Teaching Toddlers a Second Language Using an At Home Curriculum

We are continuing our Teaching Toddlers series by discussing how to teach your toddler a second language. In previous posts in the series, we explored teaching toddler math and critical thinking skills and teaching toddlers to read.

Global Language Statistics

If you’re an American, this might seem like a shocking statistic- Did you know that 43% of the world’s population is bilingual? That translates to nearly half of the world can speak two languages equally well.  Only 40% of the world is monolingual- or can only speak one language. ¹ An article in the Washington Post states that only 20% of Americans are bilingual versus 56% of Europeans.² As American parents, how can we do better to increase these statistics and include our children in the bilingual percentage?

Most parents are eager to help their children learn a second language but find themselves stymied by their young children’s unresponsive ears and slow comprehension. The good news is that with a little effort, it is possible to start young. The importance of teaching toddlers a second language is often discussed, but rarely practiced. While it is true that learning a second language is difficult for young children, it is also true that learning a second language can improve a child’s cognition and verbal ability. By teaching toddlers a second language, parents are providing their child with a lifelong skill that will benefit them in school and in their future career.

Why it is Important to Teach Toddlers a Second Language

Growing up in an average-sized Midwest town, I wasn’t expected to learn a second language until high school. Rarely did you hear of an elementary school teaching a second language. Not to say it didn’t happen, but it certainly wasn’t the norm. Flashforward twenty plus years later, parents would scoff at an elementary school- public anyway- not providing students with a second language curriculum. So what happened in those twenty years? A few things I would say:

1. The world became (seemingly) smaller. International travel is much more of an everyday occurrence than it was when I was a child. The age of the internet and cell phones has made it easier to schedule trips abroad with confidence and ease.
2. With our ever-shrinking world comes international job opportunities. This one hits close to home for me. My family spent multiple years living overseas in a completely foreign environment. While we didn’t know the native language of the country we moved to, we were fortunate in that many of the locals and expats of that country spoke English. We made every effort we could to learn the local language. I often think about how we were provided this opportunity despite being fluent in a second language, but I wonder what other international opportunities we could have if my husband or myself spoke another language other than English.
3. It creates a framework of tolerance and understanding. How old were you when you first realized that there were other languages other than English? What did you think the first time you heard someone speak in a foreign language? Exposing small children to customs and cultures other than their own creates an understanding perspective of the world around them.

Best Time to Teach a Second Language

Teaching toddlers a second language can offer opportunties into their adulthood with only 20% of Americans being bilingual.

The first six years of life can be incredibly challenging as a parent, and yet so very precious because it is during this time that the brain grows at a tremendous rate. ^3. By using the brain, we are growing the brain. Research overwhelming suggests we should be introducing our toddlers to a second language as early in life as possible- specifically in the first three years.⁴  Although this may be a more ideal time to teach a second language, it is not the only time you can teach your toddler a second language. It may become increasingly harder for a child to learn another language as they age, but it will never be impossible for them to learn. While some may argue that teaching a second language so young will ‘confuse’ a child, it certainly will not. There will be a learning curve for your child or toddler as they learn grammar and sentence structure of the two languages, but it is in no way confusing them. With time, patience, and practice these challenges will sort themselves out.

How to Teach Toddlers a Second Language

At Masterminds Early Learning, we believe in teaching toddlers a second language just as we believe teaching them a first language- through quick, exciting, and regular exposure. Our curriculum provides on-demand immersive lessons that are exciting and engaging. Toddlers are engaged with puppets, animals, props, and an enthused teacher that provides songs and games that are proven to help a child learn a second language. We provide downloadable worksheets that can be completed on screen or on paper to help reinforce the daily lessons and weekly subjects. Our goal is not only that children can pick up words in conversation but that our graduates have fluent understanding, reading, and writing in a second language. At present, we offer French as the second language in our program. As we are always working to grow, expand, and provide better services, we hope to offer additional languages in the near future.

1. Multilingual People. iLanguages.org. http://ilanguages.org/bilingual.php
2. Mathews, J. (2019, April 25). Half of the World is Bilingual. What’s Our Problem? The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/half-the-world-is-bilingual-whats-our-problem/2019/04/24/1c2b0cc2-6625-11e9-a1b6-b29b90efa879_story.html
3. Doman, Glenn, and Janet Doman. How to Multiply Your Baby’s Intelligence: The Gentle Revolution. SquareOne Publishers. 2005.
4. Cortese, R. Should I teach my child a second language or will it delay her language development? Child Mind Institute. https://childmind.org/article/should-i-teach-my-child-a-second-language-or-will-it-delay-her-language-development/#:~:text=Research%20overwhelmingly%20supports%20teaching%20second,ripe%20for%20receiving%20new%20information.