Section 44611.

The purposes of this article are to encourage and promote the temporary exchange of teachers between school districts in California and schools in foreign countries and to make available to California schools as teachers foreign-born persons and others who are especially qualified to provide instruction in one or more modern foreign languages in order that the schools of this state may comply with the requirement of the state law that foreign language instruction be given to pupils in grades six, seven, and eight as of July 1, 1965. It is the finding of the Legislature that California teachers will become more fluent in a foreign language and more knowledgeable about peoples of other countries and their environment by teaching service in a country where that language is used in daily life, and that it will be of substantial benefit to California pupils beginning the study of a foreign language to be instructed by teachers who are fluent in the language and conversant with the attendant culture and are therefore able to instill and reinforce the appropriate speech habits early in the learning experience of the pupil. It is the purpose of the Legislature to encourage and enable California schools to benefit from the language abilities of citizens of foreign countries who are now or in the future may be residents of this state.

(Enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)