Starting a second language during your child’s early childhood education classes is an excellent way to expose their nimble brains to new thought processes while creating unique neurological pathways. Language immersion is a great starting block for learning any new language. It allows your child to hear, speak, and practice a variety of language skills that they may not be getting at home. The three main components when learning a language involve reading, writing, and speaking that language. Speaking is the first and probably most critical component a young child will work with in the new language. Here are three reasons that it’s important to practice speaking a second language whenever possible.
Become a Better Listener
Learning to converse in a second language helps improve not only your child’s ability to articulate ideas but also their ability to listen. Having conversations with others, especially when their language skills are new, forces a child to really listen to what someone is saying to them. This then translates into their own native language. Additionally, speaking and listening to other individuals in a second language allows a child to learn about cultural differences, leading to a greater tolerance later in life.
Timely Feedback
Utilizing a foreign language with native speakers provides timely correction and feedback that wouldn’t happen when reading a book or practicing sentences. A native speaker is able to correct slight mistakes in grammar or pronunciation immediately, making sure that a child is learning the language correctly.
Learn the Native Language Better
Early childhood education is about learning all the basic skills, including social skills, that a child will need as they enter grade school. This includes learning the intricacies of a child’s native language as well. By speaking a second language, children can actually learn more about the grammar of their first language!
The benefits of being immersed in a second language, especially for children when they are young, are virtually endless and Crossing Borders Preschool can help jumpstart your child’s language learning.
