THE ADVANTAGES OF BEGINNING EARLY

As stated by Prof Dr Ganakumaran Subramaniam, the reasons why learning

English early on is better because children can easily acquire new language rather than
consciously learning it, unlike adults and adolescents. He also said that children can use
natural way of language-learning strategies and can easily have a grasp of the English
Language (Arukesamy). Opal Dunn, an educational consultant and author, also
remarked the same conclusion and added that they are more likely to have better
pronunciation and feel for the language and culture than those who learn it later.

"When monolingual children reach puberty and become more self-conscious, their
ability to pick up language diminishes and they feel they have to consciously study
English through grammar-based programmes" (Dunn). Furthermore, research suggests
that kids have an innate ability to acquire new language – an ability that disappears by the
time they reach adolescence. Additionally, another researcher said that learning a second
language will then become a "work" and latecomers will struggle in becoming fluent
with good accents.

YOUNG CHILDREN ARE HIGHLY RECEPTIVE

"Young children are highly suggestible and tend to mimic what they hear or see
(Penchina and Hoffman)". Dr. Penchina and Hoffman believed that the right hemisphere
of the brain are active in the first six years of a child's life. This part of the brain is said to
be responsible for our spatial and creative thinking. They also suggest that children
have the ability to instantly absorb new information and actualize the learning very
quickly. "After a series of repeated demonstrations and instructions, followed by their
own experience, they become masters of new behavior (Penchina and Hoffman)".

"Babies effortlessly learn English as they soak it up like a sponge (Doron)".

Research shows that an newborn's brain comes pre-wired to learn language. Their brain
is being developed and organized each day in order to absorb the stimulus that they
receive from their surroundings. They can actually tell and recognize different languages
much sooner than vocalizing them themselves. Futhermore, research also suggests that
children can easily acquire a list of languages they want to acquire. However, a research
recommends to give them enough time to acquire and fully understand one language
before introducing another one. Otherwise, they might go through a confused time in
which they won’t actually know how to express themselves.
ACQUIRING ENGLISH LANGUAGE

"Bilingualism helps us better understand the structure of languages and can give
us an in-depth view of another culture (Haar)". Haar also said that being bilingual can
lessen the chances of one's having an Alzheimer's disease. Bilingualism can make a child
smart and bilinguals are good at ignoring distractions and better at solving complex
problems than monolinguals (Doron, 2015). They usually excel higher on standardized
tests and are exceptional students compared to monolinguals children. Once a child
acquire a second language, acquiring another language will be much easier and for
every new language

it is easier for them to acquire another language and to understand new language
structures, and for this reason, experts suggest that every new language learnt is easier
than the previous one.

Ideally, it is parents that first teach his/her child on how to speak their home
language (Dunn). He also said that childen are more likely to learn from their mother's
voice, since women appear to have an innate ability to use parentense language (an
adjusted form of speech) while men are not, which is why they may find it difficult thing
to do. Even with just basic knowledge of English, parents can still effectively teach their
young ones by using some parentese techniques. Though parents may worry about their
accent, according to Dunn, young learners have an exceptional ability to adapt accent to
meet the English of their surroundings.

On the other hand, Wood argued that, "the primary caregiver’s vocabulary may
be one of the most important indicators of vocabulary development in young children."
He believed that children of parents with an outstanding knowledge of the language are
more likely to have an advanced vocabularies. Dunn contends the use of praises and
encouragements. Being interested and giving them attention will help build up self-
esteem and motivates them as they make progress. He also said that, "They need to feel
good," as they go through learning. Children need parent's support and guidance in
their early years of learning the language (Dunn). Praises like, "Well done!" or "Very
good!", for every small success can boost their confidence and push them to do better.
They need to feel comfortable as they slowly intertwine with new culture and new
world they are exposed to. Talking to them using basic phrase like, "Hello", "How are
you?" or "What do you like?" can pique their interest and encourage them to respond in
the same language.
 "According to Francisco Palermo, the quality and diversity of teachers' English
use play a more important role than teachers' quantity use (Chew, 2015)." Palermo said
that the amount of English teachers used in the classroom have no significant
contribution to English Language Learner (ELL) students' vocabularies (Chew, 2015). "A
2002 study by researchers at the Universirt of Chiacago revealed that syntax or sentence
structure is learned rather than innate. Essentialy, researchers found that speaking to
young children in complete and complex sentences, rather than using "baby talks" helps
them to develop the ability to understand and use complex sentence structures (Wood,
2015)." Wood also believed that students who are taught complex structured sentence
learn it better than those who practice minimal, repetitive and easy to understand form
of sentences. They are more likely to develop much advanced reading skills and will
definitely have an edge in speaking the language.

THE USE OF ENGLISH MEDIA

Various English media such as DVDs, CDs or even picture books are now readily available
in market. Studies suggest that with the help of English media, children are more likely to
achieve greater proficiency in the language. Picking up short stories of a colorful and simple
books will actually help in captivating their interest and encouraging them to read more which
will help in their language development and thus; become better readers (Dunn). Moreover,
young learners will enjoy learning without having the pressure to master English right away.
"Children also need freedom to explore the play environment and the materials in a way that
interests them, providing a sense of wonder and encouraging creativity (Rice, 2014)".

Identify some English media (such as DVDs and CDs) that your children like and let them enjoy it
on their own terms without pressuring them to produce English right away.

If you are exposing your children to English regularly in fun ways, they will be fine as they
progress in their language learning.

Teachers have a pivotal role in helping children to develop and maintain a positive attitude
towards learning and literacy. Motivated readers read more, use more complex cognitive
strategies, and thus become better readers. To motivate children to read, classroom teachers:

When it comes to learning language skills, it’s important to consider that children are listening
long before they begin to utter their first words
Anyhow, it is an obvious fact that the more years committed to learning a language and the
more use of it made, the greater the proficiency that will be achieved.

IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH COMMUNICATION

"Success in business is often hinged on one single important word –

communication; and most of it happens in English (Raju, 2013)." Although it comes
second to Mandarin in the total number of speakers, English is the official language of
60 countries and is the most commonly spoken language in the world. English language
is the dominant language of international communication and as the economy becomes
more and more globalized, it is important to have a fully understanding of the language.

The advantages of English language communication comes in an endless list

(Ramarao, 2015). Being able to speak English allows you to communicate effectively in
numerous countries, and this opens up lots of possibilities for you in terms of working
abroad as it can increase job oppotunities – not to mention higher salaries and higher
job positions. Knowing english is also a handy tool specially when travelling in different
countries. You won't need to stress over getting lost because you can easily ask for
directions and communication with the locals will be piece of cake.

"Proficiency in the English language is considered as an advantage in the global

market. Being a good English speaker gives Filipinos a competitive advantage in the
employment market (Zamaranos & Bolaoit, p8)." With a total command over English
language, you can easily get yourself completely understood by the people you work
with and get yourself ahead in your chosen field of work (Raju, 2013). (by your peers.)

Learning english means opening a window of cultures. "To be able to

communicate with the people around the world in English language builds a bridge not
only to that person, but to the heritage and history they represent (Dincay,2015)".
These students face distinct academic challenges in the classroom, such as being unable to
understand their teachers’ instructions or participate in classroom discussions. Previous
research has shown that if these students do not learn sufficient English early, their academic
trajectories may suffer, and many drop out once they reach high school.