Tell a Friend Home Print Language: ABOUT US MISSION METHODOLOGY WHY LEARN ENGLISH CONTACT US FAQS Why should a young child learn English as a second language? With globalisation, English has become the international language of business. It’s the global language. If your child speaks good English, it is an asset to him / her. The advantage of good English offers opportunities and opens doors both economically and socially. But why start at a young age? Studies have shown that children are able to learn languages better from the ages of 2-5. Early learning of English may also promote faster intellectual development. There is also the benefit of improved self confidence, social skills and self esteem. You may have found from your own experience that learning a second language is easier when you’re young. So start them young!   Should a child be exposed to two languages simultaneously? Or should the native language be established first? Children are extremely gifted, talented individuals. Studies suggest that your child is likely to easily learn his / her native language and a second language simultaneously. With correct guidance, learning English alongside the native language occurs naturally and effortlessly with all children from the ages of 2-5 years old. Research suggests that the ‘gate’ for simultaneous language learning closes at eleven years of age. This is another reason to get your kids to start young!   Will learning two languages simultaneously mentally strain my young child? Research shows otherwise. If your child is between 2 and 5 years of age, he / she will process both languages in the same hemisphere of the brain. If he / she is aged 11 and above, then both hemispheres of the brain are used – resulting in more mental strain for the child. Once again, it is advantageous to start your child between the ages of 2 and 5.   Will my child mix up the languages and speak incorrectly? The normal situation for children is to learn the native language between 1 and 5 years old. The bilingual child learns the second language – in this case, English – slightly later and slightly slower than the native language. The net effect of this is that native language development remains standard. The second language – in this case, English – will be a little mixed up at first but gradually it corrects itself to emerge as a completely separate language, usually at about 4 years old.   Will a child learning two languages from birth begin speaking later than a monolingual? There has been some evidence that a child exposed to more than three languages from birth may begin speaking later than a child who is exposed to only one language. Then again, some monolingual children also start to speak later than others. Children, as individuals, will begin speaking at different stages of their lives. The benefits of acquiring proficiency in a second language outweigh this potential challenge.   Will bilingual learning retard a child’s progress in the native language? No. A child’s progress in the native language is not impaired by learning a second language. Recent research suggests that bilingual learning may even benefit native language development.   How does bilingual learning influence my child’s intellectual development? Do you know that bilingual learning actually improves your child’s intellectual development? Research shows that when your child learns two languages simultaneously, it promotes greater mental capacity and “exercises” the brain more.   Should children be learning to speak English with an English or American accent? You can teach your child to have an accent. But actually, accents are not that important when you consider this: There are more non-native English speakers than native English speakers in the world, all of whom have various accents. More important is that they are able to communicate effectively in English.   Will my child forget his / her language command once he / she stops learning after ages 2-5? When your child starts learning English as a second language between ages 2 and 5, he / she processes both languages in the same hemisphere of the brain. Even if children don’t speak a language for years, their language ability can easily be re-activated again because it is stored in the same brain hemisphere. The recovery will be faster for them if they were to learn when they were older (after 11 years old).   Wouldn’t learning grammar and proper sentence construction be too tedious for them? Grammar and structure is important so that your child speaks correctly. But when your child began learning his / her native language, grammar wasn’t a priority either. It was more about vocabulary and expression, with the grammar developing naturally. The same applies for young children learning English. Grammar develops naturally. In fact, this ability to naturally pick up grammar is innate (Skinner, Chomsky et al).   But If I can’t speak English myself, how will I monitor my child’s progress? We will provide all parents and guardians with monthly progress. These will indicate the improvements made by your child. Please click here for a sample progress report.