Every child has the ability to learn different languages, and it is a fact that little children can pick on different languages more easily when compared to adults. But how do little children do it? How do they take in strange sounds, and how does this affect their life?
Firstly, it is very important to remember that every language has its own sounds, and that there are some sounds that are present in one language and may not be present in another language. For example, in Japanese there aren’t two separate sounds for “l” and “r”. Instead, there is one letter that syndicates both sounds. This is why Japanese speakers that are monolingual have a hard time differentiating these sounds in languages such as English.
However, there is a very brief time window at which children, no matter which language or background they come from, can distinguish sounds of every language. After reaching ten to twelve months, infants lose this ability and are only able to differentiate and perceive the sounds that they are exposed to at the crucial time frame.
The advantages of learning several languages from an early age is not a matter of speculation. Scientists have found differences in the functioning of the brains of people who have learned a new language early in comparison to those who learn later in life. Those children who learn multiple languages at an early stage process and listen to all of the languages from the same area of the brain. However, those who learn a new language after the critical time window process a new languages from a very far away region.
One of the best ways to make your child learn a new language is to speak to them in it. If you are a monolingual parent, then it is best to use building blocks of foreign languages to prepare the child to learn the language. You can also play foreign translations of children’s poems to your child and sing along. You can even ask a friend or a family member who speaks a foreign language fluently to record vocabulary words and send the files to you.
The early stages of the brain development are extremely important. With just a little effort while homeschooling you can make your little one speak a new language fluently!
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