There are many myths of learning a second language.
Some myths sound silly: there’s no benefit at all from knowing another language?
And some sound legitimate: starting too early can cause language delays?
Many of these are persistent enough to hinder parents teaching their children a valuable second language.
These myths are just that.
Myths. Misconceptions. Misunderstandings.
These misconceptions should not hinder helping your child learn a foreign language.
Myth 1: Starting a bilingual program too early can cause language delays
One myth is that learning a second language will cause an overall language delay.
It’s never too early to begin learning a second language.
Children’s brains are wired to learn language at an early age, whether it’s one or two.
My twins are on track with their language development and our house is bilingual in German and English.
Children who already have a language delay are going to struggle regardless of one language or two.
If they’re struggling in their native language, and you haven’t introduced another, I would hold off.
If they’re struggling with a foreign language but strong in their native, that’s normal! Providing a positive environment to practice and patience will help with that.
While some do struggle, with support, they can learn too!
Myth 2: There are no benefits to learning a second language
This myth is easy to bust.
There’s no downside to learning another language, besides the effort.
Benefits can include easier traveling, more job opportunities, cognitive benefits and more!
I have whole post written just about the benefits here!
When my husband first moved to the United States, he applied to 20 different electrical companies for work. The only one that replied and hired him, was another Swiss who liked that my husband could speak Swiss German too.
Research also shows a number of surprising benefits from increased salary to increased test scores and decreased cognitive decline with aging (your brain won’t age as fast!).
The benefits of bilingualism are in the classroom, the office, and the world.
Myth 3: Learning two languages confuses children in both languages
While the research supports a temporary quiet period as the child learns two languages at the same time, it’s temporary.
The brain is basically installing new software to handle the new information.
Children may make occasional mistakes mixing the languages.
Even adults who speak one language still do that.
That’s normal!
Myth 4: It’s easier for adults to learn a new language than children
While adults have skills to apply to learning, children before puberty have an innate ability to learn language.
Adults also have more motivation often, a new job, a trip, or a love interest. But they have a bigger initial hurdle of learning to overcome first.
So it can be harder for adults without proper skills, support, or motivation.
Myth 5: Only children can learn a second language
Refer to myth 4 but anyone can learn a second or third language!
You need willingness to learn, time to invest, and resources to learn from.
Children before puberty have a metaphorical door for learning language that’s still open but don’t always have the best skills or motivation to learn new information. I’ve covered that more in this post.
Research shows anyone of any age can learn a language.
Fun fact, my English professor in college also became a fellow student in my German class.
Myth 6: Immersion is the best way to learn a new language
Learning a new language from a native speaker is incredibly valuable but it is not the only way.
There are many different language programs from Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, your local college, or even programs at home like my preschool program!
In this post, I’ve gone into ways to bring a second language into your home.
In summary, immersion sounds like the best method, but factors such as previous knowledge and support can influence how well this method works.
Full immersion after initially learning some of the language can work and quickly.
But it is not the best method for everyone or every time.
Myth 7: There’s no point if you can’t be fluent
There’s no point in learning to read if we always have audio books or Siri to read to us.
Sounds silly using that example?
Even a little bit of another language can benefit you.
Not just in the knowledge but the benefits to your brain too.
If fluency is your only goal, then there is no point to learning another language.
But is fluency really the only reason to ever learn foreign languages?
What is a parent to do?
Don’t let these ‘myths’ stop you from teaching your child a second language or learning one yourself.
You as a parent can decide what’s best for your child, based on your child, your family, your circumstances and more.
Even with limited language learning resources, one can still learn just about anything, including languages, online.
You have many options from enrolling in a bilingual school program, hiring a tutor, finding online language learning resources, or doing it yourself at home with help from programs like my Mit Mir program!
