Skip to main content

Foreign languages: How to teach your child a new language?

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!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The significance of field trips when homeschooling

A significant part of the learning process is taking your children out to pursue learning opportunities, especially if you are a homeschooling parent. After all, academic knowledge amounts to nothing if it is not applied to the real world. In case you are searching for tips to help your children learn when on a field trip, then here are a few ideas that can help in enriching their knowledge on a range of different subjects. Thecountry’s administration and its history: Spend a day at the museum: there are so many museums in Canada and it is likely that there are at least a few of them close to your house. Take you children there and spend you day bringing all their history lessons into life. Take your child out to see the local police and fire station. This way, the little ones learn more about how municipal workers work and how they react to emergencies. Teach them how the mailing system works at the post office. Make them write letters, then visit the local post o...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to create a positive learning enviroment in your house?

A nurturing and positive learning environment is very important irrespective of where the education of the child takes place. Here are a few practical tips that can help homeschoolers offer an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. Set a specific area for classes While some children like to study in silence other like it when others are within their close vicinity. While some families have big houses that offer space for dedicated learning, others integrate their study area in the common living room of their house. No matter the size of the space, make sure the rooms are well lit, clean, orderly and distraction free. Have a positive attitude within the house Attitudes and moods can be infectious, so it is important that you keep any negativity aside – whether it is tension, anger or impatience – before entering the home classroom. Little children are expectedly perceptive and can pick up on attitudes easily. Establish daily goals that are practical and reali...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to improve a child’s language development?

Parents play a very important role in the language development of a child. Experts show that children who are spoken with and read to a great deal during their early childhood have better vocabularies and grammar in comparison to those who are not. Here are a few simple ways of nurturing the language development of your little one before you begin with their  homeschooling curriculum . 1. Talk . Keep narrating the entire day as it evolves. For instance, if you’re about to give your little one a bath, narrate the entire event to them. "Now we’re going to take a bath. Can you feel the warm water with your fingers? Once we’re done bathing we will have a tasty snack." 2. Read a lot . Experts say you can start reading to a baby as early as you desire. It is believed that a good predictor of a child’s future reading success is the time parents spend reading to the child. Begin with easy board books and move to longer stories and picture books. 3. Listen to music t...
Post a Comment
Read more