Anyone who has ever tried to learn a language can find that learning foreign language is a frustrating experience. No exceptions for children, although many believe that children learning a second language will be easier than adults. This is only true for children who grow up in a variety of languages around them, not just in school. Here are some common misconceptions about second language learning in children.
Children learn second language very quickly and easily
Often, many claim that the superiority of children in learning is due to the child’s brain being more flexible than adults. However, comparative studies between children and adults have consistently demonstrated that under controlled conditions, adolescents and adults can learn language 2 better than children.
Therefore, in order to apply knowledge into practice, teachers should not expect outstanding results from children in learning English as a second language and should understand that learning foreign language is difficult for the whole child. you and the adults.
The younger the child, the more language skills are learned
There are many theories that young children can learn to pronounce better. For example, in 1976, Oyama’s research found that a second language learner sooner or later will pronounce as much as a native speaker. This indicates that you need to learning foreign language as soon as possible. Studies show that older students will achieve results faster, although younger children have an advantage in pronunciation.
Certainly, starting language instruction in Grade 1 will give children more exposure than they did in Year 6, but the exposure itself does not guarantee a good result. when learning foreign language.
Learning foreign language through the context as much as the results will be achieved faster
Many educators believe that children in non-English speaking countries will learn English better through a full-time taught English program. These programs offer more time to learn English than bilingual classes. However, this study also indicates that increasing contact with English does not mean accelerating the pace of English acquisition.
Through the length of the program, children in bilingual classes in contact with their mother tongue and English still need the same English skills as children learning entirely in English. This is not as many people expected because the time spent doing the exercises is not the most important factor for learning the language. Teachers need to understand that using bilingual language in the bilingual classroom also has many benefits: allowing children to maintain schooling, strengthen family-school relationships, and Allow children to participate more in school activities.
Success in learning foreign language is when they can talk in that language
Some teachers say that when children can talk freely in English, they have a firm grasp of that language. However, for school-age children, communication proficiency does not mean that they will master the complex academic language, but need to participate in more classes. Teachers should recognize that integrated learning is based on the assessment of linguistic competence through communication, and requires a comprehensive cognitive test to determine the level of competence. the real language of the child.
All children learning foreign language in the same way
While in large cities, urbanized with modern environments, children are fully developed in their knowledge and active learning programs, in suburbs or places where there are no facilities. material, teaching is done passively, through observation, supervision of attendance, and the study of memorization and the examination of knowledge is not primarily through examinations but based on evaluation during the learning process.
Therefore, applying the same methodology to all children is not appropriate. In addition, some children are accustomed to learning from their peers from adults. At school, they may pay attention to what peers do rather than what teachers are saying.
