{"id":28444,"date":"2019-10-07T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/?p=28444"},"modified":"2021-09-09T09:13:42","modified_gmt":"2021-09-09T14:13:42","slug":"4-reasons-young-children-should-learn-a-foreign-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/4-reasons-young-children-should-learn-a-foreign-language\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Reasons Young Children Should Learn A Foreign Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"teacher,<\/p>\n

The benefits of children learning a foreign language at a young age.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We all know there are numerous benefits to learning a second language as an adult, but what about the benefits of learning a foreign language as a child? In addition to being able to speak to people from other countries whether on vacation or helping a tourist at home, children who grow up in a dual-language household or who are enrolled in a bilingual school gain other benefits relating to academics, world view, empathy, and confidence.<\/p>\n

So, just how young should children start to learn a second language?<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe earlier your child starts the better,\u201d says Sharon Huang, Founder of HudsonWay Immersion School (HWIS). \u201cThere\u2019s actually some very interesting research by Patricia Kuhl, author of The Scientist in the Crib, where she discusses the fact that babies as young as six months begin to tune out sounds that are not in their native language. This means that exposing a child as early as possible enables that child to pick up and replicate any language before their brain becomes specialized in only one language.\u201d<\/p>\n

While not all families are lucky enough to have one parent speak only in English and the other parent speak in a second language, there are ways you can introduce a second language to your young child, whether you hire a child care provider who speaks another language or you enroll your child in an immersive, bilingual school starting in preschool.<\/p>\n

4 Reasons Your Child Should Learn a Second Language at a Young Age<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It stretches your child\u2019s brain.<\/h3>\n

Learning a second language exercises your child\u2019s brain and increases her intelligence, says Patti Summers, director of early childhood education at HWIS. After all, your child has to keep the languages separate in her head. And once she has learned a second language, it\u2019s easier to learn a third and fourth because she has the flexibility in the brain around learning languages (aka language proficiency), Huang says.<\/p>\n

Plus, learning a foreign language in an immersion program, specifically, can enhance your child\u2019s the ability to:<\/p>\n