Want your babies to learn new languages? Join this educational program

Washington, January 17: It sounds great when you get an opportunity to learn new language. Imagine babies learning new languages. Researchers have developed a play based educational program that can teach babies a second language in just one hour per day.

 

For years, parents have shown their interest in introducing their babies to new languages. The experience to learn bilingual language has shown to improve cognitive abilities especially that of problem solving. The researchers in a study appeared in the journal Mind, Brain and Education has learnt to investigate how babies can learn second language which is not spoken at home and without any proper tutor. Scientists have indicated that babies’ are the best learning machines ever created. Their brains will never be better at learning a second language than they are between 0 and 3 years of age.

In a study conducted by the researchers it stated that babies aged 7 to 33.5 months were given one hour of English sessions a day for 18 weeks, while a control group received the Madrid schools’ standard bilingual program. Both groups of children were tested in Spanish and English at the start and end of the 18 weeks.

Based on years of Institute of Learning & Brain Science I-LABS research on infant brain and language development, the method emphasizes social interaction, play, and high quality and quantity of language from the teachers. The approach uses “infant-directed speech” often called “parentese” the speech style parents use to talk to their babies, which has simpler grammar, higher and exaggerated pitch, and drawn-out vowels.

I-LABS’ new work shows we can create an early bilingual learning environment for dual-language learners in an educational setting, and in one hour per day, infants can ignite the learning of a second language earlier and much easier than we previously thought.