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Take a look at
what the experts are saying…
Thank you to the SPANISH
ACADEMY in Georgia for this information!
What advantages do children who learn a foreign language have?
Children
who have been exposed to a foreign language early often learn to read faster and
with greater ease because they are able to recognize the relationship between
letters and their sounds without the help of visual objects. Exposure to a
second language clearly benefits children’s reading abilities. American
Psychological Association May 1997
Children
who learn a second language typically have better problem solving abilities,
better reasoning skills, and are more creative. ERIC Clearinghouse on
Languages & Linguistics
Children
with bilingual skills outperform similar monolingual children on both verbal and
non-verbal tests of intelligence and typically, have higher SAT or standardized
test scores. Department of Education,
USA
& ERIC
Clearinghouse on Languages & Linguistics
Children
who have learned a foreign language have higher levels of self-confidence.
Bilingual
children have better cognitive skills than children who have not been exposed to
a second language.
Exposing
children to a second language not only gives them the ability to communicate
with more people but also teaches them to appreciate and respect other cultures
and people that are different from themselves.
Knowing
a second language also gives people a competitive advantage in the workforce.
Why is it so important to start learning a foreign language as
early as possible?
“The
process of learning a language begins with how the brain is structured.”
The baby brain is born with millions and millions of brain cells. When
brain cells communicate or connect over and over, the connections become
“hard-wired.” The connections that are not used eventually die or fade
away. This is why there are “critical periods” or “windows of
opportunity” for learning languages. The critical period for foreign
language is 0-10 years old. Newsweek, February 1996
Children
have the capacity to develop new language more naturally than adults.
Between the ages of 0 and 10 ten years old, children’s brains are geared
towards language development. “The power to learn language is so great
in the young child that it doesn’t seem to matter how many languages you throw
their way. They can learn as many spoken languages as you allow them to
hear systematically and regularly.” Learning Languages, Winter 1996
If
a child enters a preschool and is first exposed to a second language, he/she
will be able to acquire the second language easily because he/she knows the
rules of communication. In 3 to 7 months the child will begin to
understand the second language. In about 2 years, he/she will be able to carry
on a fluent conversation. Brain Development and Mastery of Language in
the Young Years
Children,
who are exposed to a foreign language, even if they never fully learn the
language, will have a higher capacity for languages and have better academic
performances as teens and adults.
“Studies
have shown, and experience has supported, that children who learn a language
before the onset of adolescence are much more likely to have a native-like
pronunciation.” ERIC
“Languages
are for life and they can’t be taken away once you have learned them. By
helping your child and continuing to help her, you’ll have a lasting
contribution to her quality of life and understanding of others and their
culture.” Hodder and
Stoughton
Educational,
1994
What are the myths about exposing children to foreign languages?
Learning a second language will interfere with the child’s
ability to learn English.
“In
most cases, learning another language enhances a child’s English ability.
Children can learn much about English by learning the structure of other
languages. Common vocabulary also helps children learn the meaning of new
words in English.” ERIC
Monolingual parents don’t know enough of the foreign language to
teach their child.
Perhaps
the most damaging myth, parents do not have to be native speakers or know the
foreign language to teach it to their children. There are many ways to
increase children’s exposure to a foreign language; bilingual television,
songs, bilingual preschool, books, movies, bilingual toys & computer games,
and playgroups with children who speak the foreign language.
If parents are not native speakers, the children will pick up their
mistakes with the language. As long as there is a good model of the
language, the children will not develop an incorrect use of the language.
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