Perfect Timing – Teach Your Child A Second Language
What is perfect timing? Look at the big picture it can be when to start teaching your child a second language. When looking at the day-to-day learning it could be when your child is at the peak of the day to try something new.
Babies are great with languages. They listen to the sounds around them even before they were born. Dr. Patricia Khul, co-director of the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington shares her research with Mandarin in The linguistic Genius of Babies TED Talk. Language learning is an on-going process. When you start a new language with your child you will keep it going so your child can keep learning.
The perfect timing for learning a new language can be at any age for a child even if your child is no longer an infant. What is important is that you can learn with your child together and your interaction with your child in the new language, the target language.
On a daily practice scale, time is important because we want to make sure that the kids are in a relaxed spirit and they are not tired. Chinese kids in China and Taiwan often have math, science, and foreign language classes in the morning. Morning time is considered the peak time for learning in Chinese society.
But, morning is not the only time. As you know your child’s schedule you can test out different time slots with language learning.
When you look at the timing make sure you also take care of yourself because your joy will also pass on to your child.
image by Alex Proimos
