Frequently Asked Questions
When is the ideal age to teach a child a second language other than their mother tongue?
The basis of this view is based on brain development. It is emphasized that the ideal period is between the ages of 2 and adolescence, as the brain is not fully developed before the age of 2, and after adolescence, the brain becomes more mature, the right and left brain complete its development, and the malleability of the brain decreases. There are different opinions regarding this age range. According to Krashen (1973), the critical period is between the ages of 2 and 5, according to Pinker (1994), until the age of 6, according to Lenneberg (1967), until the age of 12, and according to Johnson and Newport (1989, 1991), it is until the age of 15. In short, research argues that, in terms of brain development and learning theories, the competence in learning a second language decreases with age.
We can say that the ideal age for learning a second language is early childhood and pre-adolescence. The earlier a child is exposed to a second language, the easier it will be for him to learn and use the second language fluently.
Is communicating bilingually with a baby who has not yet started speaking harmful to the child's language development? Does it delay his speech?
These children learn two languages spontaneously. They do not make a special effort to learn the language. Research emphasizes that exposure to a second language before the age of 5 occurs in a more natural process in terms of the brain's language learning mechanism. These children encode both languages into their brains and can spontaneously switch between the two languages. On the other hand Due to this coding process, it may be a little later for these children to start speaking, but this is not a cause for concern, on the contrary, it is a natural process.
Can a child learn two languages at the same time?
What advantages can language education have at a young age?
What method should families follow when they want to teach their children a foreign language in preschool?
For this reason, without being too insistent on the second language, the child can be exposed to the second language through play, taking into account the child's aptitude for the language. If the second language is to be learned in kindergarten, the child should go to a normal kindergarten for the first year to develop self-confidence and get used to school. In the second year of kindergarten or nursery, the child's general development can be evaluated and the child can be sent to a bilingual kindergarten. Since each child's development is different, it would be healthier to get support from an expert pedagogue.
In what cases should a second language not be taught?
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