the study of foreign languages has advantages that go well beyond the school setting in which it starts. So while that Spanish, French or German class may feel like a burden now, it can open all kinds of doors down the line. I’m not saying that learning another language is easy—I’m just saying it’s worth it!

Summer Fun with the Documentary

Summer vacation is one of the most anticipated times of the year and can provide kids with a much needed break from the classroom and SAT tutoring. Sunny days filled with friends, vacations, and beach time can be a great way to rejuvenate any child for the next school year. Along with the traditional summer doings, there are also a number of fun and educational activities that children can take part in which may help fight the summer “brain drain.” Viewing a documentary film may be the perfect way to keep your kids entertained while introducing them to something new. The films listed below can inspire and educate kids of all ages and may even provide a necessary break from watching the Twilight series for the 5th time this month.

Spellbound (2002) – This documentary follows 8 competitors from the 1999 National Spelling Bee. It shows the hard work and dedication that these kids put in to pursuing their dreams of doing their best and being the best. Apart from motivating kids, this documentary will expand your vocabulary and teach you how to spell some extremely difficult words!

Paper Clips (2004) – This heart-warming and inspirational documentary tells the story of middle school students from the rural community of Whitwell, Tennessee. What began as a lesson in tolerance, turned into a project that consisted of collecting 6 million paper clips as a way to commemorate the 6 million Jewish people who were killed during the Holocaust. This film has the power to show how even the smallest groups have the ability to make a difference.

March of the Penguins (2005) – This film depicts the yearly journey of the Empire Penguins of Antarctica. The harsh climate provides a treacherous backdrop for the penguin’s journey, which is captured like never before. This educational film is entertaining to watch and will leave you in awe of these fascinating animals!

In the Shadow of the Moon (2007) – A documentary film about NASA’s moon missions and the astronauts who were a part of the historic events. Great interviews with the astronauts, coupled with archival footage, helps to bring these momentous journeys to life.

Quantum Hoops (2007) – A story about the Caltech men’s basketball team and their record breaking losing streak. They may not be the most athletic or best basketball players at the collegiate level, but they may be the smartest. Their continued dedication to their studies on top of their tedious basketball schedule is something to be commended. The will and determination these men have to come out victorious provides an inspirational message for all ages.

Discovery Channel’s Life (2010) – This series of documentaries captures some of the most spectacular wonders of the world. Incredible footage depicts plants, mammals, fish, birds, and more in their natural habitats. Oprah is the film’s narrator and provides a plethora of insightful information on the topics illustrated on screen. These documentaries will not only “wow” but also educate.

Race to Nowhere (coming soon) - Keep a look out for this documentary that will be released this fall. The film takes an in depth and honest look at the pressures faced by American schoolchildren and the consequences that occur when students and educators are pushed to the brink.

Happy viewing!

A Penny For Your Thoughts

Imagine a penny. It’s an everyday object that we’ve seen countless times in our lives. If I asked you to draw it, could you? Most people would say yes, but take a look at the picture below and see if you can find the real penny…

Did you find it? If you think so (and you didn’t cheat!), how sure are you that you’ve picked the right one? How, after years of interactions with pennies, is it possible that we still don’t know what a penny looks like? (The answer is A - and yes, I had to pull one out of my piggy bank to be sure.)

Here’s another scenario. How many times have you gone to class to take a test feeling pretty confident, only to receive a grade lower than you thought you deserved? I know it’s happened to me a few times, even after going over a subject with my private SAT tutor. I thought I understood the material because when I studied, it sounded familiar and made sense, yet my score didn’t reflect my “knowledge.” In both of these examples, we see the same mistake being made. People are just not good at knowing how much they know.

So, how can we avoid these common misjudgments of our learning?

First, we have to know why they happen. Most often, we misjudge how much we know because we don’t realize that attention plays a huge role in learning. Even though we see pennies all the time, it doesn’t mean we ever really look closely and pay them enough attention to be able to select the correct one from a line-up. Similarly, if we just passively review information while studying, we are not focusing enough attention on the task and end up with a surprisingly low grade.

In order to remember valuable information and perform better on tests, we have to monitor our learning better. Studying is difficult because it requires attention, so you have to actively focus on what you want to learn. Instead of simply re-reading information to try and learn it, try testing yourself. Just the act of generating the answer yourself will help you retain it better. Another way to understand the material better is to teach. If you can explain it to someone else, and they can understand it too, then you know that you understand it really well.

Another thing that trips us up when studying is that if we think that something is easy to understand or process, we assume that we know it and that we will remember it. However, the nature of learning and memory isn’t that simple. The level at which we process information is one of the main things that affects how we learn and remember. If you only memorize facts, you are processing the information at a shallow level, but if you understand the meaning and implications of that information, you are processing it at a much deeper level which in turn helps you remember it better. By making associations between the things you want to remember, you are giving them deeper meaning. If you can actively learn and relate material to your life or try to make a story out of facts, you are guaranteed to remember information a lot better.

I’m not saying you should go study a penny, but as you can see it’s too easy to “not learn” something you see every day. If you really want to remember something or understand it completely, the key is to monitor your attention level and focus on active learning. Good luck studying!

*This week's blog was contributed by Launch's intern Alicia Bullock!

Poor Handwriting and Disorganized?

Executive functions (EF) and their connection with learning and behavior have been researched extensively in recent years. In 2010, Rosenblum et. al. explored the relationship between organizational abilities, a component of EF, and handwriting performance, a required academic task. This study investigated handwriting and organizational abilities in children with dysgrphia compared to proficient handwriters.

Handwriting is a required academic task, and it is important to academic performance because illegible handwriting can lead to lower marks on handwritten assignments. Since 10-34% of children have poor handwriting and are identified as dysgraphic, the researchers wanted to learn more about the relationship between dysgraphia and organizational abilities.

The researchers used a performance-based measure and two questionnaires to assess handwriting performance and organizational abilities in 58 males aged 7-8 years recruited from the 1st and 2nd grades in regular public schools in northern Israel. All of the students were native Israelis, and Hebrew was their primary language. The researchers found that children with dysgraphia performed lower on measures of handwriting performance, organizational ability, and time management than students who were proficient at handwriting. The researchers also noted that while other studies claim motor functions are the underlying mechanism affecting handwriting performance, this study shows that organizational ability, a component of executive functions, is a factor in handwriting performance.

This study has implications for tutors who work with students with dysgraphia at all ages. Since this study demonstrated a correlation between an academic task, handwriting, and a component of EF, organization, it seems reasonable to conclude that students with dysgraphia should be taught executive function strategies to help them plan their ideas before writing. Students should also be given a computer to type their work to reduce motor demands and increase the readability of their written work. By teaching students executive function skills and decreasing motor demands and illegibility, I think overall student performance would improve on matters involving the production of written language reinforced with private SAT tutoring. 

Reference:

Rosenblum, S., Aloni, T., & Josman, N. (2010). Relationships between handwriting performance and organizational abilities among children with and without dysgraphia: A preliminary study. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31 (2), 502-509.