NNELL believes that all elementary school students should have access to high quality, ongoing and systematic world language instruction. This belief is based on research that indicates:

• The period of early childhood is considered an optimal time to begin learning a second language, as the methods and materials used in early childhood classes are multi-modal and may facilitate second language acquisition and learning (Bialystok, & Hakuta, 1994).
• Children in effective early second language programs show overall gains on standardized tests of basic skills, and derive additional cognitive, social, and affective benefits (Taylor- Ward, 2003).
• The integration of content and language learning and the development of positive attitudes towards people who speak other languages occur more easily when long, articulated sequences of second language instruction begin in early childhood and become an integral part of school learning (Shrum & Glisan, 2005).
• Early second language learning may result in improved phonological and phonemic awareness, two building blocks of literacy in one’s native language (Bialystok, 2001).

NNELL holds an annual meeting at the fall conference of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and an annual Summer Institute for state and regional representatives at the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.