How effective is it really for young learners to learn a new language? Does it really make it easier for them to acquire a new language when they are enrolled to foreign language schools? For the past articles related to young learners learning new languages comparing adults, the younger ones always show more excellent results when it comes to progression.

But, according to Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), there are some characteristics about young language learners—particularly to those who are learning English language that are important; thus useful for educators to keep it in mind.

Image by CarolSpears via Wikipedia

You want to know the details? Here are the lists.

Young children’s first language is not yet fully developed
According to the source, children between 5 and 10 years old are still acquiring the structures of their first language. It was even detailed that children younger than 5 years old have many aspects of their first language have not yet fully developed. “So while older learners have the foundation of a fully developed first language when they begin acquiring a new language, younger English language learners are working toward two milestones at the same time: the full development of their native language and the acquisition of English.”

The writer emphasized this: “While children are perfectly capable of acquiring two or more languages, and there is no evidence that this process produces any negative consequences—in fact, in many parts of the world it is the norm, rather than the exception, for children to grow up bilingual or multilingual—educators must keep in mind that young children do not have a fully developed native language on which to base the learning of a second. Children may not know certain vocabulary words, grammatical structures, or other language features in their native language before they learn them in English, in which case merely translating a word or phrase may be of little help to them.

Children need to develop their native language(s) along with English
My Dad once argued with me how young learners should not integrate a foreign language along with their native language. He exclaimed that it would only confuse the young learner. Well, as for the source of this article, I strongly contradict such thought.

Young learners can naturally learn their native language due to various immersion factors like communication with parents, socializing with other people along the community, and so on. So in order to develop their native language skills fully, young English language learners need support in both their native language and English.

No matter how young your child may be, as long as he is as typical as you and me, he will not have so many difficulties in leaning English language. If you want, you can let him go to a language school for a more comprehensive way of learning.

The field of language learning is full of myths and misconceptions, possibly because every literate person has been successful at learning at least one language and so may consider himself to be something of an expert on the topic. The myth that I wish to discuss in the present article is that young children are the best learners of a second language. This is a widely-held belief that contains an element of truth, but which for the most part has been disproved by recent linguistic research.

A certain post displayed how people tend to misjudge children as the age group that learns German language at its best. Such statement above makes me remind of what my father argued with me that children are incapable of learning a second language, particularly German. We were just discussing how a family friend of ours decided to go to Austria for a short 8-month stay—or maybe even stay for good. He exclaimed how his friend’s 5-year old son would really get a lot of difficulties in adjusting the new culture that he was about to face. He emphasized that the child will get difficulties in learning German language as he stays there.

Regardless of the various explanations I did in “convincing” my dad that the child will not have grave difficulties to learn German language, still he insisted his point. Well, making the long story short, I just kept quiet. If only my father would discover that what he was insisting at all was a myth.

I hope you are not like my dad. Though I do agree some of his point of view that the child will encounter lots of adjustments since he will be encountering a different culture, I don’t agree that he will not learn the language at all. Scientific studies can prove that young learners have more “absorption” in their brains because this is the stage where they will demand to learn and discover things. Language, for example, will serve like water and the child’s brain is like a sponge. Everything that child observes will be absorbed by his mind; that’s just how it works.  In fact, studies can attest how young learners tend to learn German language faster compared to adults. That is one fact we honestly cannot argue.

So if you personally know someone who is interested to learn German, especially when he is a child, don’t kill such interest. Allow it to be untapped by letting him learn it in language schools. Such institutions will boost that child’s interests in learning languages. Think about it.

The drive for foreign language learning has risen over the decades and more recently, studies have shown that it is better for language learners to start learning at younger ages so that children can become more fluent easily. Parents have realized that in the future, languages can help their children not only in their educational endeavors but also in their travels and careers.

Parents who want their children to grow up having the ability to speak more than one language should take into consideration what they must do to help their children develop their interest in languages. Children who are learning languages at a young age require encouragement and guidance from parents and teachers alike.

The following are some tips that parents could take if they want to raise bilingual children:

• Let your children start learning a new foreign language at an early age. Experts have already found that the earlier children are exposed to foreign languages, the earlier they will learn the language. Some parents let children listen to language music even during pregnancy and then talk to their children from the moment of birth in two or more languages possible. If your family speaks only one language, start introducing a new language with bilingual music through CDs and DVDs whenever you find it appropriate.
• Repetition is the key for language retention. Let your child repeat vocabulary and grammar exercises. Repeat lessons whenever your children have not understood the lessons fully.
• Let your children learn bilingually from birth up to age ten. It is better if children at that age bracket to learn a native language and second language alongside each other. The bilingual approach is considered to be the best for better language retention and for higher self esteem for children. At the age of ten to twelve, total immersion in the second language is a favorable option.
• Find material that can help children become interested in the second language. Books, CDs, movies, songs, and other material are useful in sparking your children’s interest as well letting them learn more about the second language each day.
• Let your children learn the second language every day. Infants should be exposed to the second language for at least ten minutes every day; twenty minutes for toddlers, thirty minutes for preschoolers, and forty-five minutes for elementary school children. You can use material such as bilingual DVDs and CDs, games, or music.
• Make language learning a fun activity. Do not force your children to learn a second language just because you want them to. Gently guide your children and show a high level of confidence. Assure them that learning a new language is not difficult and that it is fun!
• Do not listen to people who think that speaking the native language at home should be stopped. It is only a myth that children who learn two languages simultaneously will only get confused. It is a fact that bilingual children speak both languages better can read sooner and score better on verbal and math standardized tests.
• Show your children that you respect and appreciate other cultures and value the ability to speak other languages other than your own by joining events that showcase different cultures.
• Be patient. Patience is the key for your children to build their confidence in a second language. Don’t rush things with your child. Fluency will come by later on just be patient and don’t forget to keep encouraging your children!

If you would want your children to become fluent in more than just one language, better follow those tips above and search for more ways to let your children learn new languages and appreciate more cultures!

Many parents all over the world are joining the bandwagon of letting their children join programs and classes where they can learn a foreign language and become bilingual. Most of the parents are aware that language immersion is one way of letting children become bilingual however, not all parents are aware of what they are doing to make their children acquire a new language.

Virginia Pauline Rojas, PhD, a world-renowned expert in bilingualism and second-language acquisition has recently spoken in a seminar with parents at Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok.

Dr. Rojas has asked, “When Thai parents enroll their children in an English immersion school, do they want them to speak only English, or do they want them to be able to speak both English and Thai?” This is a question that parents of Thai children have to consider when they enroll their children in an English immersion school such as an international school.

The Thai children sent by their parents in international schools at an early age ten to be more fluent in English than Thai especially when it comes to the language skill of writing. It is vital that parents and teachers know how to help students achieve fluency in both English and Thai languages not only with their speaking and listening skills but also in writing and reading.

According to Dr. Rojas, Thai parents who want their children to become bilingual have to work closely with their children. The international schools have the responsibility of teaching English to children however; the parents must be the ones to teach Thai since the Thai language programs in international schools are not enough.

Dr. Rojas explains that “Parents need to be clear in their minds why their children are attending an international school. Not a lot of parents think about that. They just send them here because it is prestigious to attend an international school. They need to be clear in their minds that their children are going to be different; for example, their writing in Thai is not going to be perfect.”

Parents who want their children to be able to speak English and Thai must maintain teaching Thai at home not only the spoken language but also the reading and writing skills in Thai too. Parents must understand that they have the responsibility for the development of the bilingual abilities of their children.

In most international schools in Thailand and the rest of the world, teachers require their students to speak only in English. In some schools, students are not allowed to speak Thai to their friends while in school. This policy may be imposed by the school to promote a perfect English environment within the school. Dr. Rojas said that this notion might not be wise. Many teachers in international schools are not bilinguals so the teachers don’t look at the situation like a bilingual situation. Teachers think that the students have to speak only in English and it is not that they want the students to forget their knowledge of Thai but that they don’t understand that both English and Thai are involved in the process of becoming bilingual. Dr. Rojas explains that bilingual students use both English and Thai languages.

The following is a chart of the Ten Myths of Language Study that parents should consider if they want to raise bilingual children:

According to Dr. Rojas, many studies indicate that the first language of students should be able to assist the learning of the second languages. She recommends that parents and teachers have to be aware not to unconsciously impose a certain perception that a student’s first language should be able to assist the learning of the second language.

Dr. Rojas also said that for students to master their bilingual skills, aside from maintaining a strong command of the mother tongue, parents should think about when would be the best time to send their students to an English immersion school. Parents should also need to be a bilingual role model for their children too.

If you are a parent who would want to have bilingual children, what concerns do you have about letting your young children learn two languages at the same time? Share your thoughts with us.

Original article: http://www.bangkokpost.com/life/education/26363/how-to-achieve-bilingualism