Language Learning in Young Children: Myths and Realities

IS YOUNGER BETTER?

Two central ideas which lie behind the popular assumption that 'younger is better' are:

1. the widely-held view that since young children learn their mother tongue so quickly and effectively, they will be able to pick up a foreign language in the same way, without ever having to make any real effort.
2. the concept of a critical or sensitive period, an idea developed around the mid-20th century of a 'magic' period in children's lives (usually identified as up to the age of about 12) after which their brains lose plasticity and they are no longer capable of learning another language so effectively.

THE MOTHER TONGUE

In the case of mother tongue acquisition, children are learning language at the same time as they are discovering who they are, establishing vital family relationships and beginning to make sense of the world. This experience is fundamentally different to the contrived encounter with a foreign language, possibly two or three times a week and often with someone (the teacher) not known personally very well.

A CRITICAL PERIOD?

Although a critical or sensitive period is generally agreed to exist for mother tongue acquisition (and there are strong and weak versions of this), there is little conclusive evidence to support the idea of a critical or sensitive period for foreign language learning, except in the case of children learning a second language in naturalistic conditions, where there is lengthy exposure to the language and the degree of motivation is very high.

CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG CHILDREN VS OLDER LEARNERS

While there may not be a magic age for starting a foreign language, there is no doubt that young children are in a crucial formative phase of their social, psychological, physical, emotional, and cognitive development. This may positively influence and benefit language learning in formal language teaching situations.

PIAGET

The teaching of children has been profoundly affected by the work of Jean Piaget, who identified four stages of cognitive and affective development in childhood and adolescence. The child develops cognitively through active involvement with the environment, and each new step in development builds on and becomes integrated with previous steps. Because two of the four shifts in developmental stage normally occur during the elementary school years, it is important for language teachers working with children to keep the characteristics of each cognitive stage in mind. They are as follows:

1. The stage of sensory-motor intelligence (age 0 to 2 years). During this stage, behavior is primarily motor. The child does not yet internally represent events and 'think' conceptually, although cognitive development is seen as schemata are constructed.
2. The stage of preoperational thought (age 2 to 7 years). This stage is characterized by the development of language and other forms of representation and rapid conceptual development. Reasoning during this stage is pre-logical or semi-logical, and children tend to be very egocentric. Children often focus on a single feature of a situation at a time - for example, they may be able to sort by size or by color but not by both characteristics at once.
3. The stage of concrete operations (age 7 to 11 years). During these years, the child develops the ability to apply logical thought to concrete problems. Hands-on, concrete experiences help children understand new concepts and ideas. Using language to exchange information becomes much more important than in earlier stages, as children become more social and less egocentric.
4. The stage of formal operations (age 11 to 15 years or older). During this stage, the child's cognitive structures reach their highest level of development. The child becomes able to apply logical reasoning to all classes of problems, including abstract problems either not coming from the child's direct experience or having no concrete referents.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SETTING UP AND USING ACTIVITIES

• Prepare the language.
• Use a familiar signal.
• Wait until everyone is quiet.
• Announce the general nature and purpose of the activity.
• Establish a context.
• Divide the class.
• Give clear instructions.
• Do a demonstration.
• Check that children understand.
• Give a signal to start.