Language Immersion

There have been several studies done over the years that suggest that students who attend language immersion schools have long term academic benefits when compared to their counterparts in traditional schools. As more and more language immersion schools pop up all over the country, more and more qualitative data is available in this area. It has long been known that cognitive development is significantly impacted by the environment and a student’s surroundings. How does language immersion affect this process? Well it seems that for many students the process of learning multiple languages actually enhances the development of critical thinking and problem solving at a young age. The data appears to show a link between basic problem solving skills at specific ages and the amount of time spent in a language immersion schooling environment. This is of course correlated data, and should not immediately be looked at as causal.  However, it does open the door to an interesting discussion. What other types of benefits could language immersion provide aside from enhanced problem solving? Are there any areas where students’ are not as proficient as they otherwise would have been in an English only setting? The pros and cons of immersion learning will continue to be a subject of interest for many years to come as our world becomes more globally connected.