THE VALUE OF A SECOND LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

A Directed Research Project

Presented to the Faculty of:

……………………….

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of :

By

Student's Name

Presented to

Professor's Name

December 2009

Abstract

The New Jersey World Languages Program has required New Jersey elementary and secondary schools, grades Kindergarten through twelfth, to teach students a foreign language since 1996. Although this program of instruction have been place for twelve years, measures of the Program's success in having students achieve foreign language proficiency and a better understanding of cultural diversity has not been studied. Moreover, the claims of the New Jersey Department of Education that the program will benefit the students in their post graduate lives, given the global economy that has developed, are also untested.

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction6

Introduction to the Problem8

Statement of the Problem9

Specific Research Questions and Sub Questions to Address the Problem10

Significance of the Study11

Research Design and Methodology11

Organization of the Study12

Tentative Reference List and Literature Review13

Chapter 2: Literature Review21

Historical Trends22

Current Practice24

Early Bilingualism25

An English-Only Movement26

Ethnic Awareness27

Opposition Groups28

Continued Growth29

Theories of Foreign Language Instruction29

Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development30

Chomsky and Universal Grammar31

Krashen's Input and Acquisition-Learning Hypotheses33

Cummin's BICS, CALP and Interdependence Hypothesis35

Classroom Modifications Made for Second Language Learners37

Chapter 3: Methodology39

Restatement of the Problem39

Specific Research Questions and Sub Questions to Address the Problem40

Research Sites41

Sampling Procedures42

Participants44

Principals45

Subject Area Coordinators45

Teachers46

Students47

Data Sources47

Transcripts of interviews48

Transcripts and Field Notes of Class Observations49

Physical Artifacts49

Data Collection Procedures50

Data Management and Analysis Plan52

Researcher's Role54

Dependability56

Transferability56

Credibility56

Triangulation57

Study Limitations57

Chapter 4: Findings59

Pedagogical approach for Imersao62

ESL Class64

Curriculum67

Pedagogical Approach at Cervantina69

Curriculum74

Some Suggestions for Improving the English Language Programs at these Schools81

Imersão81

Cervantina83

General Policy Recommendations87

Recommendations for Further Research91

References93

Bibliography96

Appendix A117

APPENDIX B118

APPENDIX C119

The Value of a Second Language Requirement in School Curricula

Chapter 1: Introduction

In 1996 the State of New Jersey added foreign language instruction to its set of core curriculum standards for all students in kindergarten through twelfth grade (NJDE, 1999). In addition to foreign language instruction becoming one of its core curriculum standards the state also added sixty others to satisfy education and workplace goals (NJDE, 1999). The state initially developed its core curriculum to address the requirements of the Goals 2000 Educate America Act of 1994 which set forth eight education goals schools were to meet (Jensen, 2000). The decision of what programs of study, such as foreign language, would be included in New Jersey's curriculum was arrived at through input from parents, educators, and members of the business community (Jensen, 2000).

The addition of foreign language instruction at all grade levels was a conscious decision on the part of New Jersey educators and the state's Board of Education. In particular, the state believed that only by providing foreign language education to all students, whether in elementary, middle or high schools, would the state succeed in assuring students obtained fluency and functionality in a foreign language (NJDE, 1999). The state's Department of Education also believes that students who have foreign language instruction at the elementary school level “have even higher scores on standardized tests in reading, language arts, and mathematics than those who have not (NJDE, 1999). In effect, this would mean that by introducing foreign languages at the elementary ...