European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Learning languages at Dodds Yoav Walczak education writer j Unior and senior High school Slud cols in til military s overseas school system show a greater interest in foreign language than their stateside counterparts according to regional school of Licals. In Germany Lor instance 10,972 students or 40 87 percent of those eligible to take foreign languages Are enrolled in formal instruction up irom 39.4 percent in 1986-37. In school year 1995-86.38 percent of those eligible enrolled the school system does not require a foreign language Lor graduation students attending depart men of defense dependents schools in the Mediterranean area show Trie greatest inclination toward languages nearly48 percent Al those eligible to enrol in foreign languages did so this year. A Survey of 1987 graduates in the Mediterranean area shows that students averaged nearly two years of language credit upon graduation choices real Cal school location. German is the most popular language in Germany schools. Spanish and Lallian dominate language instruction in the Midi Teranen Region and French is the most popular in the Atlantic Region which includes Belgium. Of Germany Region students enrolled in foreign language classes 67.15 percent take German 21,6 percent take Spanish 1080 percent Lake French 35 percent Lake russian and .2 percent take latin. Russian is Laught Only Al Heidelberg High school. Latin is taught at Wiesbaden and Hahn High schools of the 2,340  area Slud enl s enrolled in languages 1,076 ave Spanish 530 take French 522 Lake italian. 52 take German 21 Lake arabic 17 Lake Pom Guese. 10 Lake turkish and live take greek. The availability of portuguese arabic and turkish to flecks the location of High schools in those countries. High school students enrolled in lore Gin language classes in the allanic Region Wilh schools in England Belgium and Ifica Netherlands also relied i hair surroundings. French is the most popular Cne Ign Tongue with 940 slide nos enrolled. Another 620 slide nos Lake Spanish followed by German Wilh 320 and latin with 20 foreign language instruction kalends into the primary grades every school has a Host nation teacher or coordinator. The curriculum Calls of the teaching of survival language skills to youngsters As Early As kindergarten the leaching of simple German phrases so Early helps account Lor the preponderance of Germany based slide nos who take German in Junior or senior High school cd Calton officials said never too Young to learn by de White associated press Aoh weekday morning a Clu Lei of children Loo Young Lor Guda school bounces up a Light of stairs at Slone Paik. Ill. And re riels  Arana Buenos Dias. Maos Lra a am " they chirp  i Ronilo to i hair Spanish teacher. Aged 3 la q Tho youngsters Are teaming a soon nil language some even bet org they Lenin to read or wite English it s an ambitious program that gives children i Rie Chance to get a leg up on lancju.-jrji1 Hclare they Colci the traditional Schmo system the Orp Osier to a foreign language increases a club s  said Michaelj Romova director of intercultural the Lorein language preschool opened last june in two Small classrooms Al the italian cultural Center in Slone a k then cognitive intellectual skills Are improved. Icy Are creative and they arc much less prejudiced they become More interested in other people. Tho children have Irav Tod emotionally and  farther than any of their Peers he said. Rosanova 37. Started intercultural alter to and wife. Doris. A native of Liechtenstein unsuccessfully tried to find such a program in the  area Lor their daughter now 2. We thought it was such a logical thing. Someone must be doing it he said we were disappointed bul we saw an Opportunity to get something  Rosanova who he Musolf Speaks Spanish italian French. German and English sent ichters to 6.030 families m Chicago s Western suburbs and Gol favourable responses from about 250. Eventually a dozen Tam pics signed up and inner Cultura opened altering italian and Spanish children enrolled a Rosanova s school learn a second language in an environment made popular by Maria children younger than Tocan often pick up a second language easier than teen after in High school or Adt itts in College. Montessori the italian educator who Early in this Century developed tasks to improve awareness and self esteem counting devices provide experience in working with numbers. There s emphasis on Art music and science and the ability to Complete Basic household chores like cleaning a Mirror or shining a shoo. Advocates of the Montessori method say it Fosters curiosity and positive Allwill pcs. Al Sentei Kustura. Children learn Spanish 01 Kalian by listening to i hair teacher who talks in a foreign language Al All limes including the noon recess when youngsters roam the Campus like grounds. Inside Small carpeted classrooms nearly everything is labelled in a second language children occasionally speak English to other children bul an observer will mostly and the rooms echoing with foreign words. Soffit s been a pleasant Surprise said or Dibaldo Silva of Riverside who enrolled his two sons Carlos 5, and Miguel 3. As a child i was raised in a bilingual household in Central and South America we thought it would be Nice to Al least pick up Tho fundamentals of  he said in 2v months they have amassed a Raiher spectacular vocabulary Beth Camacho of Oak Park who is Irish but grew up in puerto Rico said her 5-year-old son Carlos s eager logo every  he can read and speak Spanish and English she said. His e s and is got mixed up sometimes bul he s found it pretty  Rosanova said children younger than 10 can often pick up a second language easier than teen agers in High school or adults