MX: Interview

Dianne DeNoon, Blue Valley School District Education Support Services Team - World Languages

Why do you feel like foreign language education is important?
Because we live in a global society, not just in the united states, the more cultures they understand the better understanding of the language that is very deep routed to each other. 2 or 3 rd language helps SAT scores and just more intellgenet, important scientifically and humanity

-What is the biggest challenge in teaching foreign language in Elementary schools?
Probably- 1. the natural resource being able to dedicate the costs of a program. 2. The time you have to spend with it

-In general, what is the biggest challenge you face as a teacher in your classroom?
The number of students that they see, 2 or 3 times a week and that can be a lot of students. Only for 30 minutes or so at a time.

-What other subjects could facilitate foreign language learning?
In the area of foreign, it is content-less, we don't have anything to teach
Fo example: social studies is very important, geography, we would have math for patterns, art colors, shapes

-In your opinion, what are a few of the gaps found in public education, specifically regarding foreign language?
Gaps in articulation, corse to course, expressing easy transition, from class to class and not repeat

-In your opinion, at what age should foreign language education begin and why?
Ideally from birth
Or as soon as the student starts schools
Start at the age of 8- like other countries, probably because the other students have a sense of learning and also curious

-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?
it would be the opposite, students can be disadvantaged later in life, they will more easily a foreign language