A FLES Research and Experimental Project

As a laboratory of the School of Education, the prime function of the University Elementary School, University of California at Los Angeles, is inquiry, research and experimentation in education. A year and a half ago a curriculum study was initiated at this school to identify the optimum age for beginning foreign language learning when the language is a school subject taught in our culture. Appropriate methodology was also to be considered. Approximately two hundred students participated in the study in the course of the year. This number includes a high school class of first year Spanish. Two observations can now be made as a result of this exploratory study. Upper elementary school students are sufficiently efficient in their learning of foreign languages to justify the use of their school time for this purpose. Also, they can participate effectively in a new kind of language learning program that is identical in objectives, content and performance to one that also produces excellent results at the secondary level.