"It's a gymnastic of the mind," said her mom, Stephanie Herlory, who introduced her daughter to foreign languages at a young age. "Once they're immersed, it comes very quickly."

"We've definitely seen a surge," said Nancy Rhodes, director of foreign language education at the center. "This is the 21st century. We're living in a global society. We have got to learn languages if we want to negotiate with other countries and get along."

Photo(s); Immersed: Mackenzie Viau picks out Spanish words with double R's during a reading lesson with her kindergarten classmates at North Grade Elementary School in Lake Worth. The students are part of the school's Spanish immersion program.Staff photo/Mark RandallLessons in French: Pre-kindergarten teacher Marie Carline Tassy has the attention of Ayann Antoine, 4, and Morgane Herlory, 5, at Lyce Franco-Amricain in Cooper City.Staff photo/Lou TomanUno, dos, tres: Brandon, 3, left, and Ari, 6, listen and mimic their father, Rabbi [Barry Silver], as he counts in Spanish at their Boca Raton home. Silver speaks almost exclusively in Spanish to the boys.Staff photo/Carey Wagner