When Is the Best Time for Children to Start Learning a Second Language

During the several past decades parents have been exposed to many conflicting studies and claims about children’s learning processes especially when it comes to languages. It is clear today that no scientific conclusion applies to all children nor it should, however, one thing is certain, the learning process comes easy and fast at a very young age. Therefore, when it comes to teaching your child a second language there is a universal answer – the sooner the better. 

During the first years of their life, children can learn two languages almost effortlessly, developing natural pronunciation. That is the reason why many bilingual families raise their children as bilinguals or in some cases multilingual. Monolingual parents, on the other hand, can also help their children become fluent in foreign language at a young age. Moreover, in today’s digital era it’s easier than ever to help them “pick up” a second language to start with. 

There are many ways to introduce a foreign language to your children. Surveys say one of the most efficient ways in helping children learn foreign language is by using online language learning platforms, such as Live Lingua. It is equally as good for parents wanting to learn to teach their children or for school-age children ready to master a second language fast. 

Depending on what you decide is best for your child’s development, choosing the right age to start the language learning process, might affect the success. Therefore, in this article we will take a look at what age is the most recommended for developing certain language skills in children. 

Bilingual, Multilingual or Fluent? 

Not so long ago parents feared that teaching their children two languages from birth will confuse them and delay their speech development. Lucky to all children, since then, science and many real life examples have come to the conclusion that children have the superpower to learn and speak two languages without any problems or confusion. Moreover, only babies and infants have the ability to develop the same language skills for different languages, without any pronunciation problems. Therefore, bilingual children are those that can speak and think in two languages equally and not go through the process of translating a sentence from the second language to their native in order to understand the meaning. It can be said that they are native speakers in both languages learned from birth. 

Consequently, parents that have the intention to help their children become bilingual should start communicating with them in both languages since birth. 

Children that start off as bilinguals are expected to become multilingual in their lifetime. There has been scientific evidence that brain development in bilingual children helps them achieve great cognitive skills and become fast learners. Moreover, they can easily become fluent in many languages that they will study further on in their life. 

Fluent, that is the right expression for a person that can speak a second or foreign language fluently. Often, people that speak two languages think of themselves as bilinguals, however, when one uses translation to native in order to comprehend the foreign language it is not the case of bilingualism. Taking this into consideration if you are raising a monolingual child the truth is you can offer them to become fluent in one or more foreign languages. Well then what is the best time to start? 

What is the Best Age for Monolingual Children to Start Developing Foreign Language Skills? 

Overall, there are two good options when it comes to deciding when you will start teaching your child a second language. 

As Young as Possible

Some parents choose to start this as soon as possible, meaning, as soon as their child has grasped the native tongue. Children at this age will learn the vocabulary fast and can become interested in media presented in a certain foreign language. However, communication is the key so to achieve good language skills, therefore, a child should have someone to communicate with using the foreign language. Parents either choose daycares that use foreign language in the educational process, hire a foreign nanny or rather teach their children a foreign language they speak fluently. 

Between Six Years Old and Puberty

The other option is for your child to start learning a foreign language as soon as he/she enrolls in school. In this particular age they will start learning the language as part of their overall education process, meaning it can be done in school, with private online tutoring or private language school. Therefore, the best age to start is around six and definitely before puberty. 

These suggestions may certainly help your child achieve great language skills, however, regardless of what age your child is, it is never a wrong moment to provide them with the chance to learn a foreign language. Therefore, the only right answer to the question when is the best time for children to start learning a second language is – today!