Introducing Your Child to A Second Language Early On
Have you ever tried to learn another language and realized that it was a lot harder than it was to learn your first language? That is because you have already passed the period of your life when it is the easiest to pick up another language. You were in this language acquisition period when you first learned English. You probably do not remember learning English, but you picked it up rather quickly and easily. You were surrounded by people who spoke English and you were enrolled in schools that taught you your lessons in English. Without these aspects of the language process, it can be very difficult to learn a second or a third language. However, it can be very beneficial to provide these additional languages to your children during the time they are also learning English.
The earlier that you introduce your child to a foreign language the better, it seems that before the age of 10 is ideal, or even before the age of 5, if possible. Your child is already learning the different language rules of the English language and they are constantly learning new words and terms. Their brain is the most active during these years for language recognition and memorization, making it easier to learn an additional language. Preschool Spanish lessons are ideal for teaching your child Spanish, and they will become more fluent and have an easier time learning the Spanish language.
Many children have access to foreign languages in the school system, but not until they are teenagers and have already passed that language period. Many countries mandate the introduction of foreign language in schools by age eight, while students in the United States often wait until junior or senior high school for their first exposure to a foreign language curriculum, thus only having 4 years of study versus 10 or 12 years when introduced earlier. This contributes to why so many Americans only know their native language of English and have difficulty picking up any new language. Preschool Spanish lessons can really help a child begin the language learning process.
Spanish is a great language to teach young children because it is one of the easier languages to learn and because it is so widely used around the world. According to census reports, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. With 387 million native speakers, more people on Earth speak Spanish than English. The opportunities for Spanish speakers across the globe are endless! Preschool Spanish lessons will really open up many job and social opportunities for children when they get older and are fluent in the two most popular languages in the world.
Introducing Spanish to your young child really does not take that much planning or time out of regular lesson plans. Children who are enrolled in a public school setting may have more difficulty being emerged into another language, because the parent does not have control over the types of lessons that are taught. Preschool Spanish and preschool in elementary school are generally not taught in public school systems. However, the parent can introduce the child the Spanish curriculum at home. Children who are homeschooled may have an easier time picking up the language.
Childrens homeschool Spanish curriculum allows parents to introduce the language as they want. A homeschool Spanish curriculum will make the learning of the additional language much easier. Preschool Spanish lessons may also be the ideal time for these lessons to occur.
It is more difficult to learn a second or third language as an adult. When we are children, we are learning the English language and all of the rules and terms that apply to it. If we introduce secondary languages to a child during this language acquisition period, it is actually much easier to pick up the second language. Parents who want their children to learn additional languages should introduce them to these languages as young as possible. This allows them to utilize that language learning period.
