Published in the Telegraph (London) (Nov 12) with the title Absorbing Languages
Catherine Ford ("Children should start learning languages at age three," Nov. 10) believes that children start acquiring other languages as young as age three in order to reap the benefits of bilingualism.
Research published over several decades suggests that older children generally progress faster in second languages than younger children; language acquisition is possible at any age; and those who begin as adults can achieve very high levels of proficiency in second languages.
One of the world’s greatest polyglots, Kató Lomb, who mastered 17 languages, started acquiring other languages in her twenties. When I met her 20 years ago in Budapest, she was working on number 18 at age 86.
Stephen Krashen
original article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/11151726/Children-should-start-learning-languages-at-age-three.html
Catherine Ford ("Children should start learning languages at age three," Nov. 10) believes that children start acquiring other languages as young as age three in order to reap the benefits of bilingualism.
Research published over several decades suggests that older children generally progress faster in second languages than younger children; language acquisition is possible at any age; and those who begin as adults can achieve very high levels of proficiency in second languages.
One of the world’s greatest polyglots, Kató Lomb, who mastered 17 languages, started acquiring other languages in her twenties. When I met her 20 years ago in Budapest, she was working on number 18 at age 86.
Stephen Krashen
original article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/11151726/Children-should-start-learning-languages-at-age-three.html
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