I’m very excited about a new project I am launching this fall in Beijing!  I’ve spent months studying the latest research in infant language acquisition and have been especially intrigued by the most recent studies by Dr. Patricia Kuhl, co-director of University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences and the work of Dr. Janet Werker at the University of British Columbia’s Infant Studies Centre.   Don’t miss Dr. Kuhl’s fascinating TEDX talk on the linguistic genius of babies!

It turns out that infants are geniuses at learning languages–they are born with the ability to recognize all sounds in all human languages but this ability diminishes dramatically by the first birthday.  Studies show that exposure to a second language during a key period of development (between six and ten months or so) can help infants “lock in” this natural ability, which may make it much easier for them to learn English (or any other language) as they get older.

The program I’ve developed utilizes the very same techniques used in the studies to expose infants to the sounds of English through face-to-face interaction and the liberal use of  ”motherese”–the high-pitched voice used my mothers in every culture to communicate with their babies.

Fortunately, I am quite fluent in motherese.  And I am utterly convinced that early exposure to foreign languages (thanks to the international students who lived in our home when our children were babies) is what helped my four daughters learn languages later (at 15 or so) so easily.  They still view learning languages as a fun and easy task even though they are now in their twenties and officially well beyond the “golden age” for language learning which ends at around the 7th birthday.

We Americans often marvel at how Europeans can speak so many languages, but think about this:  most of them heard other languages from birth!  This exciting new research is helping scientists and educators alike view infancy as a period of profound potential–and one that should not be squandered.

Who knew playing with babies in a second language could be so incredibly beneficial to their little brains?  Now, plenty of people know, and I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to offer Lucky Baby English FREE to the infants in my community in Beijing.

Recent research supports what exchange students and expats have known for years: living abroad stimulates creativity.

This video summarizes the study, but here are the high points:

1) spending time abroad stimulates creative problem-solving skills

2) it does not appear to be simply a matter of creative people being more likely to live abroad

3) short-term travel doesn’t count–it’s really about spending significant periods of time immersed in another culture

4) “significant” may vary–for those who are truly immersed, there may be more benefits than for those who remain in a cultural bubble for a longer period

5) it’s possible to have a cultural immersion experience in your home country if you happen to have a community in which you can connect deeply

6) the earlier you go abroad, the more you are likely to be affected by and benefit from the experience

As I put it in The New Global Student: Go early, go solo, go long, go deep. In my next book, I’m looking at how moving abroad stimulates creativity and writing about what happens when new expats rediscover their talents and possibilities abroad.

You can bet that employers are paying attention to this study and that they’ll be looking for employees who have spent time abroad–and looking for ways to ensure that their current employees have more opportunities to spend time abroad as well.

President Obama shared some advice with America’s schoolchildren (or some of them, anyway) and I’m happy that he encouraged students to work hard and stay in school. He had some sound long-term suggestions.

But as any parent knows, kids don’t think about the long term. They think about lunchtime or recess or tomorrow’s quiz, but most elementary school students do not ponder the possibility of quitting school. They assume that things will work out and they’ll stay on track until the day they graduate from high school.

It’s great to plant those powerful seeds of responsibility and commitment in the minds of our kids, but what they need most is the daily nurturing of habits that will contribute to their success. And while schools can certainly do their part to promote good habits and kids can step up their efforts, parents are the ones who are teaching (or not) their kids to become outstanding citizens who value education.

So, I’d like to offer the following list of ten wishes that would make a big difference both today and in ten years in the lives of our students. You’ll notice that every wish is aimed squarely at parents, those most experienced long-term thinkers. After all, they’ve been dreaming of the future they hope their children will have since before their sons and daughters were born.

1) I wish that parents of preschoolers would cancel one of those weekly must-do activities (swimming, gymnastics, soccer) and take their kids to the local library instead. (Instilling a love for reading and discovery is the key to creating lifelong learners.)

2) I wish that parents would impose bed times for their school-age children. (A lack of sleep has a profound effect on young students’ learning ability and brain development.)

3) I wish that parents would make dinner time an inviolable period during which the family sits down together for relaxed conversation. (Regular family dinners are one of the most powerful indicators of future student success.)

4) I wish that parents would model healthy eating and exercise for their children and include active recreation into their family’s regular schedule. (Obese students are far more likely than their normal-weight classmates to drop out of school.)

5) I wish that parents would spend less time driving their kids to sports practices and more time taking them to art classes, music lessons and cultural experiences. (Students who study music do better academically, and those who are exposed to other cultures have a greater appreciation for those of different backgrounds.)

6) I wish that parents of middle-school students would encourage their kids to find and develop their own strengths rather than sign up for the activities their friends are doing. (Middle school students who know what they’re good at develop greater confidence at an age when this quality can dramatically alter their life choices.)

7) I wish that parents of middle-school students would encourage their kids to develop and share their own opinions. (Kids spend a lot of time with their peers at this age, and the influence of adults is greatly needed in order for them to see issues from a more mature perspective. Those family dinners are crucial at this age!)

8 ) I wish that parents of high school students would encourage their kids to deepen and celebrate the qualities that make them different. (High school students who see themselves as “individualistic” or “independent” are more likely to excel in the areas they find interesting—and this leads to a clearer sense of direction.)

9) I wish that parents of high school students would send their son or daughter abroad for at least a few months prior to graduation. (I’ve written a book on the benefits of the high school exchange or other experiences abroad and made recommendations for the most affordable options—less than $4,000 for an entire year with plenty of full scholarships offered. Spending time abroad at this age is the most brain-boosting and transformational opportunity available for young people and far more advantageous than another same-old semester or year of high school.)

10) I wish that parents of high school students would become savvy mentors rather than crazed coaches or fearful protectors. (If parents commit themselves to wishes one through nine, this will already be the case and their kids will be confident, competent and compassionate young adults who are truly ready for college or anything else they choose to do.)

Teachers, schools and presidential advice matter, but without consistent parental support and encouragement, kids will not have the skills and habits they need to maximize their potential. If we want our sons and daughters to prepare for their most thrilling and fulfilling opportunities in the 21st century, we need to make these wishes come true.

I feel frustrated that so many recent college grads are having a hard time finding a job. In all the articles and discussions about the economic slump, I have never seen a reference to what I believe is the biggest problem facing the young unemployed:

Nobody told them that they might have to look outside their community, their state or even their country to find work–and nobody taught them the skills they need to thrive outside their comfort zone.

I’ve had some interesting conversations with bright but unemployed grads lately. What I have noticed is that many of these young people have a very limited idea of what it means to “look for a job” and few go beyond the obvious Help Wanted/Craigslist route or the see-if-Dad’s-company-is-hiring idea. Even more challenging is the fact that many new grads are unwilling or unable to consider work outside the community in which their parents live. They are home with the folks and looking for work within a 25-mile radius of where they went to high school.

This might be fine if you happen to have a degree and experience that corresponds with a sizable selection of desirable jobs available in your home town, but that’s rarely the case. And those who feel restricted due to a lack of launch funds can’t see themselves looking much farther than the next town over.

So when I hear someone say, “I’ve been looking everywhere but I haven’t been able to find a job,” the first question I ask is this: where is “everywhere”?

Plenty of people roll their eyes whenever the subject of “preparing students for the global economy” comes up, but they are the ones most likely to cry foul when their kids can’t find a job. And there’s the rub: Hometown, USA is not the final frontier for our kids and we are not doing them any favors by failing to teach them how to fish outside the local fishing hole.

New grads need to recognize–and yes, be prepared for–the fact that they might find their most thrilling and fulfilling opportunities far from home. Do they have the skills to successfully navigate in a place that is unfamiliar to them? Can they start fresh in a new city or state or country without their family and friends nearby? Are they able to adapt to new settings that require a different perspective or perhaps even a different language?

In most cases, the answer is no. Not only have they not been given an opportunity to practice autonomy, they have not had a chance to develop and strengthen the skills they need to find employment options and pursue them wholeheartedly.

Those who ARE prepared are finding all kinds of interesting work in every corner of the globe. Every week, I hear from elated parents about their son or daughter who is embarking on an adventure in another country that is both fascinating and lucrative.

I’ve done the happy dance myself for my own daughters. The oldest just finished her master’s degree, two graduated from college last December and the youngest will graduate from college this December. The three older daughters are currently working in New York, Buenos Aires and on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. They found jobs with enticing perks (an employer-paid master’s degree, the ability to work virtually, employer-provided training and travel expenses, etc.) in places that interest them.

Did my girls have degrees from elite universities? Nope. None of them attended any colleges that would evoke oohs and ahhs. But they had experience living in other cultures and fluency in at least one foreign language. And I’m not talking Mandarin or Arabic here–they blasted ahead largely because of their fluency in that most underrated of foreign languages: Spanish.

Granted, not every college grad is ready to go abroad to work, but many more would be if they’d been prepared for the realities of (here it is again) the global economy. And those who are sticking close to home may find that the recession limits their options far longer than they would have imagined.

Listen, I’m not saying every new grad should leave the country to find work, but it’s true that those who have a larger pool of options have a much higher chance of getting a great job. Having the skills and experience that allow them to reach beyond their peers means they are no longer competing with them for the same jobs. By engaging in work that challenges them (rather than settling for whatever they can find), they are advancing their knowledge and expanding their possibilities for the future.

Recession? Those who are willing and able to find work wherever the jobs may be are not hampered by an economic downturn. Grads who have spent time abroad, developed language skills, experienced other cultures and discovered their interests have the confidence and competence to go forth and offer their talents to those who need them. And the truly bold and innovative ones figure out how to create their own work–and generate their own income–anywhere.

Don’t believe it? Living in Argentina has given me a front-row seat from which to watch expats in action abroad. I’m currently writing a book about Americans of all ages and backgrounds who are finding and/or creating meaningful work they love wherever they choose to live. They share some common characteristics–and some that are surprising.

When it comes to job hunting, the strategy that yields the best results is to think broadly and be bold. Sometimes that also includes going beyond borders, both real and imagined.

I’ve been corresponding with venture capitalist/entrepreneur Bob Compton for the last couple of years, and we have our own little mutual admiration society. I found his first documentary, “Two Million Minutes,” to be a very important wake-up call about the U.S. approach to education and mentioned it in my book. He read an early copy of my book and offered a great endorsement, and when it turned out that he was screening his new film, “Win in China,” here in New York, we made plans to meet.

Yesterday, Tom and I met Bob at the Regency for breakfast and stimulating conversation about education and entrepreneurship, then attended the premiere of “Win in China” at the Asia Society last night. The film describes the explosion in entrepreneurship in China and features the development and broadcasting of the popular television series in China that is similar to “The Apprentice” here. What’s different: the winners in the Chinese version don’t get a job with Donald Trump but a $1.5 million cash investment in their own business and mentoring from China’s most successful entrepreneurs.

Another difference: reach and scale. The numbers in China are mind-boggling. And while “The Apprentice” might be a fun romp for business wannabes and pop culture fans, “Win in China” reflects that fact that MILLIONS of Chinese individuals are receiving training and all kinds of governmental support to help them start their own businesses. The show has inspired countless entrepreneurs of all ages to consider ways in which they can develop their ideas and compete to make their own mark in the global economy. Those who still insist that Asian business people are somehow lagging behind the US in innovation and entrepreneurship are in for a very big surprise indeed.

I grabbed a quick moment after the screening to talk with Bob about why we should see this film. Anyone with an interest in entrepreneurship, Asia, and the global economy in general should see it, and if you’ve got kids entering the working world in the next couple of decades, it should be required viewing. Learn more by visiting http://www.wininchinamovie.com

I’ve been having fun connecting with Amy Tiemann, author of Mojo Mom: Nurturing Yourself While Raising a Family. I’d been following her updates on Facebook and knew that her book had been rereleased recently, so I was interested in seeing how her book launch was going. It turns out we have the same agent!

Amy has a PhD from Stanford and was a science teacher for years before choosing to stay home as a new mom. She started writing the book she wished she had as a new mother–one that describes not just how to care for a baby but how a mother can care for herself as well. She wrote Mojo Mom to help other women reinvent themselves after becoming mothers.

In addition to her great website/blog at MojoMom.com, Amy offers podcast interviews of all kinds of interesting women. Last Friday, she posted an interview she’d done with me about The New Global Student along with her conversation with a woman who is reinventing herself in Tulum, Mexico.

Check out the podcast here.

And just to show what a fan she is (I am so honored!) take a look at my Amazon page
Amy’s the first one to write a review! And she’s very honest about her own educational journey (head down, PhD at 27) and how the book made her wish she’d taken a few little detours along the way….

Cheers to you, Amy!

Yesterday, Tom took this three-minute video as I met my agent for the first time and found my book on the shelves at Barnes & Noble here in New York. I navigated through the entire pitch-to-publication process via email while living in Argentina, so if you’re dreaming of publishing a book someday (the old way, with an agent and everything) I hope you’ll find this inspiring!

Yes. It’s true. My request to do an author event at Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon has been rejected. (They are carrying my book, though–at least, they are in their online bookstore.)

The terse email stated that they were concerned that the event would “not result in enough sales” to make it worth promoting.

This despite the fact that I have spent over thirty years of my life in the Portland area, have spent many hours and dollars at Powell’s, have many friends and family in the area (not to mention an email list of hundreds of Portland fans), have a scheduled appearance on the top morning show in the area (AM Northwest), have been featured numerous times in The Oregonian (and likely to be featured again in July), spent last summer living a few blocks from Powell’s so that I could attend as many author events as possible, and even mention Powell’s on the acknowledgments page of my book!

My agent and my publicist and sales/marketing team at Random House all tell me not to take it personally, that this is par for the course this year and many authors–even some bestselling ones–are finding it difficult to get booked by bookstores for signing events. Powell’s is an independent bookstore, but the same is true for the big-box stores: they are reducing the number of authors they bring in to do events. It seems the bookstores are ordering books in very low numbers this quarter, being very cautious and not taking risks. Well, I understand that this is not a surprising way to respond to an economic crisis, dramatic losses, and an uncertain future for the publishing/bookselling industry.

But still–Powell’s? I thought we were friends.

I’m not letting it get me down, though. In fact, I thank you, Powell’s. You see, you’ve inspired Tom (my husband) and me to try something new. While we are in the U.S. this summer to promote my book, The New Global Student, we will avoid standard book signings that require months of pleading and planning and instead engage in what we are calling “flashsignings”–spontaneous fifteen-minute appearances at bookstores publicized via Facebook, Twitter, text and email. Like flash mobs, but for the purpose of chatting with an author personally rather than, say, having an impromptu pillow fight or dressing up as zombies (though these are fun–zombie flashsignings? Hmmm…)

The bookstores should like this. After all, they don’t have to do anything and they can still get a dozen or so people coming in, meeting an author, and buying autographed copies of the book. Everybody wins!

We’re going to play with the flashsignings idea in New York, Boston, Washington, DC, Seattle and Portland (and probably other places in between). I think we’ll have a great time with it.

And who knows? Maybe this will become the new way to do author events. (We’re putting up a site at http://www.FlashSigning.com in the next few weeks, just for fun. If you’re an author and want to have your flashsignings posted, send a message to Tom at tom@boldschoolgroup.com)

I’m thinking of doing a flashsigning at Powell’s. You know, pick a Saturday afternoon when we’re there (in July), get the word out, and have a few dozen people show up spontaneously for an event. Not to be rebellious or anything–just to make it happen without any hassle for anyone. Then those who want to can join us for a beer afterward. Sounds like a perfect event to me!

If you’d like to join us for some flashsigning fun at bookstores, coffee shops, and cheap ethnic eateries (we’re looking forward to some great food on this trip!) please follow me on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/MayaFrost for the latest announcements!

I love you, Powell’s. I really do. I hope that someday my affection for you will be mutual. But even if it isn’t, I thank you, as always, for the inspiration.

Plenty of students are looking at the economy, their finances and the state of the world in general and saying, “Hmm–maybe I’ll just put off college for a year and spend some time doing something that will help me figure out what matters to me and what I really want to do.”

Bravo!

Unfortunately, many potential gappers don’t do any planning and end up working a retail job in their hometown and taking a two-week trip to Mexico with friends and calling it good. OR they choose a pricey gap year program that puts them into debt before they even start college.

Taking a year to do something completely different can provide clarity and a sense of direction–plus excellent skills (knowing how to navigate on your own abroad, communicating in another language, learning about another culture). But before you decide how you’re going to spend that year, make sure you are clear about how you can maximize your experience and avoid spinning your wheels.

Many gap year programs are nothing more than expensive group tours with other American students, and even if they offer a chance to volunteer, most don’t provide the elements that can make it a powerful personal experience of the type that can really help you blast forward once you return to the U.S.

If you are looking for a gap year that will give you a clear advantage personally and academically (rather than just a fun time and a line item on your resume), consider these points:

1) Leave the U.S.–and other Americans–behind. Go someplace where you can experience a sense of solitude and anonymity. Be a foreigner in a strange land, and let go of your identity. Who are you without the trappings of hometown, family, friends, sports, activities, awards, etc? This is your chance to find out.

2) Go to a place in which English is not the native language. Making mistakes is humbling. Being confused, lost, or seemingly stupid at times is a powerful way to develop compassion for other confused/lost/seemingly stupid people in the world. Learning how to let others help you is important–and learning how to connect with others even when you don’t speak the same language is priceless. You’ve got to make several embarrassing mistakes before lunch in order to get the most out of the experience, which means you can’t hang back, you can’t spend your time typing in internet cafes, and you’ve got to disconnect from the iPod. In other words, you’ve got to be fully present–no props or barriers allowed.

3) Find a way to connect with the locals directly. Plenty of gap year programs will give you a chance to sit in a classroom abroad with other Americans or work on a project alongside other Americans for the benefit of the locals. Your goal should be to connect DIRECTLY, even if that means you don’t get to put the name of an internationally-recognized organization on your resume. It’s better to be the only teacher in a tiny makeshift English school for several months than it is to be one of several Americans who show up at a designated school as part of a three-week program. Strip away the layers and get to the core of the experience–being with the people in a new culture, building relationships with them, and being of service.

4) Do an independent study or take classes–even if you don’t get credit. There are those who think a gap year should not be academic. I beg to differ. If you spend some time doing research via interviews, trips, or events, and you have to present something at the end of your stay, you’ll take the experience more seriously and recognize what you are learning in a more tangible way. At the very least, you should be blogging or writing in a journal so that you give yourself the chance to articulate your experience. Living and learning abroad can be a fantastic way for you to understand more about the kinds of learning that light you up–and the kinds that don’t. Don’t be afraid to take a class in something you’d never consider studying back home. Be open to areas that don’t fit in with your planned major or proposed path in life. (Physical activities or things you can learn by watching–like art or cooking–are great for beginning language learners!) This is your chance to try new things and challenge yourself in a new setting.

5) Find a mentor. One of the most valuable experiences in life is connecting with someone who inspires you. Finding that person abroad is even sweeter as you can learn so much more about where you are when you have a caring person who can offer information, share stories, teach you about the culture and give you advice. It can be a teacher, a host parent, the guy who runs the little tea shop on the corner, anyone, but don’t miss out on the opportunity to gain wisdom by connecting and listening.

What about volunteering? Shouldn’t that be part of a gap year experience? Sure, but most programs charge you a lot of money to do so and set it up so that you are actually spending more time talking with other Americans than the locals. Instead, focus on going solo, connecting with the locals, and finding a mentor who can help you learn. These are the people who can tell you about the needs of their community and how you can help them directly.

If you’re serious about seeing the world–and your possibilities–during a gap year, step away from the packaged plans. You’ll develop more skills, greater confidence and a clearer sense of your own culture–and you’ll save thousands of dollars in the process.

Looking for tips on how to set up your own gap year experience? I’ve got a whole section on that in my book! Basically, all you need is an internet connection and a willingness to do some Googling. Choose a destination (see pointers above) and find organizations or individuals that share your interests. Use Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, Couchsurfing, Global Freeloaders, Inter Nations and other sites to find people in your destination and then reach out to them directly. Let them know your interests and how you’d like to connect with them or help their community.

Being independent is cool but being collaborative is cutting edge. You don’t need a fancy program to make friends abroad and create a fantastic gap year for yourself. Go forth and connect!

Note: Are you worried about safety if you’re not part of a program? Here’s something you should know–connecting directly with the locals and learning from them how to stay safe is likely to protect you far more than hanging out with a group of Americans (always a target for crime abroad). The key is not how many Americans you’re with in the bar–it’s whether you’re paying attention to risks and making smart decisions about your safety. Those who spend time with locals will learn more quickly how to avoid the places and situations that may be hazardous. The key is building relationships with people who care about you AND know the area. Surrounding yourself with other newbies may provide a sense of comfort and the illusion of protection, but it won’t increase your safety level–and it’s more likely to attract the attention of those who prey on tourists.

Whenever high school students are able to earn college credits AND get a head start on a career, I’d say it’s a good thing.

Blending technical high schools (magnet schools, mostly) and community colleges may be a great way to save the state money, streamline the system and benefit students by giving them an opportunity to take relevant high school courses that count toward an associate’s degree. Naysayers fume, but come across as being reluctant to consider innovative solutions. This is no time to cling to Old School notions–and most educators agree that the middle college concept is a great idea (the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has supported the “middle college” idea and is likely to continue to invest in this alternative.)

Learn about Governor M. Jodi Rell’s middle college plan for Connecticut–and read the comments from scowlers–here.