Patricia Kuhl is a name I first heard about when I read the book Brain Rules for Baby. She was referenced when Medina shared some of the findings from her amazing research on how children learn language.
On the Linguistic Genius of Babies
Based on Kuhl’s research, if you want to teach your child a second language, you have to start in your baby’s first year of life. Beyond that first year, your child will have lost the ability to discern sounds from languages other than those that he is exposed to on a regular basis. This is because children take statistics on the linguistic sounds that they commonly hear and pay attention only to those sounds. Because of their ability to learn any language in that first year of life, Kuhl calls babies “citizens of the world”. Once past their first year, they become like the rest of us. No wonder Gavin speaks like a “gwai loh” despite being exposed to Mandarin at school – it was simply a case of too little, too late.
Another thing that Kuhl also discovered with her research was that children can only learn languages from a live person. They cannot learn from a TV or radio because of the social nature of babies. So if you want your baby to learn a second language, playing recordings or even DVDs won’t cut it. You need a real live person speaking to your baby.
Kuhl also mentions the critical period of learning in the first seven years of life (as does Maria Montessori, Glenn Doman, Shichida, etc.). Once we’re past our teenage years, it’s all downhill. This is all the more reason to focus on early childhood education. It’s not just a case of kiasu-ness (read: being competitive because you’re afraid of losing out), it’s about having your child’s best interests at heart.
Kuhl has a very interesting talk on TED which I thought was worth watching. Have a look at it below:
Update – new articles on this subject:
- The Bilingual Brain May Start to Fade by Age 1 – Futurity.
MieVee @ MummysReviews.com says
Definitely agree, it’s much easier to pick up languages in the early years. My boy speaks English and Mandarin with accurate pronunciation and enunciation because we use both languages with him at home. He learns Bahasa Melayu by conversing with the helper. It’s out of necessity because he’d need to master 3 languages in a Malaysian Mandarin primary school.
Shen-Li says
Unfortunately, we missed Gavin’s window. I knew he needed to learn early, but I never realised the window was so small. By the time we were onto another language, he was already past one. Gareth, at least, will benefit. He’ll have Hokkien and English. Hopefully, Mandarin (but I’m doing this so it’s not like he’s getting an authentic teacher). Heck, sometimes I’m sure I mispronounce things and who knows what that does for his learning!
MieVee @ MummysReviews.com says
Are you learning Han Yu Pin Yin? If you know pinyin, it’s much easier to grasp the right pronunciation. Mandarin is a lot harder because of the 4 intonations, which English has none.
Another thing: avoid getting Chinese books with the pinyin under every Chinese character. These will not help the child recognise the characters. Yet these irritating books are all over bookstores. I just bought a few good Chinese reading series. The pinyin are at the end of the book, for parent’s guide only, so the child doesn’t see them and get confused. If you need to know more details, just drop me a note.
And starting late might be ok for some too. I’d a Russian professor who studied Mandarin in Beijing and speaks like a native!
Irene Ng says
Hi Mie Vee
Do share the series…I do send Ben to BaoBei but I would like to reinfoce reading at home. I find that as parents, we do influence our children the most. Unfortunately I dont read Mandarin. So a book with a separate PinYin will be great!
Shen-Li says
Mie Vee – I can’t read pin yin. I can barely speak Mandarin. Hardly even understand. So it’s really an uphill battle for me to teach the kids. But we’re trying. I just want them exposed and hopefully they will not be a banana like me when they grow up.
MieVee @ MummysReviews.com says
Have shared the two Chinese reading series at http://www.mummysreviews.com/2011/04/09/developmental-milestones-vee-25-months-old/
For non-Chinese speakers, I’d suggest the first series ??? (wo2 hui4 du2). It starts off very simply, with word for word pinyin on the last page, and English translation.
Shen-Li says
Thanks MieVee – your information is always very thoroughly researched and helpful!
MieVee @ MummysReviews.com says
You’re most welcome. We’re helping one another to be the best teachers for our young ones. 🙂