Creating Confidence

Wed, 30 Aug, 2017

Why learn English as second language from early age?

Researchers have found that multilingual people think faster and sharper. Not only this but also being bilingual makes people's brains more efficient and combat cognitive aging. Bilingual people's brain operates differently from single language speaker. They process information from other perspectives. It makes quite an impression, doesn't it?

In this scenario, we are quite lucky as our mother tongue is not English, but English forms the basis of most of the aptitude test, official work. It is the language in which all of India communicates, and as does the world. As a parent, our job is to ensure that we equip our wards with all the tools to make themselves. And being able to communicate in English is one such tool.

As is the case with a non-native tongue, learning a new language is a systematic and disciplined process. But it is worth the pain. And when one is younger, learning is easier as priorities do not bound the mind. It is not a means to an end but a part of the curriculum. Given the haste a grown-up has, one may miss the finer points of mastering the language.

The benefits of learning English as a second language, especially in the Indian context, are huge. Some of them are enumerated below:

  1. Make new friends easily as the language barrier is reduced. If you can speak a person's language, you will connect with them in a better way. Among the many benefits of learning the English language, the most important one is connecting with people globally.

  2. It is one of the six languages used in the United Nations, and more than 67 countries use this language either as a native language or official language. This makes it essential when a child grows up and wants to pursue education elsewhere. It makes it easy for him/her.

  3. India is a diverse country with different dialects spoken throughout its geographical length and breadth. However, English is something the children learn as it is taught in most of the schools. This may be because English is socially accepted as a language to learn, even if resistance to learning different languages may exist.

While people may say that Hindi is also used in most parts, this conception is not very true as only 40% of Indians speak Hindi while it is considerably higher for English. This makes it a language in which India communicates often.

  1. Most of the higher education literature is available in English. Be it engineering, medical sciences, physics. Translations do exist, but there is a dearth of such materials.

  2. Increased mental flexibility as the person doesn't feel baffled when another language is used. Often in the films and serials, the characters at some point use English. How will a non-English speaker understand it? Read it from the subtitles below, probably. But when their peers easily understand the language, it may make the individual feel left out. His/her confidence may be shaken.

  3. Your child needs to develop Comprehension skills along with communication skills. Learning English as a second language allows enhancing their comprehension capabilities. The skillset to understand information, data, POVs correctly will help them in the future.

  4. ESL classes put your child in an environment of developing their mental capabilities. To learn the English language, they got to improve their problem-solving abilities. There are various benefits of learning English apart from merely learning a language.

They will get more innovative with their concept formation, abstract thinking, critical thinking, writing, etc. These stimulating brain activities increase their memory power as well.

  1. Your kids should be competent to face the competitive world ahead of them. Bilingual kids are generally smart kids. Classes of English for children develop the much-needed sharpness and intelligence in them. They will be able to communicate their perspective to others with confidence.

They learn to multitask between their other subjects and English classes. Being a hustler will prepare them for the upcoming pressure of higher studies.

  1. If your kids join English classes from an early age, they will be proficient in the language. This will provide them with an edge. They will appreciate the culture, thought process, and lifestyle of other countries' citizens. Thus classes of English for kids should be started from their early childhood.

Our parent's generation generally learned English from the 8th standard, if they were taught, and then worked hard to master it. This was in addition to preparing for boards, competitive exams and mastering other subjects. This would have been so easier had they learned it before. And perhaps this is the reason why they wanted us to learn it as early as possible and learn it right.

So there is a thrust on learning the grammar, the rules. PlanetSpark helps realize this by providing qualified teachers and study material in the vicinity of your home. This makes things easier to learn English in a more relaxed atmosphere, and the course is more customized to the needs of the student rather than what comes next to the school's curriculum.