A peek into language acquisition: Under the scientific microscope
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…