Advantages of Learning a Second Language at a Young Age
One of the best things a parent or caregiver could do for a child is to help them learn a second language. Learning an additional language is crucial in today’s world because more than ever we are coexisting, communicating and trading with an array of people from various cultures. Being able to communicate in a different language will be beneficial socially, academically, and career wise, so giving a child a leg up will put them in a prime position to further excel in life.
First off, learning an additional language is easy for a child then it is for an adult; this is because a child’s brain is more malleable than an adult’s brain. Adult’s brains are programmed to recognize their own native tongue and any new sounds are difficult to replicate accurately, whereas with children their brain are not fully programmed. This allows the children to be more receptive to new sounds and if they hear them and are engaged with the sounds enough they will be comfortable replicating them with the accuracy of a native speaker. Acquiring new languages is already easier for children so why not expose them to a new language so that they can partake in its benefits. According to research the best age to introduce a language to a child is from one year of age to about when they are six years old or so. This does not mean that that they are incapable of learning a language after the age of six, it just means that your child’s affinity to acquiring language is best at that age range.
The advantages of learning a second language at a young age are endless, but those advantages can be categorized by their social, academic or career implications. Socially, if your child learns a second language they will be able to network with more individuals and have diverse friends regardless if they speak your child’s native language or not. Having the ability to understand different people will grant them the opportunity to learn about different cultures and retain that firsthand experience. This firsthand experience will do your child well when they enter the work force in whatever profession she chooses. Regardless, if she choose to be an entrepreneur and develop foreign business contact, a doctor and is able to communicate with an array of linguistically different patients, or a teacher and share her love of language, the additional language that she develops an affinity for at a young age will aid him throughout his life.
The advantages to learning a second language are limitless. The leg up you will be giving your child will aid them in their personal lives, as well as in their academic and post graduate pursuits. When beginning to learn a language the rule of thumb is usually the younger the better, but the prime time period for beginning to become accustomed to a new language is between one to six years of age.
If you have any language learning stories about you, your child or a child you know feel free to post a comment below.