How can a child who can even tie her own shoes master a system as complex as the English language?
Although the ‘baby talk’ that parents use with small children may help them to acquire language, many linguists believe that this still cannot explain how infants and toddlers can acquire such a complicated system so easily. It’s far easier for a child to acquire language as an infant and toddler than it will be for the same child to learn, say, French in a college classroom 18 years later. Many linguists now say that a newborn’s brain is already programmed to learn language, and in fact that when a baby is born he or she already instinctively knows a lot about language. This means that it’s as natural for a human being to talk as it is for a bird to sing or for a spider to spin a web. In this sense, language may be like walking: The ability to walk is genetic, and children develop the ability to walk whether or not anybody tries to teach them to do so. In the same way, children develop the ability to talk whether or not anybody tries to teach them. For this reason, many linguists beli
Related Questions
- My child is transferring from another school system within the United States and speaks English as well as my native language. Do I still need to contact the International Center?
- How can a child who can even tie her own shoes master a system as complex as the English language?
- Why is it important to include English language learners in the general accountability system?
