Education
(2009-09-16)
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Jason, a student featured in the documentary "Speaking in Tongues" from PatchWork Films. The film will be screened in Seattle on Sunday, and at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma on Monday.
Image courtesy PatchWork Films.
"What happens is you're growing your brain when you learn two languages. You are gaining skills and flexibility, and how to deal with ambiguity. And there's a number of things being documented now that are advantages to you as a learner - as a person - throughout your life, based on having had early language experiences," she says.
Aoki's title is "World Languages Program Supervisor," a new position at the Superintendent's office. There's no budget - yet - for her program. But she says the fact her position was recently created by the legislature recognizes its emerging value. Aoki says numerous studies, many conducted at the University of Washington, show early language skills can improve aptitude in other core subjects.
"Imagine if we treated math the way we do languages, and said, OK, we're not going to introduce addition until your junior year of high school, and, by the way, when you graduate we want you to know calculus.' No one would suggest that's a wise way to approach things, yet that's basically what we're doing with languages," she adds.
Aoki will be part of a panel of language education experts who'll speak after the screening of Speaking in Tongues. Forum organizer Jackie Friedman Mighdoll is founder of the Seattle-based Sponge School, which offers language immersion classes. She says the panel will focus on one main question.
"What does it take to get more language to children at time when their most ready for it," says Mighdoll. She adds that tight budgets are often blamed, but Mighdoll says the biggest barriers may be political, which she says Speaking in Tongues succeeds in breaking down. Gary Davis, KPLU News, Seattle.
Trailer for "Speaking in Tongues" from PatchWork Films
SPEAKING IN TONGUES TRAILER from PatchWorks Films on Vimeo.
Speaking in Tongues will be screened Sunday, Sept. 20th, at Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Avenue, Seattle. The film makers will speak at 3 pm, with the first screening of their film. Cost is $9 for adults, $6.50 for children. The panel discussion follows the 3 pm screening. Additional screenings will take place at 5:30 pm and 7 pm that evening.
On Monday, Sept. 21st, Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider will show their film at Pacific Lutheran University, Ingram 100, at 5:30 pm. The screening at PLU is free.
For more information, check out these web sites:
PatchWork Films
World Languages at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Sponge School web site
Sponge School informational video
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