In an increasingly global economy, mastery of languages is often a critical component to success. Languages have long been a pivotal part of Harvard’s curriculum and a key to learning. Their study, University educators say, develops cognitive skills, fosters connections to foreign markets, preserves ancient traditions and histories, and cultivates a crucial understanding and appreciation of the world.
An FAS course booklet lists the expected German, French, and Spanish. But it also lists Akkadian, Avestan, Kikongo, Old English, Sogdian, Twi, Scottish Gaelic, Urdu, and Uyghur. The myriad choices amount to a crossword puzzle fan’s paradise.
Simply put, said Diana Sorensen, Harvard’s dean of arts and humanities, “The University offers the most comprehensive language studies program in the nation.”
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/04/words-worth/
30.4.10
28.4.10
Early Childhood Development Conference a Rousing Success
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Internationally renowned experts, working professionals, students and alumni came together at the University of La Verne this month to discuss early childhood development and the key role it plays in molding successful children and adults.
“It was wonderful,” said Barbara J. Nicoll, Ph.D., professor of education and director of child development graduate programs at La Verne. “The overriding message presented by speakers was that starting at birth, babies brains are growing so rapidly that the amount and kind of stimulation they receive sets a platform for how well they do later in life.”
A primary presenter on the topic of infant brain development was Alison Gopnik, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of the new book, “The Philosophical Baby.”
“Alison Gopnik presented considerable new research about babies’ brains and how brain development sets children up for more positive development as they grow and age,” Nicoll said.
http://laverne.edu/news/2010/04/early-childhood-development-conference-a-rousing-success/
Internationally renowned experts, working professionals, students and alumni came together at the University of La Verne this month to discuss early childhood development and the key role it plays in molding successful children and adults.
“It was wonderful,” said Barbara J. Nicoll, Ph.D., professor of education and director of child development graduate programs at La Verne. “The overriding message presented by speakers was that starting at birth, babies brains are growing so rapidly that the amount and kind of stimulation they receive sets a platform for how well they do later in life.”
A primary presenter on the topic of infant brain development was Alison Gopnik, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of the new book, “The Philosophical Baby.”
“Alison Gopnik presented considerable new research about babies’ brains and how brain development sets children up for more positive development as they grow and age,” Nicoll said.
http://laverne.edu/news/2010/04/early-childhood-development-conference-a-rousing-success/
26.4.10
The Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Combine to Shape Brain Architecture
Critical aspects of brain architecture begin to be shaped by experience before and soon after birth, and many fundamental aspects of that architecture are established well before a child enters school.
The foundations of brain architecture are established early in life through a continuous series of dynamic interactions in which environmental conditions and personal experiences have a significant impact on how genetic predispositions are expressed. Because specific experiences affect specific brain circuits during specific developmental stages—referred to as sensitive periods—it is vitally important to take advantage of these early opportunities in the developmental building process. That is to say, the quality of a child’s early environment and the availability of appropriate experiences at the right stages of development are crucial in determining the strength or weakness of the brain’s architecture, which, in turn, determines how well he or she will be able to think and to regulate emotions. (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, US, Working Paper No. 5)
The exceptionally strong influence of early experience on brain architecture makes the early years of life a period of both great opportunity and great vulnerability for brain development. An early, growth-promoting environment, with adequate nutrients, filled with social interactions with an attentive caregiver, prepares the architecture of the developing brain to function optimally in a healthy environment.
Conversely, an adverse early environment, one that is inadequately supplied with nutrients, or is deprived of appropriate sensory, social, or emotional stimulation, results in faulty brain circuitry. Once established, a weak foundation can have detrimental effects on further brain development, even if a healthy environment is restored at a later age.
Education policies disregard fundamental concepts of neuroscience when they delay teaching second languages until early adolescence and simultaneously undervalue bilingual programs for young children. Beginning at birth, all children have the capacity to learn any of the world’s languages. This ability is encoded in our genes and activated by exposure to everyday conversation in an interactive way. Unless a child has a specific disability, the achievement of fluency in any language, as well as the mastery of more than one language at the same time, does not require formal instruction or intervention in the early childhood years. It simply requires ongoing communication with others. Moreover, the younger the brain, the greater its capacity to master more than a single langauge. If education policies were guided by what we know about the development of the brain, second-language learning would be a preschool priority.
Centre on the Developing Child, Harvard University
http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/bitstreams/20619.pdf
The foundations of brain architecture are established early in life through a continuous series of dynamic interactions in which environmental conditions and personal experiences have a significant impact on how genetic predispositions are expressed. Because specific experiences affect specific brain circuits during specific developmental stages—referred to as sensitive periods—it is vitally important to take advantage of these early opportunities in the developmental building process. That is to say, the quality of a child’s early environment and the availability of appropriate experiences at the right stages of development are crucial in determining the strength or weakness of the brain’s architecture, which, in turn, determines how well he or she will be able to think and to regulate emotions. (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, US, Working Paper No. 5)
The exceptionally strong influence of early experience on brain architecture makes the early years of life a period of both great opportunity and great vulnerability for brain development. An early, growth-promoting environment, with adequate nutrients, filled with social interactions with an attentive caregiver, prepares the architecture of the developing brain to function optimally in a healthy environment.
Conversely, an adverse early environment, one that is inadequately supplied with nutrients, or is deprived of appropriate sensory, social, or emotional stimulation, results in faulty brain circuitry. Once established, a weak foundation can have detrimental effects on further brain development, even if a healthy environment is restored at a later age.
Education policies disregard fundamental concepts of neuroscience when they delay teaching second languages until early adolescence and simultaneously undervalue bilingual programs for young children. Beginning at birth, all children have the capacity to learn any of the world’s languages. This ability is encoded in our genes and activated by exposure to everyday conversation in an interactive way. Unless a child has a specific disability, the achievement of fluency in any language, as well as the mastery of more than one language at the same time, does not require formal instruction or intervention in the early childhood years. It simply requires ongoing communication with others. Moreover, the younger the brain, the greater its capacity to master more than a single langauge. If education policies were guided by what we know about the development of the brain, second-language learning would be a preschool priority.
Centre on the Developing Child, Harvard University
http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/bitstreams/20619.pdf
25.4.10
Bilingual program built on greater exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE ON LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: Comparing Second and Foreign Language Acquisition of Swedish
This article explores the influence of the learning environment on the second language acquisition of Swedish. Data were collected longitudinally over 1 year from 35 university students studying Swedish in Malmö, Sweden, and in Melbourne, Australia. Three areas were investigated: grammar, pragmatics, and lexicon. The development of grammar was analyzed within the framework of Processability Theory (Pienemann, 1998, 2005). For the pragmatic analysis, the learners' production in a gap-filling task was measured against answers from 100 native speakers. A scoring system was devised to enable comparisons between learners and native speakers. The lexical analysis was based on a word association test. The results show that the grammar developed similarly in the two groups, whereas differences between the groups were found in pragmatics and lexicon. This variation is explained by differences in target language exposure.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123346007/abstract
Le Beaumont's English programs are activity based, involving the usage of a much larger vocabulary and language patterns. English is learned as a living language, in the rapidly changing play situation.
The heightened interest in English makes children more motivated in school. A Primary 4 student not so strong in English enrolled in our English program, twice a week, for a year. She came 3rd among some 150 students in the whole year during the final examination in the prestigious Hennessy Road Government Primary School
This article explores the influence of the learning environment on the second language acquisition of Swedish. Data were collected longitudinally over 1 year from 35 university students studying Swedish in Malmö, Sweden, and in Melbourne, Australia. Three areas were investigated: grammar, pragmatics, and lexicon. The development of grammar was analyzed within the framework of Processability Theory (Pienemann, 1998, 2005). For the pragmatic analysis, the learners' production in a gap-filling task was measured against answers from 100 native speakers. A scoring system was devised to enable comparisons between learners and native speakers. The lexical analysis was based on a word association test. The results show that the grammar developed similarly in the two groups, whereas differences between the groups were found in pragmatics and lexicon. This variation is explained by differences in target language exposure.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123346007/abstract
Le Beaumont's English programs are activity based, involving the usage of a much larger vocabulary and language patterns. English is learned as a living language, in the rapidly changing play situation.
The heightened interest in English makes children more motivated in school. A Primary 4 student not so strong in English enrolled in our English program, twice a week, for a year. She came 3rd among some 150 students in the whole year during the final examination in the prestigious Hennessy Road Government Primary School
9.4.10
Children learn more and better in playing
Dr. Ruth Beechick, in her book, the Three R’s, talks about a study that was done to settle the issue once and for all. It was done by a school district. They had two classes of Kindergarteners.
In one class, they focused on early academics: Phonics, reading, math, workbooks, etc.
In the other, they took a play based approach. They did no formal reading lessons at all. Instead, they read to the children, played with science (learned about nature, played with magnets, melted ice, did real life and play activities.)
They assessed the children when they were in the third grade to see which class was doing better.
The result: The “play-based” Kindergarten children were doing better! They learned to read later, yes—but they learned to read more quickly and easily than the “academic” children did.
They had higher reading scores and better vocabularies than the “academic” children did, too, because they had spent more time living “real life” and doing/talking about ‘real things.”
http://susanlemons.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/common-preschool-myths-debunked-part-2/
Find out more at our Parenting Seminar
Details in the News Update www.beaumont.edu.hk
In one class, they focused on early academics: Phonics, reading, math, workbooks, etc.
In the other, they took a play based approach. They did no formal reading lessons at all. Instead, they read to the children, played with science (learned about nature, played with magnets, melted ice, did real life and play activities.)
They assessed the children when they were in the third grade to see which class was doing better.
The result: The “play-based” Kindergarten children were doing better! They learned to read later, yes—but they learned to read more quickly and easily than the “academic” children did.
They had higher reading scores and better vocabularies than the “academic” children did, too, because they had spent more time living “real life” and doing/talking about ‘real things.”
http://susanlemons.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/common-preschool-myths-debunked-part-2/
Find out more at our Parenting Seminar
Details in the News Update www.beaumont.edu.hk
8.4.10
答明報記者問
１現今香港小朋友最常學習的外語，除了普通話和英語，還有什麼？
香港是國際城市，隨著經濟全球化，越來越多家長重視外語，希望趁孩子年幼，多學幾種外語。除了普通話和英語，法語、西班牙語、德語和日語都非常熱門。
法語是加拿大的第二語言，法國的時裝、紅酒和法國的文化，自有他大的魅力。中東和非洲的石油出口國家，都說法語。
西班牙語是美國的第二語言。中美洲、南美洲、西班牙、葡萄牙、法國、意大利，西班牙語都可以大派用場。
德語是北歐和中歐的主要語言，德國在文化、藝術、音樂、科技、和經貿方面，在全球舉足輕重。在港島山頂，有德瑞國際學校 (German Swiss International School).
日本是全球第二大經濟體系，在香港的日本公司數目龐大，提供大量工作機會。日本是港人旅遊的熱點，在香港，學日語的人非常多。
２這些外語對小朋友來說，相比學英語和普通話困難嗎？
幼兒語言無國界，學什麼話都不困難。年紀愈小，學話愈容易。
３什麼年紀是學語言的最佳年齡？
舊理論是先要學好母語，才學外語。太早接觸外語，會引起混淆，甚至延遲說話。這套理論，源自1950年代單語國家美國，在香港的所有大學被採用，教授、醫生、言語治療師、教師、雜誌，均相信太早接觸外語，會令孩子產生混淆，甚至出現語言障礙。
新理論是：『若要英語/普通話 說得好，必須起步早』！越早越好，由滿月開始。北歐、瑞士、星馬等多語地區的孩子，自幼接觸多種語言，不但沒有出現混淆，語言能力更遠比單語地區的孩子高。http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMOHtSkSPfA
４其實小朋友一次過可以學多少語言？會令他們混淆嗎？
在東山長大的孩子，很多能說七、八種語言。他們跟父母說廣東話，跟祖父母說上海話或潮州話，跟佣人說印尼話，在東山語言中心說普通話、英、法、西班牙及日語。他們口齒伶俐，語言能力過人，笑口常開，反應敏銳，沒有半點混淆。
嬰兒出生時有過千億神經末稍，首年激增至百萬億，語言學習能力，高於全港最大的超級電腦。
http://kcts9.org/video/doctor-patricia-kuhl-brain-development-babies
５學不同外語，對小朋友好處是什麼？例如對考學校有幫助嗎？有機會在日常生活中應用嗎？
北卡羅連納州大學研究証明，早期語言訓練，可以刺激腦細胞發育，提升智商。http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~abc/FPG_ABC-video.cfm
幼兒通過遊戲，學習外語，可以培養樂觀性格，運用腦筋，令人更聰明，語言能力更高。
東山的孩子，自幼和來自不同國家的老師一起成長，英語和普通話發音標準，語言表達能力強，溝通能力高，入學面試，佔盡優勢。在酒店或街上碰到遊客，孩子會懂得和別人打招呼，甚至寒喧幾句。兒時學到的外語發音，畢生不會忘記，日後學習外語，會學得更容易、更快、更好。
明報記者顏燕雯提問，周東山作答。
上述訪問，將於《明報》4月18日副刊親子版刊出。
歡迎出席『家長研討會』，分享一萬小時的研究。
詳情請參閱本網站『最新消息』。
香港是國際城市，隨著經濟全球化，越來越多家長重視外語，希望趁孩子年幼，多學幾種外語。除了普通話和英語，法語、西班牙語、德語和日語都非常熱門。
法語是加拿大的第二語言，法國的時裝、紅酒和法國的文化，自有他大的魅力。中東和非洲的石油出口國家，都說法語。
西班牙語是美國的第二語言。中美洲、南美洲、西班牙、葡萄牙、法國、意大利，西班牙語都可以大派用場。
德語是北歐和中歐的主要語言，德國在文化、藝術、音樂、科技、和經貿方面，在全球舉足輕重。在港島山頂，有德瑞國際學校 (German Swiss International School).
日本是全球第二大經濟體系，在香港的日本公司數目龐大，提供大量工作機會。日本是港人旅遊的熱點，在香港，學日語的人非常多。
２這些外語對小朋友來說，相比學英語和普通話困難嗎？
幼兒語言無國界，學什麼話都不困難。年紀愈小，學話愈容易。
３什麼年紀是學語言的最佳年齡？
舊理論是先要學好母語，才學外語。太早接觸外語，會引起混淆，甚至延遲說話。這套理論，源自1950年代單語國家美國，在香港的所有大學被採用，教授、醫生、言語治療師、教師、雜誌，均相信太早接觸外語，會令孩子產生混淆，甚至出現語言障礙。
新理論是：『若要英語/普通話 說得好，必須起步早』！越早越好，由滿月開始。北歐、瑞士、星馬等多語地區的孩子，自幼接觸多種語言，不但沒有出現混淆，語言能力更遠比單語地區的孩子高。http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMOHtSkSPfA
４其實小朋友一次過可以學多少語言？會令他們混淆嗎？
在東山長大的孩子，很多能說七、八種語言。他們跟父母說廣東話，跟祖父母說上海話或潮州話，跟佣人說印尼話，在東山語言中心說普通話、英、法、西班牙及日語。他們口齒伶俐，語言能力過人，笑口常開，反應敏銳，沒有半點混淆。
嬰兒出生時有過千億神經末稍，首年激增至百萬億，語言學習能力，高於全港最大的超級電腦。
http://kcts9.org/video/doctor-patricia-kuhl-brain-development-babies
５學不同外語，對小朋友好處是什麼？例如對考學校有幫助嗎？有機會在日常生活中應用嗎？
北卡羅連納州大學研究証明，早期語言訓練，可以刺激腦細胞發育，提升智商。http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~abc/FPG_ABC-video.cfm
幼兒通過遊戲，學習外語，可以培養樂觀性格，運用腦筋，令人更聰明，語言能力更高。
東山的孩子，自幼和來自不同國家的老師一起成長，英語和普通話發音標準，語言表達能力強，溝通能力高，入學面試，佔盡優勢。在酒店或街上碰到遊客，孩子會懂得和別人打招呼，甚至寒喧幾句。兒時學到的外語發音，畢生不會忘記，日後學習外語，會學得更容易、更快、更好。
明報記者顏燕雯提問，周東山作答。
上述訪問，將於《明報》4月18日副刊親子版刊出。
歡迎出席『家長研討會』，分享一萬小時的研究。
詳情請參閱本網站『最新消息』。
Health Care Reform in Action — Calorie Labeling Goes National
Posted by NEJM • April 7th, 2010 •
Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Tucked away on page 455 of the 906-page health care reform act (Public Law 111-148) is a provision for listing calorie counts on the menu boards of chain restaurants or adjacent to each food offered in vending machines and in retail stores.
Establishments with 20 or more locations nationwide must post calories “in a clear and conspicuous manner,” along with “a succinct statement concerning suggested daily caloric intake” — presumably the 2000-kcal-per-day standard that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses for the “Nutrition Facts” on packaged foods.
When the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 went into effect in 1994, it required that nutrition labels be placed on food products but exempted restaurants. The new law removes that exemption.
http://healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=3278&query=TOC
Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Tucked away on page 455 of the 906-page health care reform act (Public Law 111-148) is a provision for listing calorie counts on the menu boards of chain restaurants or adjacent to each food offered in vending machines and in retail stores.
Establishments with 20 or more locations nationwide must post calories “in a clear and conspicuous manner,” along with “a succinct statement concerning suggested daily caloric intake” — presumably the 2000-kcal-per-day standard that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses for the “Nutrition Facts” on packaged foods.
When the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 went into effect in 1994, it required that nutrition labels be placed on food products but exempted restaurants. The new law removes that exemption.
http://healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=3278&query=TOC
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