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KELC's Bilingual Babies At an October in-service meeting, designed to explore second language teaching/learning, KELC's Giselda Johnson, a native of Italy, commented that babies and young children pick up second languages with ease and can learn with near-native accents. She feels that the earlier children learn a second or third language--the better. Soon after that meeting, a UW physician visiting KELC explained that as the human brain absorbs multiple languages, each language is stored in a separate compartment of the brain. In conjuction with that point, Betsy Hanna, director of the Berlitz Language Center in Robinson, PA, believes that learning a foreign language doesn't inhibit a child's development of English skills. Hanna feels that children can absorb up to five or more languages at a time. Furthermore, research tells us that children who learn multiple languages are better able to handle abstract ideas, are more flexible in their thinking and are more imaginative. KELC's staff believes there is no reason to hold children back so we, as a group, are looking for ways to get more language learning into our classrooms. KELC initially hired Ryan Gronli, who holds a degree in Spanish Education, to teach Spanish to preschoolers. Beginning this month, Mr. Ryan will also spend time in Corgiville Fair Nursery I and II where our babies and toddlers, who have an instinct for language learning, will be immersed in Spanish. Babies at KELC learn American Sign Language, as well.
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