CC BY
11
Soatova G.K. senior teacher 3rd faculty
Department of Theoretical Aspects of English
UzSWLU
THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES FROM A
YOUNGER AGE
Abstract. As globalization develops in this era, the need for learning other languages has been extremely crucial, especially English. Over the years English has become a lingua franca. The internet has accelerated the need for learning English twofold and more and more youngsters are being adamant about learning this language better. Even children are being encouraged to learn it from the early stages of their life. There are several benefits of learning languages from an early age. This paper attempts to clarify the importance of learning a foreign language from an earlier age.
Keywords: children, language learning, early.
Children have an innate ability to learn languages. Young children quickly absorb languages, including English, like a sponge. Anyone who has attempted to study a foreign language will appreciate the difficulties we encounter while trying to develop fluency. Your mind is always filled with questions like "Is it really worth it?" and "It will never come naturally." Along the way, we've all been there. The process of learning a language is quite tedious, but we must have patience. I've realized how fortunate bilingual kids are as a result of my language learning. They don't go through that awkward verb conjugation wait when speaking with you. For them, it comes naturally. Have you ever wondered why?
Their brains almost seem like sponges. They absorb twice as many words since they are exposed to two languages from birth. Besides, young children learn a lot in such a short period of time. Going to school and learning how to behave, speak, write and read. For adults who work full-time, it's a lot more difficult, but for those who spend their free time learning languages, it's a bit of a treat.
1. Perfect pronunciation. Young children have an amazing ability to learn foreign languages without an accent. This ability usually declines with age, especially after her 10-12 years of age. Children are more likely to pick up the same accent as foreign native speakers. Children learn by observing other people, so they quickly begin to imitate those around them, including the way they speak.
2. Increased cognitive ability. Studies have found that bilingual children often exhibit higher cognitive abilities, such as a better understanding of shapes and patterns. Our brain has an incredible function when it comes to memory. The more we learn, the better it will be. While learning a foreign language one must
study hard and learn more vocabulary. This in turn helps to increase the ability of our brain.
3. Global language. English is the official language of 60 countries and is widely spoken in many more. Moreover, it is also the official language of major international organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union. Languages, especially their popularity, are greatly influenced by political and geographical factors. Thanks to this dependency, English has become the most widely spoken language in the world. British and American colonization led to a large portion of the world's population speaking English as their first language. The UK and US are two of the most important political powers in the world, which means the UK economy is thriving. As a result, English has become the primary engine of communication in business. Moreover, English is the dominant language in more than 60 countries around the world, today, with more than 2 billion people expected to be fluent in English, according to a report by the British Council. This means that about a quarter of the world's population will be able to communicate freely in languages that are not necessarily their mother tongue. Due to political and historical factors, English is widely spoken around the world, but today the growth of business and its importance in communication have made the language more popular. A window to other cultures. Understanding English opens up a rich cultural world and gives you access to a wide variety of books, music, movies and online content.
Furthermore, with devotion and hard work, native speakers are influencing the spread of English throughout the net. We can have one-click access to the explanation of any English-related topics or rules as well as how-to-speak-fluently rules on Youtube. Learners are able to learn English not going out of their houses. The next major factor is Netflix's resources. It is full of various genre movies and TV series which is a pastime activity of millions of viewers. In terms of learners, they watch Netflix for the purpose of enhancing their vocabulary and improving their speaking skills.
4. The language of many industries. English is used in aviation, science, diplomacy, tourism and many other industries. Knowledge of the English language opens doors to a wide variety of career opportunities. A person who has proof of Language ability does not find it difficult when applying for a job. As an example, in Uzbekistan, a good many organizations and workplaces demand a certificate of Language proof from candidates.
5. Educational Opportunities. English is the language of higher education. World-famous universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are English-speaking universities. Knowledge of the English language allows access to these and many other prestigious institutions. Today's youngsters are being raised in the spirit of gaining more knowledge. Learning a language can be considered as the main goal. Children who have started learning English from an early age are competing with
young adults to get an IELTS certificate. Indeed, it is the fruit of early learning of foreign languages.
Improving native language skills. Learning English improves your general language skills, understanding of language structures, and thus your native language skills. Children who have the potential to know other languages better can achieve more results than others. Progress in studies. Many academic papers and resources are written in English, so knowing English can open up a wealth of academic knowledge and research.
A young child will learn any language and as many languages as people around them speak. Think about that for a moment. No one actually sits down and gives the child a language lesson; they just "get it." What kind of miracle is happening in the brain in those early years that lets this happen? This is the result, primarily of the effortless brain plasticity that happens in the early years (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.). We older humans can still learn languages (at any age), but we have to put in a lot more work to do so.
That means how early we start learning other languages the effectiveness will be better. Studies show that children who started learning any language make fewer pronunciation errors than children who started later. Early learning gives the opportunity of speaking at the near-native level. However, anyone who studies hard and tries to speak fluently can reach the near-native level by hard work.
Factors influencing Early Language Learning
Parental factors play a tremendous role in starting early learning of foreign languages. These typically measured by parental income, educational background, and/or occupations, are associated with the student's academic achievement at school. (Y.G. Butler, 2014). Normally, children are intelligent and absorb knowledge quickly from an early age, however, their socio-economic status (SES) may be a barrier to learning foreign languages at an early age.
Parents' general views and behaviours include their parenting techniques, worldview, locus of control, efficacy beliefs, and other topics. The parent's child-specific views pertain to the parent's expectations for their children's success as well as their beliefs about their children's capacities. The parent-specific behaviours include things like how much time they spend with the kids, how they teach them, how they help them with their careers, how they encourage them to join in different activities, and so on. The achievement of the kid in school has been proven to be influenced by creating an atmosphere where the child can be exposed to academically oriented terminology and texts (e.g. Goldenberg, Rueda, and August 2008). The level of English support offered at home may be measured by parents' English proficiency, or it may be determined by indirect modeling (for example, Portes and Hao 1998)
References:
1. Butler, Y. G. / 2014 / Parental factors in early English education as a foreign language: A case study in Mainland China / Research Papers in Education 29 (4): 410 ~437
2. J. Baumert, J. Fleckenstein, M. Leucht, O. Köller, J. Möller
The long-term proficiency of early, middle, and late starters learning English as a foreign language at school: A narrative review and empirical study
3. The effectiveness of early foreign language learning in The Netherlands Studies In Second Language Learning And Teaching, 3 (2014), pp. 409-418,
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5. Goldenberg, C,R,S. Rueda, and D. August. 2008. Sociocultural contexts and literacy development. In Developing reading and writing in second-language learners, eds. D.August and T.Shanahan, 95-129. New York: Routledge
6. Portes, A., and Hao. 1998. E pluribus unum: Bilingualism and loss in the second generation. Sociology of Education 71(4): 269-294
