Check out a recent NY Times article  on the booming expansion of French dual-language programs in the city!

When should my child learn another language?

From what age should a child start learning a foreign language? This has seemed to be a question that many have come to think about as they consider placing their children into bilingual education programs. After coming across a number of articles on this topic, the general consensus seems to be that it is never too early to start teaching a child how to speak in a second tongue. According to one resource , "When children have an early start to a long sequence of language instruction that continues through high school and college, they will be able to achieve levels of fluency that have not been possible in the past due to the late start of most language programs." So it seems in fact, that the earlier the better for language learning, although it is never too late to pick up another language at any age and be successful.

If you are looking for more reasons to place your child in a dual language program, there are quite a number of benefits of learning another language. Language not only helps you communicate, but it helps you become a better problem-solver, and some studies have show a correlation between language proficiency and higher standardized test scores. Being able to speak multiple languages increases your job prospects and makes you stand out from an increasingly competitive pool of applicants. To find more about what bilingual programs are out there, go to http://insideschools.org/index.php to help narrow down your search.