Childhood bilingualism: 6 advantages in learning a new language early in life

Childhood bilingualism

Learning a second language is a really important step in anyone´s life. By acquiring knowledge and fluency in another language, individuals are prepared to deal with existing cultural differences in the globalized world we live in.

However, acquiring a second language as an adult may prove to be rather tricky since everyday life obligations and busyness often get in the way of accomplishing such task. In this way, learning another language in the early years of life ensures many benefits.

In this post, we’ll see the 6 main advantages of bilingualism on children´s development and why learning a foreign language at this stage is so crucial for their cognitive process. Keep reading!

1. It avoids common errors with collocation

Collocations are word partners that sound natural to native speakers. When communicating in a foreign language, we often infer the meaning and use of words from context we draw from our native tongue, consequently miscollocations often occur. Common grammar errors, heavy accents and mispronunciation, these are all issues that can be averted by a bilingual education. For example, the pronunciation of the consonants “th” in English. Portuguese native speakers learning English at an adult age often struggle with this type of sound. Since it does not exist in Portuguese enunciation, the sound articulation is completely unknown and challenging to them.
In childhood, our speech development occurs with greater fluidity. Children are capable to take in foreign words and sounds effortlessly, in fact just as seamlessly as learning their own mother tongue. It is at this stage that phonetic skills are being developed, making it easier to acquire fluency and excellence in pronunciation.

At this stage, a series of learning patterns are being developed in a child’s brain. As a consequence, to learn a second language in childhood makes it easier to learn more languages later, in adult life. So, for example, a person who learned to speak Portuguese and English fluently in childhood will readily learn Spanish or French as a grownup because the foundation for language acquisition is an experience already set and framed in the mind.

2. It develops thinking and reasoning skills

Childhood bilingualism stimulates the brain, in addition to developing creative thinking, problem solving skills, information processing and long-term memory abilities. In addition, bilingual individuals become capable of performing a far wider and more extensive range of multiple tasks. Canadian research shows that the acquisition of two languages in childhood denotes children more sensitive to differences, with deeper established critical thinking skills of analysis, evaluation and synthesis than monolingual children.

Have you noticed how quickly a child can memorize the words of popular songs or how relentless they become on waste recycling after attending a lecture about that same topic at school? Children are equipped with innately disposition to absorb content at blazing speed.

Second language learning can harness this capability. For instance, a person will never forget that “Eu te amo” means “I love you” if they learn that at the age of four.

3. It improves self-esteem and socialization

By learning a second language, we are forced to leave our comfort zone, regardless of how we learn it. We have to actively think in order to string words together in a sentence or a question in a foreign language, strengthening communication capacity development.

A child who is learning a second language will relate to this as something fun. Unquestionably, they are going to want to share their vocabulary discoveries with grownups and friends of their same age. This improves self-esteem because the child feels encouraged to share their linguistic evolution. Chances of becoming more outgoing also improves since they are motivated to discover more about the world that surrounds them — all due to the stimuli received while learning a second language.
With the appropriate teaching methodology, it is possible to learn in a playfully and in a progressive manner. Videos, games, music, series and books are very important means in this phase. Even if parents do not speak nor have any knowledge of the second language their children are learning, it is essential that they support learning, going along each step their children take towards fluency.

4. It increases the chances of personal and professional success

As previously stated, learning a second language is very important in everyone´s life. The increase in demand for language courses, especially English, reflects the reality of a world fully interconnected by telephone, media, social networks, television and the internet.

However, adults’ busy routine can prevent them from this head start. After all, how to find time to work, take a course, take care of the family and, on top of all that, learn a new language, with all its peculiar grammar and pronunciation characteristics.

Children have two advantages over adults in this scenario: free time and ease of learning. They are growing up and therefore they are naturally at a timely development stage to learn and develop communicative functions seamlessly, and at their own pace, while adults are often pressed to learn in record time due to some obligation or commitment.

In addition, the longer the time of study and fluency in a language, the more confident an individual feels to face challenges such as proficiency tests, exchange programs, international travels and job interviews that require bilingual skills. You may have already met adults who have studied English, but consider themselves as someone who knows very little so they refrain from using English until they become `truly fluent and knowledgeable´.

5. It expands one´s worldview

Learning a new language enables learning about new cultures, traditions and distinct viewpoints. Being a bilingual child causes this cultural baggage to develop earlier and above the expected average.

The study of a language such as English — spoken in various parts of the world — makes children realize that different locations have different ways of using and relating to the very same language. The English spoken in the United States is different from what is spoken in England, which in turn is different from what is spoken in Jamaica, and so on. Conversely, through English and school research, a child can explore and learn about customs and values from other parts of the world, expanding their world view and knowledge of other peoples.

6. It inserts the child in different contexts

One of the greatest concerns parents often have is that a bilingual child — especially in literacy phase — will mistake and switch words in different languages, and ultimately fail to distinguish and use the two languages properly. During the discovery phase, it is normal for the child to switch languages and mix Portuguese and English. This is part of the process and it is natural that, with time, they distinguish and use each language accordingly.

Children grow to learn and distinguish different social contexts and are capable of using both languages in their favor, correctly and fluently. Just encourage them and explain what these situations are.