Why is it important to start early?
Importance of early language learning
Young brains are hard wired to acquire language. Research has shown that young children have a unique ability to absorb a second language naturally. Experts estimate that by age 8-12, humans already begin to lose the ability to hear and say new sounds. Taking advantage of the window of opportunity that exists between birth and adolescence allows a child to optimize his or her learning potential, and speak the second language with a native accent and absorb grammatical structure naturally. In addition, studies show that young children who learn a second language enjoy many additional cognitive benefits:
- They do significantly better at tasks requiring divergent thinking, problem solving, and figural creativity (Landry, 1974);
- They score higher on standardized tests in language arts, reading, and math than students not enrolled in foreign language programs (Rafferty, 1986; Garfinkel and Tabor, 1991);
- They score higher on the SAT and ACT than students not enrolled in foreign language programs (Cooper, 1987; Olsen and Brown, 1989);
- They have the ability to excel in the pronunciation of a foreign language (Dulay, Burt, and Krashen, 1982);
- They show greater cognitive development in higher order thinking skills (Foster and Reeves, 1989);
- They are more open to cultural diversity (Carpenter and Torney, 1974; Hancock and Lipton et al., 1976); and
- They have an improved self-concept and sense of achievement (Masciantonio, 1977).