Estimates are that there are approximately 4.6 million English Language Learners in U.S. Schools, closing in on 10% of the population. The number of English Language Learners around the world is estimated at over 1 billion. 60% of the world’s population speaks 2 or more languages. So, the impetus for second language acquisition is strong.
Acquiring a second (or other) language is frequently a different process than learning a first language and may be helped or hindered in sometimes underappreciated ways by an individual’s underlying cognitive skills. This webinar will examine some of the challenges of learning a second language and the role of cognitive skills and executive functions in that process. We will also share research on the impact of cognitive skills training for English Language Learners in several U.S. and ex-U.S. schools.