FRENCH FOR YOUNGER LEARNERS» Nursery Schools» Primary Schools » Secondary Schools » Home Tuition » Why teach languages to young children? WHY TEACH FOREIGN LANGUAGES TO YOUNG CHILDREN?FACT Psychologically and emotionally, very young children deal better with a foreign language than older ones (and far better than most adults!). 1.Young children's social identity has not yet been established, therefore they don't feel threatened when confronted by a new language and/or culture. The foreign language is not so "foreign" but merely "different" 2.Children progressively build up their personality through interaction with the outside world. They are extremely open-minded and curious about everything: they welcome novelty and change. 3.Young children show great spontaneity and open-mindedness which allows them to be less fearful and inhibited than older children (8+) and adults. 4.The brain is in constant evolution throughout our lives, but it is in early childhood that its plasticity is at its greatest, allowing the brain multiple possibilities of functioning. Language in particular appears between one and three years of age (where the urge to communicate is immense) and usually becomes stable after the age of eight. Consequently, before the age of seven: Children's imitating and memorising capacities are at their greatest. Young children feel a great urge for speaking, communicating and experiencing with language.
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