The 21st century has
seen a revolution in the way humans communicate with each other. The importance
of learning foreign languages has received great impetus among working
professionals in recent years. While knowledge of a foreign tongue can be an
asset in business or tourism, research indicates that learning a second
language during childhood is more beneficial.
Studies in linguistics have asserted
that language is not merely a verbal activity, but a cognitive one. Learning a foreign
tongue helps strengthen the brain, and opens it to newer possibilities. Better
problem solving skills, critical thinking, and creativity are characteristics
seen among multilingual children. The more the brain is exercised, the sharper
it gets.
Learning a foreign language at a
younger age also has linguistic benefits. Children respond to it in the same
way they would their mother tongue. Pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary
skills are better inculcated, and children do not have to struggle with accent
barriers or self-consciousness. In contrast, learning a language later in life
would require double the effort, as an adult would have to unlearn previous
grammar and muscle patterns to accommodate the second language.
Furthermore, learning a foreign
language enriches a person culturally. It broadens the child’s perspective,
builds an appreciation for diversity, and breaks the borders of race and
ethnicity, all at a tender age. It also offers additional career opportunities
later in life.
Erik Erikson’s psychosocial
development theory suggests that the experiences of a child, till the age of 6,
have the ability to determine his personality. Learning a foreign tongue at
this stage would ensure the child retains its benefits in the long run.
Children should be given the opportunity to
learn a foreign language so as to equip them with the right cognitive and
cultural abilities, and be conscientious citizens of the world.
- Maryam Shaikh
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