The Myth of Missed Opportunities A popular misconception regarding second-language learning is that there is a window, or critical period, for learning a second language that shuts down around the onset of puberty. In his article, “Is There a ‘Child Advantage’ in Learning Foreign Languages?” Brad Marshall points out the harm this misconception can cause. [...]
During the past century, and especially over the last ten years, bilingual education has been the subject of intense political debate. In California, where 25% of K-12 students speak a language other than English as their native language, the debate has been particularly contentious; in 1998, a state proposition passed mandating English-only instruction for English [...]
A young woman sits in front of a computer, joystick in hand. On the screen in front of her is a large circular pool of water, which she “wades” through by moving the joystick. She is attempting to find a platform hidden just beneath the surface of the water, and as she wanders through the [...]
“Can you see in the still-life here on the table that the orange is in front of the vase?” “Yes,” replied the student, “I see that.” “Well,” I said, “in your drawing, you have the orange and the vase occupying the same space.” The student answered, “Yes, I know. I didn’t know how to draw [...]
An Ugly Little Secret Charles Darwin had a very dark secret, one made all the darker because he was a moneyed gentleman of polite society, a man of scientific leisure, and one with ties to England’s governmental, religious, financial and academic elite. That is to say, he was someone with a significant reputation at stake, [...]
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