Language Learning In Childhood – Being Parents

During childhood, our brains develop at an incredible rate. Because of this, and unlike in adulthood, children’s brains are extremely motivated to learn and record all kinds of information they receive from the environment around them.

From this we can explain aspects such as children’s mastery of technology or the acquisition and learning of languages ​​in childhood, the latter being a common example that occurs naturally in families changing residences. , move to a country that does not use the mother tongue of infants.

However, that does not mean that we have to change countries if we want our son to learn a new language. Learning a second language in an educational context is also possible if it is done from an early age.

Understanding the enormous potential for language learning in childhood

As we show, our brains are constantly changing during childhood. This is why, up to a certain age, the brain has enormous and almost automatic potential for learning languages.

To illustrate the great gap that exists between the ability to assimilate and learn languages ​​in childhood and adulthood, we can start from the empirical knowledge that an adult, over a period of two to three years, will only be able to listen to a foreign language with moderate or almost no progress.

On the other hand, a child aged 7 to 10 in the same environment can master the language and speak it with the native accent. This does not mean that a second language cannot be acquired in adulthood, but it will not happen automatically and naturally, it will necessarily require didactic learning.

This can be seen clearly in migrant families around the world, where it is quite common for parents never to master the language of the receiving nation, while children, on the other hand, manage to adapt it easily. in a second language.

How language learning works in childhood

Learning, both in childhood and adulthood, occurs through a process that fundamentally responds to the novelty of stimuli received in the environment. The stimulus, depending on its relevance or intensity, means during the “critical period” associated with childhood.

We have a relative neuronal excitation which makes synaptic “plasticity” possible. It is a process of collecting relevant information from what surrounds us. This is what we can simply call learning potential.

If we start from the above, we can deduce that the unique characteristics of our brain in the childhood stage allow it to perceive everything as novelty and that with its rapid development, neuronal excitement and potential for learning are much more important.

In adulthood, when the brain has already gathered all the information useful to establish the fundamental patterns of behavior and survival of the individual in the environment which surrounds him, thus facilitating the learning of the subjects.

Tips for starting your child’s integration with a second language

The brain’s incredible ability to learn during childhood, as well as the digital age we live in, allows us to access a wide range of opportunities to infiltrate language learning in children back home. them without too much effort and without needing to send it to a language academy first.

It’s as easy as keeping all kinds of kids’ shows or videos on networks like YouTube in another language. Interactive video games, toys or educational materials are also windows of opportunity to encourage our son to start assimilating and learning a new language without realizing it.

Of course, the success of the previous strategy largely depends on the motivation and consistency of the parents. Its use and corresponding effect on the acquisition of a new language by the child, even if at first partially, you will be surprised by its results.