Informal exposure to English sparks language development
Multilingual students in California’s Redwood City School District showed improvements in English listening and speaking skills when they participated in programs offered by the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula.
The challenge
Across California, almost 20 percent of public school students speak a language other than English (predominantly Spanish) at home. Schools work hard to help pupils become fluent and meet accountability standards, but literature also points to the potential importance of non-academic settings in helping students learn English.
The solution
Researchers at the Gardner Center were eager to discern any links between afterschool program participation and English language development. They used the Gardner Center's Youth Data Archive to follow elementary and middle school students from the Redwood City School District over four academic years. They linked individual school records to participation data from the Boys & Girls Club to examine the effects of students’ program participation on their English language development in the subsequent year.
Key takeaways
High-quality afterschool programs offer students many benefits, including academic achievement, but prior research had not focused specifically on the effects of afterschool programs on English language development.
Gardner Center researchers found a significant improvement in students' English language listening and speaking skills as a result of participation in the Boys & Girls Club.
Researchers attribute this gain from the fact that — while program staff are bilingual — most adult volunteers speak only English, so youth who join games or arts and crafts sessions with them are required to speak or follow instructions in English.
Program participation did not lead to any statistically significant improvements in students’ English language reading and writing.
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