Learning a Second Language

A parent comes to school on the second day to complain that her three year old son came home without having learned to speak English! The mother criticizes the school program and wants to know when he is going to “learn English.” While this story is extreme, for many children, families and school programs, this type of situation is typical. Second-language instruction is a regular part of education. However, the process can be confusing and often leads to more questions than answers.

To begin with, we have to look at how children learn a language – any language. Remember when your child was a little baby; he was just lying there and couldn’t even hold his head up! But, you talked to him all the time. You talked to others around your baby. Other people, the TV and radio talked around your baby as well. You could say that you bathed your baby in words! Well, this was an important part of language learning. Babies are learning the sounds and rhythm of the language. They look at facial expressions and tones of voice. These little things are the first steps of language learning. Here is an overview of the basic steps of language learning:
Crying, smiling, and making small sounds during the first few months.
Babbling more and more different sounds during the middle of the first year.
Moving to single words to indicate their needs during the end of the first year.
Single words increasing and beginning to put two words together between one and two years old.
Simple sentences with a few words and rapidly adding vocabulary between two and three years old.
Expanding sentences with more parts of speech, such as additional grammar, and a range of verb tenses and increased details, and being able to talk about a wide range of topics in the stage of three and five years old.
These steps set the pattern for learning a second language. People will start with listening – sometimes for a very long time. They will move on to speaking single words. Later, they will put a few words together and, eventually, move into sentences. Learning a new language will take a lot of time and practice.
Research on language development has affected the ways in which foreign languages are taught. The traditional model is where a child is exposed repeatedly to a language until he just gets it! This is called Immersion. Children are typically forbidden to use their first language in the school setting. The goal here is to get children to understand and use the new language as quickly as possible. Another learning theory believes that strengthening the first language will naturally promote the learning of a second language. Dual Language develops the primary and the secondary language simultaneously. The goal in Dual Language is to create students who are strongly bilingual. Finally, there is the Special Class approach. Here, a foreign language is a distinct subject in a daily schedule. This approach allows for a more basic overview of the language and deepens appreciation for the culture. Thus, the goals for language learning are shaped by the program approach. It would be a good idea to learn more about how your child’s school is teaching foreign languages.
The greatest gifts that you can give your child in their learning are time, patience and understanding. Despite the fact that children appear to learn some things very quickly, this is not necessarily the case. Think of all the hours devoted to trying to teach them to close the refrigerator or finish their homework. There are also activities and opportunities that families can provide for children, even when they don’t speak the second-language themselves.
FOLLOW THESE TIPS!
Get involved – Children watch what you do! Try a foreign language course yourself. Demonstrate your own curiosity about different languages, people and cultures. Children learn most from what you do and say. They may be more motivated when you want to try food from England or see a French movie!
Media – Children can gain language through watching appropriate movies. Some experts suggest avoiding cartoons because of poor language levels and distorted pronunciations. Instead show the child an age appropriate family movie in their mother tongue (primary language) the first several times. Let them understand the movie completely, and then turn on the English, German or French version for example. The child already knows the story in his mother tongue and can now infer second language meanings. Young children pick up on the repetitive nature of these shows and can begin to pick up words and phrases in the new language. Cartoon channels tend to be too fast-paced and action-oriented to develop children’s language.
Bookstores – Visit bookstores and look at books in the second language. Some bookstores have cafes. You don’t always have to buy something!
Libraries – Get a membership to a library. Check its storybook and media collection that uses the second language.
Play – Games, such as UNO, lotto, Connect Four and dominoes encourage your child’s thinking and language skills. Children’s’ abilities to solve problems, explain their ideas and create make them better learners! Play can be sporty, artistic or conversational. Play activities provide lots of opportunities for comments, questions and conversation. Playing UNO together will bring chances to count, match colors and say “It’s my turn!” in English. Playing Barbie or Fulla together can encourage your child to practice their “Bonjour” and “Merci” skills in a pretend birthday party. Maybe you could kick the soccer ball back and forth, while counting in German “ein, zwei, drei…” Thus, a child saying “Today I played” may really be summarizing how they gained vocabulary through a song, practiced their grammar at the lunch table and dramatized social-language situations.
Shopping – The next time that you visit the supermarket or the mall, remember to work in some second language practice.
Restaurants – They are also a great place to learn the names of food, practice reading menus and using money in a second language.
Socializing – Expose your children to as many native-language speakers as you can.
Once you read over these ideas, you will probably come up with several of your own! Thinking and knowing more about language learning helps you to create possible learning options for your child.