Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

When's the best time for you to begin teaching your child a foreign language? Today on Home School Heartbeat, Mike Smith gives you some things to think about.

Mike:


The simple answer is, "As early as possible." The same rules of language acquisition apply to both native and second languages during the first few years of a child's life. If you consider the manner in which a child learns his native language, he doesn't depend upon lessons in grammar and pronunciation to become fluent. For the most part, he can hear the repeated language patterns and figure out the rules automatically. The same is true if he is exposed to a second language at an early age. He will not require grammar lessons�he will master the rules of the language by simply listening and speaking.


It's never too early to begin foreign language training. Babies begin to attach meaning to sounds even before they are one-year-old. Your child will learn a foreign language fastest if he is exposed to it before the age of three. During this time, his brain is growing at such a rapid rate that he is predisposed for language acquisition. A toddler's ability to recognize and articulate certain sounds will decrease after age three. But even if you miss the three-year-old "window of opportunity," don't let that stop you from teaching younger children a second language. Research has shown that children who learn a second language before high school age will acquire more accurate pronunciation. And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.