Connecticut’s largest media chain explores how language develops the brain and global citizenship
Cheshire Academy’s comprehensive approach to language learning took center stage in a Hearst CT Media Group feature story that ran in the Connecticut Post, Greenwich Time, Stamford Advocate, and several other state newspapers.
At CA, students from around the globe are discovering that learning a language is about far more than words—it’s about becoming a different kind of thinker, and a different kind of citizen. The recent story detailed how CA’s research- and neuroscience-based approach, diverse student population, and experienced, well-traveled faculty combine to offer students fertile ground for language acquisition.
That supports academic growth across the board. Studies show language learning strengthens executive function, such as focus, decision-making, and the ability to switch between complex tasks. Students who study a foreign language improve their memory and problem-solving, exercising the same mental muscles used in mathematics, scientific reasoning, and analytical writing.
The feature illustrates Cheshire Academy’s blend of cultural and language studies at the international school:
“The enticing aroma of buttery crepes and melting Nutella in Woodbury Hall was more than just a sugary mid-morning snack for French teacher Laura Longacre’s class,” the piece reads. “It was an important lesson in her curriculum.”
The story continued: “Language class goes well beyond rote verb conjugation and vocabulary quizzes at Cheshire Academy, a day and boarding college prep school that has made global citizenship not just a talking point, but a defining feature of how it teaches, recruits, and operates. In an age when a smartphone can translate a restaurant menu in seconds, Cheshire is making a deliberate case that language learning is vital — and that the students who understand why will be the ones best prepared for the world ahead.”
Language learning also fosters CA’s mission to build strong global citizens.
“We don’t just talk about global citizenship. We live it everyday,” said Head of School Tom Woelper. “It’s the core of our mission statement: ‘Cheshire Academy challenges and supports individual students in developing the character, critical thinking, and confidence to flourish as purposeful global citizens.’”
The article ran in Connecticut Post, Greenwich Time, Stamford Advocate, The News-Times, The Norwalk Hour, Darien News, Fairfield Citizen, New Canaan News, Westport News, and Wilton Villager.
