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Why Choose a Bilingual Education

Students in group project

If you have ever watched a young child play a complex game of make-believe, ask multiple questions about a simple topic, or explore the natural world with pure wonder and excitement, you know that early childhood is a magical time in a child’s life. 

Young children have an amazing capacity to learn, adapt, and accept new ideas and perspectives with ease -- much more naturally than teenagers or adults.

That is because from infancy until the age of 12, a child’s mind is incredibly flexible -- the brain has not yet set rigid knowledge paths, and it can constantly pass from one mental structure to another.

This makes early childhood the ideal time to learn a second language. 

When children learn two or more languages from a young age, they widen their realms of perception and attention, creating linguistic structures that will benefit them throughout life. The bilingual child is a better student, performs at a higher level, and acquires the intellectual acumen and qualities that educational institutions and businesses value.

The lifelong benefits of a bilingual education that begins in childhood include:

  • Improved cognitive development: Bilingual education has been shown to improve cognitive skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, reading comprehension, and creativity.

  • Enhanced language proficiency: Bilingual education helps students develop proficiency in more than one language, allowing them to communicate with a wider range of people.
  • Improved cultural understanding and awareness: Bilingual education helps students develop an appreciation for diverse cultures and a greater understanding of the world.
  • Improved academic achievement: Studies have shown that bilingual students have higher academic achievement, better grades, and perform better on standardized tests than their monolingual peers.
  • Increased career opportunities: Bilingualism can lead to increased job opportunities and higher earning potential, especially in today's global economy.
  • Better cognitive flexibility: Bilingual education can help improve cognitive flexibility and increase mental agility, which can benefit students in many areas of life.

The benefits of the bilingual brain

Why French? 

  • French is spoken by 125 million people in more than 40 countries.

  • French as a foreign language is the second most commonly taught language in the world (after English).

  • Most American universities require knowledge of at least one foreign language.
  • French is the second most-studied foreign language in U.S. higher education institutions (after Spanish).

At the French American School of Princeton, our challenging, creative dual-language program prompts children to speak fluently, think differently, and adapt easily as they become critical, independent thinkers and well-rounded global citizens.

 

“Our twins have spent 3 years at FASP, from 2nd to 4th Grade before our family had to relocate. As parents, we found the school to be everything we hoped for: providing a comprehensive curriculum in a nurturing and caring environment, and a welcoming community for the whole family. We saw our children grow and learn, develop friendships, and really enjoy going to school every day. We wish FASP continued success, and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone in the Princeton area with an interest in bilingual education.“


 

Help your child say #OuiToFASP.

French American School of Princeton prepares students for success.