About us.

The mission of NNELL is to foster a network that empower educators to advocate for and support early language teaching and learning. Our vision is for every child to have the opportunity to learn another language at the earliest age possible. Since its founding in 1987, NNELL continues to be an invaluable resource for educators, parents and policymakers advocating for K-8 programs of excellence in second language education.

NNELL’s Core Beliefs

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.
• Children in effective early second language programs show overall gains on standardized tests of basic skills, and derive additional cognitive, social, and affective benefits.
• 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.
• Early second language learning may result in improved phonological and phonemic awareness, two building blocks of literacy in one’s native language.

NNELL holds an annual meeting at the fall conference of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.