Expert Insights on Language Learning

There are many advantages for children who learn a second language at a young age.

Read below to discover what esteemed doctors, educators and scientists from around the world have reported in major newspapers, magazines and academic journals.

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You Can Read to Your Child in Any Language
For very good reasons, reading is usually first on a parent's list of educational goals and concerns for their children. Parents are well aware of how crucial reading is to further learning and that fostering a love for reading will open up a world of enjoyment and education. So it stands to reason that incorporating reading as a vital part of learning a second language can also bring considerable benefits down the road for your child. The same benefits which children get from learning to read in their first language are just as available—and just as important—in a second language.
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How to Get the Most from Travelling Abroad with Your Children
Spring is here, and many parents are making plans to travel abroad. They of course have many things on their minds, but packing lists and passports aside, it is important to consider travel as an important and inspiring part of your child's language learning. Here are a few things to think about as you plan. An important consideration is, of course, the destination, but don't think that you are by any means limited by the language your child is learning. While it's clearly quite helpful to take your child to a country where their new language is spoken, do know that your child will benefit enormously from any and all exposure to the immersive experience of a foreign land. The chance to introduce your child to such a richly different environment for perhaps the first time is a powerful opportunity to open your child's eyes to the reality of a wider world of language, of a world beyond "just English."
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What If I Want My Child to Speak a Second Language, But I Speak Only One?
An increasing number of parents now know about the advantages and the fun that comes with raising a child to be bilingual. They understand how important this ability will be for their children later on in life. It can open doors in university, the business world, law, politics, science, the arts and many other fields. Learning another language will give the children of today the preparation and the wider outlook necessary for the global world of tomorrow. Some parents worry, though, that this eagerness to imitate will make teaching their children a second language more difficult. Even parents with quite good conversational skills in a second language express concern that a shaky accent or a vocabulary deficiency will prevent their child from blooming as a strong and confident speaker.
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Top Ten Benefits of Early Language Learning
Learning a new language at any age offers enormous opportunities and enjoyment. While language learning can be rewarding at any stage of life, children have the most to gain from this brilliant experience. To put it simply, starting a language early on offers the broadest possible array of benefits and opportunities. There are many reasons why language learning will yield the best results if started early, and while we do not imagine we've exhausted the full list, here are a few of the most notable benefits.
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Does Bilingualism Help Children Learn to Read?
Scientists and language experts have linked learning a second language to a host of benefits for children and adults, but this is especially the case for young children and their blossoming cognitive abilities. These children are given an overall "cognitive edge" when they learn a new language, according to Dr Laura-Ann Petitto of Dartmouth College in the United States. A large number of other studies have also linked language learning to higher exam scores. But can knowing another language make learning to read easier for your child? A team at Canada's York University has completed a study which suggests that bilingualism may have a positive impact in a number of significant ways on this crucial process for children.
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3 Key Elements in Successful Language Learning
3 Key Elements in Successful Language Learning When learning a new language, your success depends on a number of factors and conditions, all contributing to something as complex as mastering a new tongue. To simplify things, however, we at Early Advantage have found three elements to be repeated in almost all the advice and research concerning second language learning. The three key factors are: immersion, consistency and an early start. Making these three elements a part of your language learning strategy will ensure that your child has a strong foundation for acquiring a second language. This foundation will allow your child to grow into her new language comfortably, productively, and enjoyably.
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The World of Multi-sensory Learning: New Ideas Enliven an "Old" Method
Picture an elementary school class following a museum guide through a dazzling set of exhibits. Walking along, they pause before new sights, perhaps read the signs on the walls, laughing and pointing. If an exhibit truly strikes their fancy, they may rush giddily to dig carefully in a sandbox for "dinosaur fossils" or to operate a model crane. The children's visit becomes a lasting impression. The combination of listening, looking, and moving around connects the children to the many new things they have discovered.
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Key Terms in Language Learning
Your child may already be starting to pick up the words of a new language—"bonjour," "gracias," "ni hao." But sometimes, parents trying to do some research into the most effective language learning methods find the terms of the field more perplexing than the language their child is learning! It's always important to inform oneself about the terms and strategies experts use, so here are some excellent terms to get started.
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Harvard University Study: Kids Learn Chinese and English the Same Way
Harvard developmental psychologist Jesse Snedeker recently completed a study of a group of nursery-aged children who had been adopted from China. The study's purpose was to discover the means by which children naturally acquire a second language in a foreign environment. These children, who had learnt Chinese in their native country, faced an abrupt transition to an all-English environment. However, Snedeker learnt that, in the 3 to 18 months after their arrival in the US, the Chinese children had followed the same language-learning patterns we associate with infants.
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Most kids in China learn English. So why should our kids learn Chinese?
While English may be the undisputed global language of the moment, it seems likely that English-only speakers may, within the next 10 or 15 years, find themselves upstaged by global citizens who can speak English and another language. It is certain that, whether or not kids learn Chinese today, they will face a different world—featuring a changed and changing linguistic landscape—by the time they reach adulthood.
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Will Teaching French to Children Affect Their English Skills?
Despite the growing trend of teaching children a second language in childhood, some parents still struggle with the idea of introducing another language before their child has mastered his first. Let's talk about three of the most common misconceptions about teaching Spanish or French or Chinese or any language to children.
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Children Learn Spanish: Building Bridges to Iberia... and Beyond!?
Reuters reports that the number of students taking German at GCSE dropped by 14.2 percent last year, whereas French saw a similar 13.2 percent decline. When it comes to Spanish, however, the linguistic tide may be changing—at least in the United States, where record numbers of American parents have recently (and successfully) encouraged their children to learn Spanish.
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Kids Learn Languages -and See a Bigger, Brighter World
More and more monolingual mums and dads understand that the languages their children speak will inform - and enrich - much of what follows in life: identity, friendships, professional pursuits and world travel. Being bilingual, for a child from any background, can be a tremendously valuable and broadening experience.
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What Do You Remember from French Class?
French remains the most popular foreign language studied in school. Nonethelss, many British adults bid au revoir to their language skills later in life. After years of disuse, most of us struggle to recall the most basic phrases, remembering an average of only seven words and phrases. This dismal reality could be reversed, some experts suggest, if language education started earlier.
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BBC News Reports that Being Bilingual “Protects the Brain”
There may be some surprising long-term benefits when toddlers learn Spanish or another language. BBC News reports that bilinguals maintain heathier brains as they grow older. In a related study, distinguished researchers from University College London show that the process of acquiring a foreign language in early childhood subtly changes the structure of the brain, pointing to a lifetime of cognitive advantages.
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Groundbreaking Study Reveals “Cognitive Edge” when Children Learn French
Laura-Ann Petitto, PhD, a neuroscientist at a top-ranked American university has shown that young children who learn French and English perform specific cognitive tasks more skillfully than monolinguals. Bilingual children, says Dr. Petitto, have a “cognitive edge.”
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Nature Announces that Younger Bilinguals Have More ‘Grey Matter’
Will teaching Italian or another language to young kids boost their intelligence? A pioneering study of bilinguals published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature reports that the increase in grey matter is more abundant in individuals who learnt their second language at a very early age.
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Chinese for Kids: Globalised Trends Spur Language Programmes
The sleeping giant has awoken! Did you realise that China recently supplanted Great Britain as the fourth largest national economy? Moreover, some experts predict that English may soon surrender its status as the dominant global language. In response, thousands of native British and American children have begun learning Chinese – and ensuring that they remain competitive in a changing world.
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Is There a “Window of Opportunity” for Learning?
Most experts conclude that there are special language learning advantages in childhood. Others point to the higher level of proficiency and native accents achieved by those who learn a second language in the early years. Still others would say that the advantages that come from learning a second language early are lifelong gifts promoting commuication, perspective and understanding. All in all, most experts agree that earlier is best for language learning and second languages.
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