Kids Learn Languages –
and See a Bigger, Brighter World
Children begin to learn language as soon as they’re born. Early linguistic impressions are formed long before their first spoken word, even before their tongues start wiggling and wagging with delightful babble. From their very first cries and coos, babies are actively listening to – and unconsciously acquiring – the language of their parents and caregivers.
Traditionally, the majority of bilingual British children learnt a second language by growing up in a bilingual household. Today, however, more and more monolingual mums and dads – those of us who speak only English – are realising the tremendous advantages that come from learning a foreign language early in life.
Savvy parents recognise that language acquisition, which seems so effortless for toddlers, becomes increasingly difficult in later years. They also understand that the languages their children speak will inform – and enrich – much of what follows in life: identity, friendships, professional pursuits, and world travel.
The UK’s Lord Dearing Report, as well as other educational, scientific, and civic authorities, have identified many benefits for young children who learn a language in addition to English. These early bilinguals, they say, will benefit from multicultural awareness, better communication skills, and a brighter future in an evermore globalised world.
Bilingual children learn language, build social awareness
It’s natural that children learn the language of parents, family, caregivers, and others around them. Frequent exposure is key to language acquisition. Yet when exposed to only a single language, there may be unintended – and somewhat disturbing – consequences, as well. Recent research led by an esteemed American psychologist suggests that when children learn language, they may also be developing social prejudices, based on preferences for people who share their native language. This suggests that bilingual kids, by contrast, may actually be developing a greater degree of tolerance.
“Older infants preferentially accept toys from native-language speakers, and preschool children preferentially select native-language speakers as friends,” reports Elizabeth Spelke, PhD, a professor of cognitive psychology at Harvard, the prestigious American university.
Professor Spelke’s recent study examined how children learn language and form social preferences. She found that children develop a significant – and potentially lifelong – predilection for speakers of the language they hear during their first six months of life.
In a report published by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Professor Spelke observes, “Young infants prefer to look at a person who previously spoke their native language.” This preferential effect, she suggests, becomes more ingrained as kids grow older.
On the positive side, Spelke notes that young children are quite flexible in terms of learning a new language, and suggests that their social preferences – and, by extension, prejudices – might be equally changeable while they’re still young.
Thus, when kids learn a language in addition to English, they may become more tolerant, and readily accepting of differences in other people – people who do not speak or behave the same way they do. “I’ve always thought it would be beneficial to expose our children to more than one language,” says Stephen Crain, PhD, a professor of cognitive science at Macquarie University in Australia. In a recent conversation with The Australian, Professor Crain continued, “If they no longer have a prejudice against people who don't sound the same…they may be more accepting of people from different backgrounds.”
Learning language: We are what we speak?
“Speak, that I may see thee,” wrote famed dramatist Ben Jonson, implying that it is through language that we most vividly reveal ourselves. When children learn a new language, the benefits extend beyond communication, beyond their native culture – stretching into the deep, rich fibre of who they are, and how they think.
The belief that our unique character emerges through language is an idea that extends as far back as ancient Greece. The Greek term for an engraved mark, kharakter, eventually migrated into Middle English as carecter, which means “imprint on the soul.” It’s been suggested that, unless we learn the language of another person, we can never truly know their heart.
For some, the nexus of identity and language is directly related to cultural heritage. More than one in eight primary school-aged children in the U.K. speak a second language, which is often learnt in a bilingual household, according to the "Positively Plurilingual" report by CILT, the National Centre for Languages. Children raised in a multicultural, multilingual environment benefit from a deep, enduring and immediate connection to their cultural roots.
Increasingly, though, proactive parents without any particular cultural or ancestral agenda are encouraging their children to learn a foreign language. These parents recognise that being bilingual, for a child from any background, can be a tremendously valuable and broadening experience.
In general, parents who seek a multilingual and cross-cultural education for children are not content with providing superficial exposure to other nationalities and peoples. They want more for their kids. The great ambition of multicultural education is to help children grow accustomed to – and ultimately accept – the natural co-existence of multiple cultures, lifestyles, languages, and points of view.
Learning who we are, and where we want to go
Learning a language opens new doors, showing us how much more there is to explore. Whether strolling the historic avenues of Paris, skiing the cloud-kissed Italian Alps, or browsing through the colourful souks of Marrakesh – such experiences are greatly enriched when you can converse in the local tongue. Knowing the language helps you interact on a much more personal level with the broader world. You discern subtleties, and notice the nuances.
Seasoned world-travelers know that the citizens of foreign countries are often quite gratified when tourists show that they’ve invested time and effort to learn the local language. This is particularly true of Brits, who have earned a long-standing reputation as English-only monolinguals. Regardless of how many travel guides you own, or how many history books you’ve read, language will always remain the best and most reliable tool for understanding new cultures.
Learning a language, singing a new song
"Language is what we use to tell stories, transmit knowledge, and build social bonds," writes American linguist Charles Yang, author of the book The Infinite Gift.
Yang observes that infants are similar, in many ways, to newborn songbirds. Birds, he writes, do not know how to sing at birth. Rather, they need to be taught how to sing – intently listening, practising and memorising – the same way young kids learn language.
Many experts and educators agree that there are distinct advantages to learning a new language early in life. “An early start develops generic language-learning skills and provides a strong foundation for further learning,” declared the National Centre for Languages in its 2006 report. With the right educational programme, bright young linguists will quickly learn to sing like a songbird – with a wide, wonderful and worldly repertoire.
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