Toddlers Learn Spanish, or Another Language
Protect and Build Brainpower
When toddlers learn Spanish, they are learning a world language that is woven like colourful thread through the vibrant cultures, vivid history and rich traditions of over 400 million people. Yet the considerable benefits of foreign language programmes extend beyond communication and culture. According to a recent scientific study, when British toddlers learn Spanish or another foreign language, they are apparently building stronger brains.
Dr. Andrea Mechelli of the Institute of Neurology at University College London led a research initiative examining the brain scans of bilinguals, which showed that learning a second language increases the density of grey matter in the brain. In other studies, increased grey matter has been linked to higher intelligence. Therefore, Mechelli’s findings suggest that when toddlers learn Spanish or any other second language, they may also be gaining functional cognitive advantages over their English-only peers.
Lifelong Cognitive Benefits for Toddlers who Learn Spanish or Another Language
The cognitive gains associated with early language learning endure well into old age. BBC News reported in June 2004 that a study of over 100 participants conducted by researchers at York University in Canada revealed that “those who were fluent in two languages rather than just one were sharper mentally.” The subject pool included several elderly participants, and it was further noted that “bilingual volunteers were much less likely to suffer from the mental decline associated with old age.” This led the BBC to report that “being bilingual protects [the] brain.” The preeminent American newspaper, The New York Times, reported on a related study of senior citizens in January 2007, which found that being bilingual could forestall the onset of senile dementia by nearly four years, on average.
These findings affirm what Dr. Mechelli has written in the scientific journal Nature: the process of acquiring a second language actually changes the structure of the brain.
Grey matter is believed to facilitate the processing of information, including the control of sensory perception, memory and speech. (The rest of the brain is largely formed from white matter, which regulates autonomic bodily functions like breathing.) Given an abundance of grey matter, heightened mental agility and creativity may be in store for toddlers who learn Spanish or another language.
Dr. Ellen Bialystok, the Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology at York University in Canada, led the studies reported by BBC News in 2004 and The New York Times in 2007, and has conducted other pioneering research on cognition and early language acquisition. When speaking with Cookie magazine, she observed that children who speak several languages “see things in different ways” and are able to “more easily switch back and forth” between the different modes.
“It’s good preparation,” Bialystok said, “for today’s multitasking world.”
Benefits Add Up for Toddlers who Learn Spanish or Another Language
Scientists, educators and parents have all observed that toddlers acquire languages quickly and naturally. This is said by some to be because young children have greater neurological “plasticity,” which allows their adaptive brains to be efficiently formatted for new ways of communicating. Some experts like Dr. Mechelli believe that the linguistic advantages for children begin to fade once they reach adolescence, and possibly as early as age 5.
Though a few have questioned whether teaching multiple languages to children might cause them confusion, Dr. Bialystok emphatically refutes this notion. When interviewed by Cookie magazine, she declared that there is no evidence whatsoever to support such claims.
Instead, studies have proven that when children know a second language, they actually exhibit signs of increased intellectual sophistication. Dr. Bialystok recently published a paper on this subject in The Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology. She noted that in an experimental setting, bilingual children consistently outperformed monolinguals in specific tasks designed to evaluate their mental dexterity and their ability to resolve contradictory information.
Other interesting findings have been reported by the College Board, a not-for-profit organization that administers standardised tests, known as the SAT, for students in American secondary schools. The Board reports that pupils with four or more years of education in a foreign language tend to score higher on the verbal portion of the SAT – which is conducted entirely in English. Other studies have suggested that when toddlers learn Spanish or another second language, they coincidentally enhance their skills in maths, as well.
Most parents who encourage their toddlers to learn Spanish will probably not be thinking about its effects on grey matter and ageing. Likely, they’ll remain focused on more immediate considerations. Shall I enroll my son or daughter in a nursery or primary school programme? Find a Spanish-speaking nanny? Perhaps a tutor? Or find a way to begin instruction at home?
No matter what type of language programme is ultimately pursued, teaching a young child to speak a foreign language requires at least a small investment of time and attention. Therefore, it may be doubly important for parents to remember that the many benefits of language learning could likely last their child a lifetime.
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