Is Learning A Foreign Language Good For Kids At A Young Age?

By Author: Samuel Arthur
Total Articles: 340
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However, many people worry that teaching their children a second language at such a tender age will cause confusion or delay when to languages. If you are one of those people then worry no longer, as a recent study carried out by the Cornell Language Acquisition Lab has proven that children who learn two languages gain many benefits, such as maintaining a good attention span.

If you have considered introducing your child to a new language then it may be beneficial for you to think about how it may help them in the future. From a career-based point of view, your child will become more desirable to employers. Employees who speak a second or even third language can be a great asset to any business – this is a chance for your child to embrace additional responsibilities and job opportunities.

Looking at the debate from this angle means that you will also need to think about which language will be most useful in the future. English is the second most spoken language in the world, so we all have a huge advantage there anyway, but other languages that are in the ranking for most spoken include Mandarin, Portuguese, ...
... Russian and French.

In many English schools the chosen languages on the syllabus are French, German and Spanish. Now, if you look at this from a parent’s point of view, you know that France is the closest country to the UK, and it is more than likely that your child will at some point take a trip to the country they are studying. Opting for French, therefore, will give them a dose of diversity and experience yet still keep them close!

French trips are a great way to help your child learn. The more they interact with people speaking the language, the more they will pick up in a short period of time. Reading from a textbook to a child as young as five is never going to be a productive method of teaching. It helps for children to take part in stimulating activities in order to learn, and French trips can be a great way for them to subconsciously learn about culture and really bring their learning to life.

French language learning can be a slow process, but pushing a child to succeed won’t help. The more naturally it is approached, the faster the French language learning will develop. It has been proven that children who first begin their language lessons in secondary school are more likely to struggle to achieve proper word pronunciation. Starting your child’s education in this area needs to be carefully timed; you need to make sure you have given them enough of a chance to acquire and fully understand a language before you begin to introduce another one. Failure to do this could result in major confusion for the child and they may end up unable to express themselves properly.

For more information visit: http://www.frenchschooltravel.com/