How+do+foreign+language+and+physical+education+affect+a+student's+achievement?


 * Author: Rebecca Bevacqua **

__ **Source 1: Editorial** __ The Editorial Board. (2013, May 24). Exercise and Academic Performance. //The New York Times//. Retrieved from [] This article states that as an attempt to improve academic performance in students, many schools have cut physical education programs and recess periods. However, there has been a report by the Institute of Medicine that states that exercise can significantly improve children’s cognitive abilities and their academic performance. The report recommends that all students get at least 60 minutes of vigorous or moderate physical activity a day. This article was informative about the benefits being more physically active has on a student’s academic achievement. Children who are more active are better able to focus their attention, are quicker to perform simple tasks, and have better working memories and problem solving skills than less-active children in addition to performing better on standardized tests. Schools should implement more physical activity in their curriculums in order to have better student achievement rates.
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__ **Source 2: Magazine Article** __ Park, A. (2012, January 3). Let the Kids Play: They’ll Do Better in School. //Time//. Retrieved from [] First Lady Michelle Obama is advocating “Let’s Move”- an idea that physical activity helps children to better in school. Amika Singh, a senior researcher at VU University, reports that physical activity is associated with better academic performance, measured in higher GPAs and better scores on standardized tests. Some administrators and teachers believe that the time spent in gym class could be better used to boost academic performance; however, this is not the case. Physical activity not only improves student achievement, it also allows students to gain social skills. There are behavioral benefits from performing with others in physical activities and therefore, academic achievement may be an immediate result of physical activity, but there are many social and behavioral benefits in the long-term as well. This article stated that physical activity is beneficial to student achievement levels, which was not surprising because it correlated to all of the other research I have read about. The most surprising aspect of this source was the statistics it gave about physically active students. According to the Centers of Disease Control, only 18% of high school students meet the requirement of one hour of rigorous physical activity and 23% did not exercise at all.
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__ **Source 3: Database Article** __ Coe, D. P., Peterson, T., Blair, C., Schutten, M. C., & Peddie, H. (n.d.). Physical Fitness, Academic Achievement, and Socioeconomic Status in School-Aged Youth.//Journal of School Health//. This article is a study that studies how physical fitness correlates to academic achievement in school aged youth. The study included 1,701 third, sixth, and ninth grade students from an Intermediate School District comprised of 20 individual school districts in the Midwestern United States. In order to assess the physical fitness levels of students, a surveillance system was developed and students had to go through at FITNESSGRAM test batter that includes aerobic fitness, body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and muscular endurance. (Body Mass Index (BMI) was used as an indicator of weight status or body composition.) The results of each test were compared to the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ). On the other side of the study, academic achievement was determined by the standardized test score results in mathematics, English/language arts, and social studies for each grade level. The results of the study showed that there were no significant differences between fitness groups for Math and English achievement in third-graders; however, for sixth and ninth graders, the students with high fitness levels scored significantly better on the math and social study tests when compared to less fit students. Muscular strength and muscular endurance proved to be associated with academic achievement in all grades. In other words, high fitness levels are positively associated with academic achievement in school-aged youth. It was surprising that age or grade level makes a difference in how influential physical fitness levels are on student achievement.
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__ **Source 4: Summary Article** __ Wright, G., & McMahon, M. (2013). Counterpoint: Foreign Language Education is a Low Priority. //Points of View Reference Center//. This article is arguing that in the United States, foreign language gets put on a back burner compared to the core subjects, such as English, math, science, and social studies. Many high school students fail to meet the standards in each subject, so school curriculums put more emphasis on the core subjects rather than the foreign language programs. The source states that learning a foreign language is “rote memorization ad repetition”, which does not lead to fluency. The source concludes that in the United States, it is more important for students to graduate high school proficient in math, writing, and science rather than being fluent in a language that they will likely never use. This source was very negative towards the school systems in the United States. The article did not touch upon the positives of studying foreign languages; it only talked about why learning a foreign language is pointless. It seemed to be one sided because the author did not acknowledge the opposition.
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__ **Source 5: Reputable Website** __ University of Oregon. (n.d.). Key Points about the Benefits of Foreign Language Learning to Include in Letters to Legislators. University of Oregon. Retrieved from[] This source states that contacting state senators and representatives is a simple and effective way to support language education and keep legislators caring about their constituents’ opinions. This is an article on the Oregon Roadmap that points some key points about the benefits of studying foreign languages. The points include economic, social and, most importantly, educational reasons. For example, studying a foreign language allows students to explore other cultures and enhance their career opportunities. Also, foreign language programs help close the achievement gap for economically disadvantaged students, the learning disabled, and English as a second language learners. This article proved to be helpful in acknowledging all of the benefits that are associated with learning a foreign language. For example, it has been proven that foreign language programs positively affect students’ intellectual development. Students who have studied a foreign language tend to perform better on standardized tests than their peers who do not have any foreign language instruction. Further, foreign language programs positively affect students’ intellectual development. Studying foreign language encourages and builds mental flexibility and seem to increase students’ IQ.
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Overall Reaction to Your Research
The research I have done has taught me a lot about my question of whether physical activity and foreign language have an influence on students’ academic achievement. In general, all of the research on physical education has stated that physical activity is beneficial to student achievement. Students should get at least one hour of physical activity a day in order to increase their GPA, performance on standardized tests, and long-term social and behavioral patterns. The research I have found on the effect of foreign language on academic achievement has seem to state that foreign language is beneficial as well. Learning a foreign language not only allows a student to learn about different culture, but it also allows greater mental flexibility and higher standardized test scores.