WHY DO CHILDREN LEARN FOREIGN LANGUAGES SO EASILY

We often hear adults complaining about not having learnt a foreign language when they were a kid. Why? Because it’s a wide known fact that learning another language is easier for children. Most researchers agree that children who learn a foreign language before they hit puberty or even earlier, are able to speak more fluently, almost like a native. Not only do children grow and develop at an incredible pace, but they also learn information very quickly.

According to studies, the prime time to learn a alternate language is before the age of ten. That is because this is the stage when a language can be learned and obtained faster, retained better, and spoken with brilliant pronunciation. Essentially, children who are exposed to other languages early on in life, have an easier time processing and remembering the information they receive. But the question is why?

Brain chemistry

Learning a foreign language is a part of young children’s brain chemistry. Children are made to absorb information, and they do this in an unconscious state of mind. Basically, they’re learning, but they don’t even know it. On the contrary, adults and older children have to consciously learn new things which make learning a foreign language more difficult since learning consciously often results in information being dissociated or sometimes getting lost.

Boosts brain power

Learning a new language involves a whole new intricate system of structures, lexis, and rules. This means that the brain has to deal with complexity as it tries to make sense of and absorb new patterns. As with the muscles in the rest of the body, the brain can be strengthened with exercise. As the brain works out the meaning and tries to communicate in the new language, key learning skills such as problem-solving and cognitive thinking are developed. Those who are able to speak more than one language are able to switch between monitoring changes in their environment and completing tasks more easily than those who only speak one language. They also show signs of increased flexibility and creativity. Interestingly, one of the best ways to keep your mind active is said to be learning, speaking, and reading in other languages.

The younger a child is, the easier it is for them to imitate new sounds because the brain is open to new sounds (words) before adolescence. According to Dr. Patricia Kuhl, before puberty, the brain is more plastic and ready to create new circuits. As an adult, the process of learning a new language is completely different.

Do children learn foreign languages easier or differently to adults?

Interestingly, there are scientists who are under the impression that children learn languages differently to adults but not necessarily more easily. The reason that children seem to pick up new languages without effort is that they learn in an unconscious state of mind, as we mentioned above. Young children have twice the brain connections of an adult. Grasping to use these connections, they absorb new knowledge into the brain like water into a sponge. On the other hand, the brain of older children and adults determines what new knowledge is most important, and then cuts off loose information that it deems as less relevant.

Learning a new language has four dimensions; the sound system, meaning system, word formation rules, and the sentence formation rules. It’s believed that these different systems that are involved in learning a new language have differences in developmental progression, as well as, the optimal time for obtaining them. For example; babies begin life with a likelihood towards the sound system (phonology acquisition). It’s thought that the phonetic segment of language learning varies between children and adults. This could explain why children learn foreign languages differently and most likely, more easily than adults.

One of the reasons that there is thought to be a difference between how adults and children process sound is due to the differences in the cortical sequences of the brain. This theory is suggested in early research which found that the process in which a child learns a new language is different prior to and post puberty. In one particular study done in the 1960s, it was stated that language could only be obtained in the critical period, which is the period between birth and puberty. This is when maturational and experiential forces lead the left side of the brain toward a notion for language learning. In other words, after puberty, language can’t be learned through the neural systems that are specifically for language learning - but rather the mechanisms that are used for general learning.

Ultimately, children are not necessarily better at learning languages when it comes to putting in time and effort, but they are undoubtedly better at acquiring phonetic structure and correct grammar of a foreign language.

What number of languages can children learn at one time?

This is a question for much debate. There are studies that suggest that children up to the age of five can learn as many as five languages at any one time. However, most experts agree that one additional language is best. There are also plenty of multilingual children out there. At the end of the day, all families are different, and the number of languages your child can learn at once depends on multiple factors.

If you are a monolingual family and only speak one language at home, it’s going to be more difficult for your child to pick up a foreign language. If you are able to speak multiple languages to your child or even just one other language, there is a greater chance that they are able to become bilingual fairly naturally.

While it's not always possible, the best scenario is if both parents speak a different language. If a child receives enough exposure to each language, then it should be easy for them to pick up both. If you are a monolingual household, some great ways to help your child in the language learning process is by sending them to a bilingual school, hiring a bilingual nanny, or, of course, enrolling them in a language learning course.

Learning another or a few other languages is extremely beneficial for your child. But remember to be realistic. If your child doesn’t have the necessary language resources to help them in the learning process, then they aren’t likely to become fluent. Make sure that your child is getting enough exposure and access to the resources necessary to help them succeed.