A Comparative Study Of the Verbal Achievement Of Students Who Study Foreign Language And Those Who Do Not Study Foreign Language

The history of foreign language training has emphasized a positive connection between learning another language and learning one\u27s own (Schilling, 1985; Coleman, 1929). Educators believe that through concentration on individual words, grammar, and structure, foreign language heightens the student\u27s awareness of verbal expression in general. Although children begin to speak English at an early age, progress is a result of informal repetition and mimicry. Many junior high students can speak reasonably well but are hard-pressed to distinguish nouns from verbs because they have not examined their own language closely. On the other hand, foreign language students frequently acknowledge greater understanding of English concepts because they have studied them in the second language class