Dive Brief:

• Learning to juggle two languages in your mind actually strengthens the brain's functions and improves attention, according to researchers at York University in Toronto. 
• This is currently being tested at more than 100 public schools across Utah as the state pushes language immersion programs.
• Language education programs in public schools have been on the decline: For example, between 1997 and 2008, the number of language programs offered dropped from 24% to 15%.  

Dive Insight:

Interestingly, in the 1960s, it was believed that learning a second language could be detrimental for brain growth. It just goes to show how trends come and go in education. It will be interesting to see how news like this plays out, especially in California where a bilingual education bill is up for debate. Last month, that state's legislators sent a bill to Gov. Jerry Brown that would give 2016 voters the opportunity to annul Proposition 227, a bill that requires most schools to only teach in English. Bilingual education was banned in the state in 1998.