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The Gift
of Language Learning For the Families of Today
Presented by Beth Butler/Creator of the
BOCA BETH
Program
We are all fairly savvy to the fact that we live in an
increasingly global society in which our neighbor is from Ecuador, our
colleague is from France and the person who teaches our child is from
Sweden! We realize as adults how difficult it is to learn a new language
after our youth, but we keep reading that it is the perfect time for our
own children to begin the language learning!
Time & Newsweek ran feature articles years ago about the window of
opportunity for second language learning being somewhere between birth
and ten years old. It is so true, and yet so many parents continue to
insist English only for the first years of life. It is all a matter of
educating the parents of today, helping them to realize that a growing
number of brain studies indicate that young children learn languages
easily and retain them longer if they are exposed to new languages early
in life. Experts agree that while a baby is learning one word for an
item, it is just as easy for his young brain to learn a second word for
the same item.
Tell a new mom about the studies out of York University showing that
children who received instruction in two languages scored twice as high
on language tests than their monolingual peers, and that new mom will
look at you with amazement. Then go on to inform this mom that these
bilingual children also read sooner and demonstrated advanced problem
solving capabilities. (Dr. Ellen Bialystok, 2001)
I recall sharing with a mom who had two preschool age children the fact
that children learning through a bilingual format will outperform their
monolingual peers in grade school as they experience advanced cognitive
development. She could not keep her disbelief hidden as I then went on
to share with her the fact that the added benefit of learning a second
language before middle school is that her children will speak the new
languages with native or near-native pronunciation.
We have witnessed through the programs on television for children how
quickly they pick up a new language as they yell at the tv set their new
found words! We watch as our children learn new things so quickly
between the ages of birth and five, acting like little sponges and
soaking everything in their environment in. Why then should we not think
that a new language could be next on the list of important things to
bring into the life of a child? Give this gift early enough, and your
child will read sooner, score higher on standardized tests and have
better opportunities in life. With many linguists, educators and experts
agreeing that sooner is better, begin the bilingual fun now!
By six months old a baby has the ability to learn all of the hundreds of
languages of our world. Around eleven months old the brain begins to
specialize and, as we all can vouch for, it becomes increasingly
difficult to pick up a new language year after year. Up until the age of
five a child still has the ability to learn five languages
simultaneously. By middle school we all know learning a new language is
no longer as easy as it used to be in elementary school. Children whose
brains have been wired to learn languages early in life will experience
advanced success in learning any language of their choice later in life.
Finding a fun and easy way to bring the language learning into your
daily routine is often the challenge. Many a new mom tell me that they
have no time to add an extra class to attend with their children much
less find one more hour a week to fit a language class in. The key can
then be to find multimedia products that use a bilingual format for
introducing the language to children ages birth - five. Find CDs for the
car and DVDs that incorporate all of the senses and many of the learning
styles. Experts agree that the two languages should be presented in a
bilingual format because as the your child is still acquiring skills in
his native language, the new language should be presented in a seamless
bilingual format alongside his native language. This allows for better
retention most often, higher self esteem and fun for the entire family.
This season give the gift of a second language journey that is easy and
fun for you and your child. Sing, dance and play together as you enjoy
learning each new word on the path to becoming bilingual. Prepare your
child for successful travel through our very global society and what is
sure to be a very diverse future.
About the Author:
Beth Butler is the creator of the BOCA BETH Language Learning Series for
young children. Find out how fun and easy it can be to raise a bilingual
child. Sample the BOCA BETH bilingual music and movies for free at
http://www.bocabeth.com
Call toll free 1.877.825.2622 or 1.813.244.1432 |
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