Research shows that this is often not the case. In fact, babyhood is that the very best time to find out a second language. kids UN agency expertise 2 languages from birth usually become native speakers of each, whereas adults usually struggle with second learning and infrequently attain native-like fluency.
But the question remains: Is it confusing for babies to find out 2 languages simultaneously?
WHEN DO BABIES LEARN LANGUAGE?
Research shows babies begin to find out language sounds before they're even born. within the female internal reproductive organ, a mother's voice is one in every of the foremost outstanding sounds Associate in Nursing unborn baby hears. By the time they are born, newborns can't solely tell the distinction between their mother's language and another language, however additionally show a capability of identifying between languages.
Language learning depends on the process of sounds. All the world's languages place along comprise regarding 800 close to sounds. every language uses solely regarding forty language sounds, or "phonemes", that distinguish one language from another.
At birth, the baby brain has Associate in Nursing uncommon gift: it will tell the distinction between all 800 sounds. this implies that at this stage, infants will learn any language they're exposed to. Gradually, babies comprehend that sounds they're hearing the foremost.
Between six and twelve months, infants UN agency age in monolingual households become a lot of specialised within the set of sounds in their language.
In alternative words, they become "native language specialists". And, by their 1st birthdays, monolingual infants begin to lose their ability to listen to the variations between foreign language sounds.
STUDYING BABY BRAINS
What regarding those babies UN agency hear 2 languages from birth?
Can a baby brain concentrate on 2 languages? If therefore, however is that this method completely different from specialising in a very single language?
Knowing however the baby brain learns one versus 2 languages is very important for understanding the organic process milestones in learning to talk. for instance, folks of bilingual kids usually surprise what's and is not typical or expected, or however their kid can disagree from those kids UN agency area unit learning one language.
My collaborators and that i recently studied the brain process of language sounds in 11-month-old babies from monolingual (English only) and bilingual (Spanish-English) homes. we have a tendency to used a totally non-invasive technology referred to as magnetoencephalography (MEG), that exactly pinpointed the temporal arrangement and site of activity within the brain because the babies listened to Spanish and English syllables.
We found some key variations between infants raised in monolingual versus bilingual homes. At eleven months getting on, simply before most babies begin to mention their 1st words, the brain recordings discovered that:
•Babies from monolingual English households area unit specialised to method the sounds of English, and not the sounds of Spanish, Associate in Nursing unacquainted language.
•Babies from bilingual Spanish-English households area unit specialised to method the sounds of each languages, Spanish and English.
Our findings show that babies' brains become tuned to no matter language or languages they hear from their caregivers.
A monolingual brain becomes tuned to the sounds of 1 language, and a bilingual brain becomes tuned to the sounds of 2 languages. By eleven months getting on, the activity within the babies' brain reflects the language or languages that they need been exposed to.
IS IT OKAY to find out 2 LANGUAGES?
This has vital implications. folks of monolingual and bilingual kids alike area unit hopeful for their very little ones to utter their 1st words. it's Associate in Nursing exciting time to find out a lot of regarding what the baby is thinking. However, a standard concern, particularly for bilingual folks, is that their kid isn't learning quick enough.
We found that the bilingual babies showed Associate in Nursing equally sturdy brain response to English sounds because the monolingual babies. this means that bilingual babies were learning English at identical rate because the monolingual babies.
Parents of bilingual kids additionally worry that their kids won't grasp as several words as kids UN agency area unit raised with one language.
To some extent, this concern is valid. Bilingual infants split their time between 2 languages, and thus, on average, hear fewer words in every. However, studies systematically show that bilingual kids don't lag behind once each languages area unit thought-about.
Vocabulary sizes of bilingual kids, once combined across each languages, are found to be up to or bigger than those of monolingual kids.
Another common concern is that bilingualism causes confusion. a part of this concern arises owing to "code-switching", a speaking behaviour during which bilinguals mix each languages.
For example, my four-year-old son, UN agency speaks English, Spanish and Slovenian, goes as so much as victimisation Slovenian endings on Spanish and English words. analysis shows bilingual kids code-switch as a result of bilingual adults around them do too. Code-switching in bilingual adults and youngsters is lawful, not haphazard.
Unlike monolingual kids, bilingual kids have another language from that they will simply borrow if they cannot quickly retrieve the acceptable word in one language. Even two-year-olds modulate their language to match the language utilized by their interlocutor.
Researchers have shown code- change to be a part of a bilingual child's traditional language development. And it may even be the start of what offers them the additional psychological feature art referred to as the "bilingual advantage".
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