What Factors Affect Verbal Language Learning

Watching children larn an additional language is a lot similar seeing them swim for the commencement time. Some children dive right in and are soon paddling around the deep end. Others accept their time, dipping a toe in the h2o and gradually venturing out from the shore.

It'south mutual to believe that a child'due south skill with learning an additional language comes naturally. We don't hold. Yes, some children practise pick upward language skills faster than others—simply that doesn't mean that the ability to larn a language is an aspect possessed by only a lucky few. When students beginning learning an additional language at Whitby, some do soak upwardly the knowledge faster than others. Notwithstanding information technology's not but natural power at work. Nosotros've actually constitute that there are many internal and external factors that influence how fast students pick up a new linguistic communication.

ix Factors that Influence Language Learning for Kids

1. Motivation

Is the child being forced to acquire, or do they desire to learn the language?

When a child understands the importance of understanding a language and tin can see how it straight applies to their life, they larn faster. We've found that a contextual, theme-based curriculum tin help get students more excited to swoop into language learning. When they are interested in learning a language and they encounter meaningful connections to their lives, they begin to take risks to produce language, which helps them to acquire it faster.

ii. Back up at Home

Is another linguistic communication spoken at the child'due south dwelling? What'due south their exposure level to different languages?

Nosotros've found that exposure is an of import gene in linguistic communication comprehension and acquisition. If a kid's family unit only speaks one language, are they able to provide help when the educatee needs information technology? It also matters how much value parents place in learning an additional linguistic communication. Parents who prioritize language learning are more probable to push their child to keep trying even when it feels difficult.

iii. Prior Linguistic Knowledge

Is the language they're learning their offset strange language?

In one case a kid has studied and acquired a linguistic communication, their skill at learning another volition increase. Language learners have the ability to translate skills from one language to another because they're able to recognize the rules and patterns of language, even if the vocabulary is different.

4. Learning Surround

How does the child experience in the classroom?

Another fundamental cistron is how comfortable students experience in their language learning surround. Does their classroom feel cold and tense, or positive and relaxing? What'due south the school's culture and behavior about language learning? We've found that a educatee'south learning environment has an bear on on their motivation—a low anxiety linguistic communication learning environment increases the run a risk for acquisition.

five. Teaching Strategies

How is the language taught?

The strategies a language teacher uses have a big bear upon on language learning. How does the teacher help students understand the concepts of a linguistic communication? How does the teacher have unlike learning styles into account, as well as different levels of comprehension? For example, watching a film in the target language and writing and performing skits in the target linguistic communication accomplish multiple learning styles. Offering an immersion experience helps students connect the linguistic communication learning to their everyday lives, but rote vocabulary memorization and grammer drills create 'meaning-less' language lessons.

half-dozen. Comprehensible Input

How attainable does the language feel to the student?

Linguist Stephen Krashen is known for developing the input hypothesis of 2d-language conquering. In this context, the titular "input" is the language curriculum. Krashen wrote that teaching at simply any level of difficulty isn't sufficient: the input received by a student must be comprehensible. In other words, the curriculum must achieve a child at their current level and challenge them with activities and but 1 level across their current stage. If the cloth feels out of reach, the student can feel "shut down" and have problem engaging with the lesson. To make sure that students feel motivated to learn, it's important to ensure that they feel like they accept the ability to progress to the side by side level of learning.

7. Student Personality

Is the student introverted or extroverted?

A student's personality can affect how they acquire a second language. More introverted students take been shown to have longer to acquire a language because they're more hesitant to brand mistakes. Extroverted students, on the other hand, are more likely to exit on a limb and effort out their newly learned vocabulary. To ensure that both personality types succeed, information technology's important to create an surroundings where students understand that mistakes are part of the learning process and it's more important to speak than to be perfect.

8. Historic period

How old is a pupil when they beginning learning a strange linguistic communication?

While students of all ages can learn a strange language, there is consensus that certain aspects are affected by the age of the learner. Information technology becomes harder for students to have native pronunciation from the teen years. Some students too find that information technology'southward more hard to fully larn a foreign language as they get older, just this isn't truthful of everyone.

9. Comfort in their Country of Residence

How happy are students in the country where they are studying a language?

A final factor in language learning is the kid's comfort in the electric current country of residence. Most children move to a new country because of a parent's job, not by option. As a result, their motivation to learn a new language can depend on whether they're happy to be in a new place, or if they've come up kicking and screaming. Luckily, even if a kid is unhappy at first, their attitude can shift if they feel welcomed by their teachers and supported past their parents.

Language Learning at Whitby

Linguistic communication learning is not a skill that children either have or don't. In that location actually are many internal and external factors that influence how fast children choice up a new language—from the child's personality to the way language is taught at their school.

To learn more than nigh the unique learning surround at Whitby, schedule a tour or download our guide to the difference between an N8 and K12 education.

Alicia Miller

Alicia Miller is the Language Development Coordinator at Whitby. Her passion for languages started at age 10 with her kickoff Spanish grade and led her to studying Spanish, Russian, Smoothen, German and applied linguistics. Every bit an EAL teacher, Alicia'south motivation comes from seeing the 'A ha!' spark in her students' eyes when they acquire a new aspect of the language. Working with Whitby'south international community has inspired Alicia to delve deeper into her agreement of linguistic communication evolution, and she is excited most sharing this knowledge with teachers and students.