The Language Skills of Children

Studies by linguists show that children acquire their language in time, on their own, not by mimicking Mom and Dad necessarily. This is especially evident in cases in which the parents of a young child are using more improper grammar than their offspring. These rules can seem innate in children. A mother and father that are teaching their deaf child to use sign language may make mistakes, yet the child will learn to communicate correctly. This makes for a great argument that language is an instinct we are born with.

It is a fact that the easiest time for a human to learn an oral language is before the onset of puberty. Theories as to why this skill stops when it does include hormonal changes, distraction of the child by social changes, etc. It is highly recommended that a parent introduce at least one foreign language to their child while they are young. Even if the child does not become fluent, it will make it easier for them to acquire this language later in life.

There is a misconception by some parents that introducing more than one language at once will confuse a child. Nothing could be further from the truth. Children in bilingual households have no problem parsing sentences and figuring out which language is which. Many of us have seen this demonstrated when second generation immigrants (young children) translate for their parents or grandparents. This is natural for a child; they are like sponges.

Studies also show an increase in IQ points with each language that is acquired. That should motivate parents even more to expose their children to foreign languages. It is probably most sensible to make the languages ones that the children will be able to use when they are older. Here in America, it will be advantageous in the business world to speak Spanish, French, or Japanese.

If the parents aren't multilingual, there are ways of introducing languages other than teaching the children themselves. The BBC has a language program for children named "Muzzy". This is a program that includes cartoons, music CDs, and workbooks. Also, to get a head start, the Baby Einstein series has a DVD called "Language Nursery". Even young babies can benefit from the many languages on that DVD. It is good to think of these things while the children are very young, as they only have about 10-13 years before this language skill is gone.