A peek into language acquisition: Under the scientific microscope
Grammar is the glue of language: it allows us to string words together into any sentence we can imagine. When we watch babies as they learn a language, we may notice learning stages. First, babies will practice making sounds, then they will say individual words,…
When you listen to languages you do not know, you may notice different rhythms. The timing of the sounds in a sentence, or the rhythm, can vary from language to language. You can imagine that each language has its own percussion beat. In some languages,…
Children learn language from quality interactions. These valuable moments for language learning can arise from interactions with primary caregivers or a number of other people a child meets. Time spent with educators at nursery schools or playing with siblings at home can increase the amount…
Even very early in life, a child may hear or see language from many different people. They may go to nursery school or kindergarten and interact with educators or fellow peers. They may spend time with grandparents. They may have older siblings who play with…
We adjust our speech from moment to moment, depending on the situation. Imagine introducing yourself at an interview versus presenting yourself to friends-of-friends at a party. The way we speak to babies, also, varies a lot from place to place, and even on the baby…
Learning to read and write can seem to many of us an essential step in acquiring a language. Yet, the majority of language learning happens before children begin to develop literacy skills. Learning can begin as early as in the womb! A language can be…
It is much easier to find movies dubbed or subtitled in some languages than others. For some languages it can even be difficult to find just a few speakers. Endangered languages are those that have very few young learners, something a lot of us take…
Some children will be exposed to just one language when they are young, others may be exposed to two, and others even more. How many languages a child is exposed to will depend on her environment. For instance, in a country like Papua New Guinea…
There are over 6000 languages across the world, each different from the next. Yet, children can learn any of these languages, along a similar timeline. Each language has its own words for things. A child learning Japanese will have to learn that ‘niwatori’ refers to…
There isn’t one miraculous way to learn language. Children the world over acquire the sounds, words, and grammar of their native language (or languages) in vastly different life and family environments. Parenting practices (and recommendations) also vary from place to place. Yet, a caregiver reading…