Learning two languages simultaneously in childhood is a fascinating phenomenon that has gained prominence among parents and education experts.
At 4 years old, little Laura surprised her family by demonstrating an impressive skill in use of English, despite his limited exposure to the language in school classes.
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This phenomenon, known as simultaneous bilingualism, has been studied by experts and offers significant benefits for children's development.
Children find it easy to learn new languages
According to a 2013 publication in the scientific journal “The Journal of Neuroscience”, plasticity brain of children up to the age of 4 may explain their ability to absorb and process two languages without confusion.
Although the bilingual schools have experienced growth of around 10% in Brazil between 2014 and 2019, it is not strictly necessary to enroll a child in one of these institutions for them to learn another language.
Paula Manzali Whoopi, founder of the bilingual children's book platform Read2aKid, emphasizes that parents and other adults themselves can encourage learning an additional language at home.
This can be done by creating an environment conducive to exposure and interaction with the new language. At this stage, bilingual children's books can make all the difference in learning.
These books combine reading with bilingualism, stimulating children's memory, decision-making, empathy and language development from an early age.
An expert's opinion
Paula Manzali Whoopi, who has more than 30 years of experience in the language market, highlights that bilingual reading is the union of two powerful forces for children's development.
The Read2aKid platform, created by Paula and her partners, offers bilingual books as part of a subscription club. Each month, families receive a book with various resources to spark children's interest in English.
These resources include story audios, themed music, post-reading activities and follow-up via WhatsApp, making the language part of the child's daily life.
There are several effective approaches to creating a bilingual environment at home, such as the “One Parent, One Language” and “Minority Language at Home” strategies.
Experts highlight that the most important thing is to expose the child to the new language regularly, using materials appropriate to their age and doing everything in a playful and light way.