First Interviews

American Child, 8 years old, Emma
-What is your favorite subject in school and why is it your favorite?
"Math. It's easy."

-Why do you enjoy learning about that subject?
"Hm...um, uh. Because it's "plus" (addition) sometimes, some of it is hard though."

-What do you like to read?
"I like to read "I don't care" a story from my reading book today."

-When did you start using the computer and what do you use it for (games, school work)?
"I don't remember. Sometimes I play games on it. No school."

-What kind of computer games do you play?
"Well, there's one game, I think it's called the Bubble game. There are bubbles on different colors and you try to get as many as you can get."

-What do you enjoy doing after school?
"Swimming."

-Do you have siblings?
"Yeah. Lots."

-Do you help your siblings or classmates with schoolwork?
"Mm, sometimes. Today, my older brother had a question on his math and I couldn't get it. I forgot what it was."

-Do you have extracurricular activities?
"Dance and piano."

-If you could learn another language to speak what would it be and why?
"French, because, I don't know, it seems easy. I count to six in spanish though."

American Elementary School Teacher, 51 years old
-Why do you feel like foreign language education is important?
"Development of language, exposure to other culture, discipline of thinking through phonics."

-What is the biggest challenge in teaching foreign language in Elementary schools?
"That they would take it seriously. Also, pronunciation because they aren't actually in the culture."

-In general, what is the biggest challenge you face as a teacher in your classroom?
"As a teacher, the biggest challenge is to keep them motivated to move forward."

-What other subjects could facilitate foreign language learning?
"Definitely the arts. They help anything. Also, having a strong mother tongue, an understanding of their own culture and language they speak."

-In your opinion, what are a few of the gaps found in public education, specifically regarding foreign language?
"There are gaps in all forms of education. One of the biggest gaps that we forget about is that everyone has a self will. We don't allow a child to find it for themselves sometimes and try to teach them in our own way."

-In your opinion, at what age should foreign language education begin and why?
"If you want them to have a foreign language it should start at the very beginning. Fourth or fifth graders would probably work well. I think they should learn the basics of their own language first."

-What are a few barriers of students that know a second language versus those that speak one? What are the social effects of this in the classroom?

"Not a full understanding of one language--always crossing over and mixing.