BRAIN DEVELOPMENT WHILE LANGUAGE LEARNING

There are tons of benefits to learning a new language. Languages are open doors to different cultures, and allow us to connect with different people from all over the world. But learning a new language is about so much more than just having a basic conversation or being familiar with different words and concepts.

Studies suggest that the age at which a child learns a second language can have a significant impact on the structure of their adult brain. As anyone who works with children or has children of their own knows, there are some developmental milestones that indicate a child is picking up expected skills at certain ages. Typically, the first is motor skills which occur in the first year of life, followed by language development in the second year.

Language learning is an instinctive process because it is very much hard-wired in the brain. Talking is the key to interacting with one another, and children begin this process naturally. Essentially, language learning is an easier process during infant years because the brain is still in developing phases.

An infant's brain is structured for language

The brain processes information by forming networks of specialized nerve cells, known as neurons. They communicate with one another using electrical and mechanical signals, and these messages are the physical basis of learning and memory. The neurons transfer messages be connections known as synapses.

Between birth and the age of three, a child’s brain goes through a significant amount of change. At birth, the brain already has all of the neurons that it will ever have. During the first year it doubles in size, and by age three it reaches 80% of its adult volume.

More importantly, synapses form at a faster rate during these years than during any other time. The brain creates a lot more of them that it even needs. Throughout childhood and adolescence the surplus connections are gradually eliminated.

This is why an infant’s is so much more susceptible to language development. The excess of synapses makes the brain especially responsive to external output.

Language development begins early

Language development starts long before the first words are spoken. Infants raised in homes where two languages are spoken, become bilingual almost effortlessly. At birth, a baby’s brain has an unusual gift; it is able to tell the difference between all 800 sounds. At this stage, the brain is able to learn any language that it’s exposed to. Eventually, infants figure out which sounds they hear the most and that language becomes their mother tongue.

In bilingual homes, infants are specialized to process the sounds of two languages, rather than just one. The language or languages that an infant hears starting at birth creates neutral patterns that the unconscious brain is able to retain years later. Essentially, the brain becomes tuned to whatever language or languages it hears during early years.

The role of nutrition and brain development

Good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are crucial to the brain’s developmental process. What we eat has a direct impact on how the brain functions and develops. While getting the right nutrients is important for the brain at all ages, it’s especially important for infants who are still forming their brain.

Parents are essential to the language learning process

When adults speak to young children, they produce a specific type of speech. It’s characterized by exaggerated intonation, warm emotion, and simplified grammar. This is a powerful tool used by parents to engage with their children and provide them with the sounds and words needed for them to learn a language.

Support for parents

Of course, there are various programs out there that can help parents to nurture their child’s growing language skills. Some families also opt to hire a nanny that speak a different language - so that their child will grow up to be bilingual. Remember, you are not alone and if you are looking for other resources to help your child with language development, there are plenty of options out there.