Nowadays, the urge to start giving kids exposure to learn English is not merely based on trends, but more on an understandable need. As English has evolved into one of the world’s most spoken languages, some parents are considering teaching their kids English earlier. So, what is the best age to learn English?
There are many theories discussing this topic. Here, we compiled and explained what age is best to learn a language, including English. Check it out!
What is the Best Age to Start Learning English?
Some people say that the earlier you start, the better you will be. Well, is this statement fully correct? Let’s break it down in the explanation below.
For quite a long time, there had been a belief spreading around that teaching a kid two languages at the same time—in this case, Bahasa Indonesia and English—was more detrimental to their development instead of advantageous. However, many studies debunked this theory and found that bilingualism turns out to be beneficial!
According to Pinter[1], in terms of learning a second or foreign language, children at a young age tend to polish their ability to manipulate and label language easily with their early metalinguistic awareness.
As children are exposed to their first and second or foreign languages simultaneously, they will be more aware of the language systems used in both languages.
Then, when are the critical periods for learning a language? You can start giving your children exposure at their early ages (<11-12 years old). The exposure to English will act as stimulation to help them grasp the idea of a second or foreign language as well as the language system.
Therefore, if you want to start teaching your kids English earlier, you can go on and start as early as you want to.
Benefits of Starting It Earlier
Some researchers revealed the benefits of starting it young. Compared to those who start later, early starters of English learning have some beneficial aspects during their learning experience.
First, the children who start earlier tend to be less anxious when it comes to learning the language since they are already getting used to it. Therefore, they can spend more time and enjoy their learning activity more.
Then, children who start earlier will be more attuned to the system of the second or foreign language in terms of its phonology. This is because children tend to be more sensitive to the rhythm, sounds, and pattern of intonation of the new language.
However, children who started learning a bit late might have different benefits. As their cognitive skill has developed more maturely, their way of learning will be more efficient and analytical. The difference with the early starters is that they didn’t have an early start in learning English.
All in all, it will be beneficial if you train early starters to be consistent in English learning and give the best input to get the best output.
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So, if you’re still questioning “what is the best age to learn English?”, the answer is that there is no specific age. But, you can always start giving exposure to English from an early age. Interested in joining our course? Contact us here right away!