{"id":91143,"date":"2022-12-08T11:02:31","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T00:02:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/?p=91143"},"modified":"2022-12-08T11:02:32","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T00:02:32","slug":"learning-french-in-utah-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/2022\/12\/08\/learning-french-in-utah-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning French in a Surprising Place"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Learning<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Thousands of young Americans are speaking French daily, in a place you wouldn\u2019t expect: Utah.
In a state better known for its vast open spaces and beautiful national parks, kids are chattering
away in a multitude of foreign languages. It is part of Utah\u2019s \u201cdual language immersion\u201d program, offered in French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Russian.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The program was launched in 2009 to help students integrate into the international economy. As Utah Governor Gary Herbert says, \u201cDual Language Immersion gives students a tremendous and early advantage in learning to navigate the national, cultural, and linguistic complexities inherent in our increasingly global marketplace.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, over 65,000 students are enrolled in the language program \u2014nearly 10% of all students in the state!<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Learning<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Does it Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beginning at age six, students spend half their school day in English and the other half in the target language. Utah uses an immersive program because research has shown immersion\u2019s power to help students learn language proficiency. No other type of instruction, short of living in a second-language environment, is as successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The curriculum is rich<\/a> and varied<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Teachers speak only in the target language and communicate using \u201ca range of engaging strategies including pictures, songs, games, body language, expressions, drama, and pantomime.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young children thrive in this environment and begin speaking the second language in a surprisingly short amount of time.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Why French?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You might think that Chinese and Spanish are the best languages for success in the global marketplace, but French has advantages of its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utah\u2019s program highlights many great reasons for learning the language of Moli\u00e8re<\/a>, including the following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n