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The Bilingual Brain

The Bilingual Brain. Jillian Janus and Yael Zahtz 6/5/07. Background Information. 38% of total student population are English language learners Numbers are going up every year “sink or swim” or ESL classes ELL students are categorized as “at risk”

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The Bilingual Brain

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  1. The Bilingual Brain Jillian Janus and Yael Zahtz 6/5/07

  2. Background Information • 38% of total student population are English language learners • Numbers are going up every year • “sink or swim” or ESL classes • ELL students are categorized as “at risk” • Lower expectations and quality of education

  3. Background Information Cont. • U.S. Department of Labor, 1993: • 3-5 years to acquire English needed for social settings • 4-7 years to attain grade norms in “academic” English • Video

  4. Neurobiology • PET scans were used to measure brain activity in bilingual brains • People who grew up bilingual had brain activity in the same area of the Broca’s area. • People who learned a second language later in life activity was found in two separate parts of the Broca’s area. • Wernicke’s Area stores the ability to understand and process information for both early and late bilinguals.

  5. NeurobiologyBroca’s Area

  6. NeurobiologyWernicke’s Area

  7. Neurobiology • Bilingual children are found to have better abilities to block out misleading information • It is believed that this is due to the bilingual child’s early use of executive functions, which is located in the prefrontal cortex

  8. Neurobiology • The brain of the bilingual is thought to to work harder to differentiate between the two languages stored in their brain. therefore they are better “trained” to avoid interference.

  9. Language acquisition takes time and hard work on the part of the student Research shows that teachers who use differences in language and culture in their classrooms as a way to teach both ELL students and native English speakers have ELL students that are more academically and socially successful. Patience, understanding, and encouragement is needed for these students. School psychologists need to take into account the time it takes to acquire academic English before testing ELL students. Research has shown that school psychologists or school counselors who form support groups for ELL students to discuss the different aspects of being an ELL student have been shown to have more success. Educational Implications

  10. Questions?

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