The U.S. is part of an increasingly global community. In Florida, 27% of the population speaks a language other than English at home. The most common non English language is Spanish (21%) and then the French/French Creole (3%).
At De La Fontaine trilingual Montessori School, children learn in three languages. Throughout the week three teachers, one French speaker, one Spanish speaker and an English speaker stand with the child during his activities.
Trilingual immersion provides a wonderful opportunity for children to learn a second/third language in a natural environment before the developmental window for language acquisition closes.
Increasingly, research indicates that learning a second/third language has innumerable benefits for a child’s brain development. It increases creativity, enhances verbal and mathematical problem solving skills, and develops an advantage in grasping and formulating concepts. These skills contribute profoundly to a child’s self-esteem and sense of value.
Best of all, the exposure to foreign languages provides the building blocks to greater understanding of other cultures and communities. It prepares a child for life in the multi-cultural, multilingual world of the 21st century.
