期刊名称：Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal
印刷版ISSN：1855-9719
电子版ISSN：2232-2647
出版年度：2012
卷号：2
期号：3
页码：5
出版社：University of Ljubljana
摘要：In today’s global and mobile world, foreign language competence hasbecome one of the key competences for individuals wanting to lead successfulprofessional and private lives. How can one travel, do business, read fiction ornon-fiction, compare political perspectives on specific national and world issues,or evaluate research results if one is monolingual? How can one appreciateone’s own language and culture without any other to make a comparison?To become proficient in a foreign language takes time and resources; agenerally accepted and verified “recipe” how to master a language has yet to bediscovered. However, many policy and decision makers, as well as a number ofresearchers, believe that children should start learning foreign languages fromvery early age onwards. Many countries throughout the world have moved initialforeign language teaching from secondary to primary school or even to thepre-school level. Research findings have contributed to the current view thatan earlier start is better in the long run if key characteristics of young languagelearners have been taken into account. Children may progress successfully inthe foreign language if the teachers are aware that children have a strong intuitivegrasp of foreign language structures, are open to the phonological system,are less anxious, have more time to become proficient in the new language, andlearn best where the focus is on the content and not on the language itself. However,the real accelerator for European countries was definitely the BarcelonaM+2 recommendation, issued by the European Council in 2002, to teach at leasttwo foreign languages from a very early age onwards and thus ensure that allEuropeans are equipped to use three languages, i.e. their mother tongue plustwo more languages.
