Start language before age three

The Straits Times, Singapore, 11 June 2013

At the recent International Symposium on Bilingualisam held in Singapore, experts say that children learn language best before the age of three. To help them learn a language well at that young age, it is best to speak to the child in the language you are strongest in. If you speak in a language that you are not fluent in, the child will learn all your mistakes and be limited in his/her vocabulary.

At that age, the child is simply a sponge, not a thinking individual. What the experts advise is probably correct. I have heard of children growing up in a bilingual household from birth. One parent speaks to the child in one language and the other parent speaks to the child in another language. As the child grows up, he will speak to either parent in the language he has heard out of that parent's mouth from birth. He becomes effectively bilingual without even realising that he is so.

Miracle? Not really. It's just how we're wired, I suppose. My Filipino friends have lived in Vietnam for many years. Both speak Vietnamese fluently. When their two children were born in Vietnam, they decided to speak English at home, instead of Tagalog, their native language. The children picked up Vietnamese from their domestic help and local friends. When it was time for school, the mother began an uphill battle to teach them Filipino (the national language of The Philippines, known locally as Tagalog). I suppose to their young minds, they saw no need to learn their native language when they live in Vietnam and mix around local people, not Filipinos. Hiring a Filipino teacher to teach them didn't help the process. Should the parents have made a different decision? Only parents can make that decision, not anyone else.

My aunt and uncle bought many DVDs to teach children Mandarin for their granddaughter who has heard nothing but English since birth. The little girl had no interest in watching Mandarin lessons, preferring to watch DVDs on ballet and orchestra performances. One day, she suddenly pointed to one of the Mandarin DVDs and asked to watch it. That was the point of no return. At 10 now, she attends Mandarin lessons once a week and can write quite a few Chinese characters from memory, including her own name. While she may never be fluent since her home environment is purely English-speaking, she has an interest that could be pursued more aggressively in the near future.

If you want your child to be exposed to more than just one language or culture, start early. You may not know another language, but you can use children's DVDs, picture books, or even introduce your child to a foreign friend in your neighbourbood to get started. A whole world awaits you out there!

Happy learning a new language!

Fun Language Tools