6 yr olds starting language lessons

[SippingSipsmith]

Hi

DH thinks it would be a really good idea for 6 yr old DT to learn a language while they're still young. He thinks Spanish would be best.

I used to think he was right and that a second language is a huge edge. But I'm starting to think perhaps it isn't. As British people we are always so impressed when people have languages but how often do you meet someone who uses their language skills?

Just interested in other peoples thoughts. And if it does give kids an edge later on in the workplace then what language? Spanish? Mandarin?

I think its a fab idea for them to learn a language whilst they are young. it helps with things like gcses, where some schools make languages compulsory. I think i would lean towards mandarin, because in quite a few job sectors this is seen as a big advantage as we trade with china etc

I think it depends how much effort you want to input it and especially how much revision and practice you want to do.

Learning a language is great but you will only learn it properly if you work on it.

DD had French in primary from Y2-Y6, utterly pointless. She remembers some words but they never had homework, revision, tests or used it anywhere.

She has now Spanish in secondary and in one year 3x a week with homework each week, test and revision. There is more Spanish in one term than in 5 years primary.

She is also bi-lingual (we are Germans) and I can see how she struggles with writing as she never really practices it.

So, if you want your 6 year old to speak a language, you need to be prepared to work outside lessons. Otherwise it is a nice time and gives her a bit of a taste that other people speak more than just English.

Oh, one other thing, I work for a German company and we have around 25% non-German staff speaking German fluent and another 25% getting along. All of them and also us German do get a higher salary.

The same happened to a friend who speaks Italian as mothertongue, she worked in sales for a design house and got the job as they were desperate for italian-speaking staff to communicate with the head office.

I think it's really hard if you don't have any cultural link to the other language or go there often. If you chose Spanish I would say you'd be looking to go to Spain for as many holidays as you can (not a Catalan speaking part) but at least that's feasible, Mandarin maybe not so likely. In my experience to be motivated to learn a language, you need a connection to the country or friends who speak it.

I agree with ReluctantBrit. Languages need regular practicing and immersion. My dc are at an international school abroad and I know lots of multilingual kids (each parent speaks a different language at home, language of country we live in, immersive English as school). But they use each language daily. Instead of once/twice-a-week lessons at primary age, you’d be better off saving up for an immersive experience when they are older if you want them to be fluent as adults.

I'm an MFL teacher so of course I think learning languages is a good idea. I speak 2 at home every day and use 4 at work. I grew up between England and France, and learnt German and Spanish at school/uni.

With my language skills, I've lived long-term in two countries and for shorter times in two others. I studied in 2 of those countries and worked in all 4 - none of that would have been possible if I couldn't speak the language.

My language classes have definitely been more useful to me than the swimming and dance classes I also had as a child (I'm not against swimming or dance either though!)

As for which language to learn, there's no "best" language to learn. This survey says German, French and Chinese are the most requested by British employers. The British council suggests Spanish, Chinese and French are the top 3. It's impossible to predict what will be the most important by the time your DC are adults, but all of the commonly learnt languages are going to continue to be useful. In addition, once you've learnt one language, learning more gets easier. If you teach your DC French now, they have an advantage if they take Spanish at school, for example. Even if they learn French now and German at school, they'll have learnt how to learn a language which is always helpful!

Thanks wftobathe that's v informative. Also taking on board what others have said on having to make the effort in order for it to be worthwhile. Lots to think about.

There are cognitive benefits from language learning, for children and adults.

bebrainfit.com/benefits-learning-second-language/

I too think learning a language benefits brain development. It’s always a good thing. A French teacher started a little group near us and DD went for 6 months. At age 6. Sadly teacher’s DH disappeared with another woman and she had to go back to work and the classes stopped. DD didn’t do languages again until y7 (French) and Italian (Y8). She did her degree in them but doesn’t use them at work. However even if you don’t use languages daily, you retain a certain skill level for holidays and you certainly have a cultural resource that others don’t have. It’s never a bad thing to do and DD loved her class, age 6. I regret we couldn’t find another class but we are a bit rural!

Be prepared for Mandarin to be VERY difficult for you to assist with any home practicing, unless you learn too.

My kids (8 and 10) have had exposure to 4 languages - English, DHs native tounge, and primary french, plus the language of the country they lived in until recently. The French is none existent. Country language basic. DHs language ok at home living conversation, would struggle with e.g. geography at school and English fluent.
It's a great thing to do but requires quite a lot if effort.

I’m English, as is my husband, but I am learning french (or re-learning as I did learn french at school) for my little girl.
She is signed up to lingo tots at nursery and we try to incorporate as many french words into every day life. It’s difficult with myself not being fluent either.

I have to say the best thing I also did was to change Netflix to french so when she’s winding down and watching cartoons they’re in french- we started this when she was around 2 so she’s never noticed they’re not in English I don’t think, or she’s never mentioned it and obviously it’s fluent so helps a lot considering we are not. She seems to understand the cartoons so that’s something and she drops random french words into sentences which we have not taught her

Sammy867 the Netflix tip sounds genius!! Especially as my children will literally watch anything. Will definitely look to do this after we've started learning. Am keen to learn with them if we are going to do it.

For the love of effing Jesus.. do not install this ‘English people can’t learn languages mindset’ into ur child

I think the earlier the better. We chose to put ours Dc into the French lycee from 3 -11 and at the same time they started Chinese. Fast forward and they are 16 and 18 and Dd has 5 languages DS has 4. They both say having learnt languages early they found additional languages a doddle.
Chinese needs to be taught well in order to keep the interest. Ours didn’t do any written until 2 years of speaking so learned the same way a native speaker learns.

All children in Wales start learning Welsh when they start school (of course a minority already speak it).

As someone whois blingual and has raised her children bilingual, learning langauge is NOT just about learning to speak and communicate.
A language is about communication but much more than that. Its about learning a culture and another way to look at the world. Its actually going very deep.
Eg did you know you say I AM hungry (so its a TO BE state) in anglish but in french you saying I HAVE hunger (so its something TO HAVE, its not who you are iyswim). It goes much further than the grammatical rule. It speaks about the way of looking at the world and approaching it.

Looking at it just as a tool and whether you are going to use it or not is very restrictive btw.

Another thing. My Dh thought he had no need to learn french a school, hated it and decided that he would never use it. After all, how many people actually use the languages they have learnt? And then he married me and regretted not to have made more efort when he was faced with two bilingual chldren who were speaking french with me but struggled to understand.....
Moral of the story: you have no idea what the future holds for your dd.

Mandarin would be a bad de imo because its a langauge that is EXTREMELY hard ti learn. You will struggle to find someone who actually speaks it properly unless its their native tongue.
If you want to learn it with your dc, then go for an european language. Easier, more opportunity to use it, find materials etc...