Cognitive Skills and Second (or Other) Language Acquisition
Estimates are that there are approximately 4.6 million English Language Learners in U.S. Schools, closing in on 10% of the population. The number of English Language Learners around the world is estimated at over 1 billion. 60% of the world’s population speaks 2 or more languages. So, the impetus for second language acquisition is strong.
Acquiring a second (or other) language is frequently a different process than learning a first language and may be helped or hindered in sometimes underappreciated ways by an individual’s underlying cognitive skills. This webinar will examine some of the challenges of learning a second language and the role of cognitive skills and executive functions in that process. We will also share research on the impact of cognitive skills training for English Language Learners in several U.S. and ex-U.S. schools.
- Overview of Language in the Brain
- Initial vs. Second Language Acquisition
- Benefits of Bilingualism
- Cognitive Skills and Language Acquisition
- Impact of Cognitive Training for English Language Learners
I like to describe myself as a "recovering" educator, but the truth is that I am more excited than ever about what neuroscience is uncovering about the brain and how we can use that information to enable each individual to reach his or her cognitive potential. I'm here to share what I've been learning over the last ten years and to continue learning from others in this amazing and fast developing field.
