Teaching Languages
According to many researchers, the best time to introduce your child to the sounds of different languages is before the age of 2. Some even report that if a child hears the sounds of a language before age two, when he’s older and begins to study it, he’ll speak without an accent – like a native from that country.

What’s the best way to accomplish this exposure?
Teaching your child to count to ten in Spanish or basic words like “hola, buenas noches, si, sombrero” isn’t necessary. Just letting her hear the sounds of a native speaker is all you need to do.

Listening – The Missing Link
I know a gentleman who has taught himself to speak other languages by listening to radio stations from different countries. Listening seems to be the missing link from many public school language curricula. And it’s the most important.
Listening forms the foundation for understanding the cadence of the language, learning to differentiate between words, and grammar. It’s vital to fluency.

I took Spanish in high school and college – even had private lessons from a friend from Costa Rica. But when I visited missionary friends in Ecuador, I could understand almost nothing they were saying. It was pretty frustrating!

The one activity that helped me most was listening to Spanish news on tv and radio stations. Suddenly isolated skills I had learned began to make sense. Hearing the intonations and rhythm of everyday Spanish helped me make more sense of the language. Patterns were made and ideas “clicked”.

What To Do
• Playing Spanish Christian songs and familiar children’s songs in the background as your child plays is effective. You can also purchase Spanish Bible tapes and listen to them while working on a project. Little by little the brain will sort out the sounds and build patterns to which you can link new learning.

According to language experts, the best time for the brain to learn foreign languages is between ages one and ten. I love Baby Einstein as it has mothers speaking to their babies in several different languages. What a perfect way for children to receive initial exposure to the different intonations of languages! Baby Einstein: Language Nursery

Move to Learn

Brain Breaks

Music to Learn By

TV and Your Child's Brain

Problem Solving Activities