Children who are raised bilingually before the age of seven are able to speak and understand both languages equally well. This does not apply to children who are raised bilingually at a later age. Children who are exposed to two languages early develop two native languages. The same brain structures are formed and used for both languages. Children who are later raised bilingual must learn this language based on knowledge of their mother tongue: they translate from their mother tongue.
Language development and one’s own language
Even two-day-old babies already show preferences. In one study, a baby with a French mother and a baby with a Russian mother were addressed by a woman who spoke Russian and French. The French baby showed preference for the French intonation pattern and the Russian baby showed preference for the Russian intonation pattern. Preference shown was inferred from the infants’ sucking patterns. In the first year of life, recognition of the sound pattern in one’s own language is continually strengthened and recognition of sounds in another language is extinguished. This is called the sensitive period for listening development .
Language development is promoted by playing music!
Research shows that children who learn to play a stringed instrument early show increased cortical representation of the left hemisphere of the brain. This means: the younger the child starts playing a stringed instrument, the greater the number of neurons in the cerebral cortex that specialize in the movement patterns of the left hand.
Insufficient incentive, a poignant example
In 1985, an Italian scientist conducted research on a girl: Genie. Genie had grown up outside the social community for the first years of her life . She grew up under extreme circumstances. For years she stayed in a room, usually tied to a stool. She could hardly move her hands. Only occasionally was she allowed to sleep in a bed at night so she could stretch out. No one was allowed in her room except to bring food. At first she made noise, but then she was beaten. Genie was discovered and taken to a hospital. The nursing staff found her to be very observant. She tried to learn everything as quickly as possible. She really wanted to communicate but didn’t know how and she couldn’t make any sounds with her mouth. After seven (!) years of intense training by neuropsychologists and linguists, she had some language skills . She makes short sentences, but they were grammatically underdeveloped . She was also unable to convey the emotional content of a message. She could not use normal intonation in her speech and it seemed as if she was deaf.
Language development and quality of language provision
Children who attend a high-quality daycare center (positive intensive attention, care) appear to show more positive emotions than children in a low-quality parenting situation. The quality is determined by the amount of intensity of attention that an adult and a child have for each other. The high quality in a parenting situation is associated with: social competence, resilience, independence . Low quality in a parenting situation is associated with: negative affection, disobedience, aggression, withdrawal, apathy.
Language development and no quality
Why are children who are largely left to themselves from the first year of life emotional and cognitive wrecks later in life? Because limbic nuclei have not yet developed sufficiently. For good bonding, it must be clear to the child who the caregivers are. There may be several options here, as long as there is a clear rhythm. Permanent caregivers are also important at a daycare center, who interact with children in an intense way: nurturing and pampering.
Language development and insufficient attachment
Developmental disorders will arise when a child is insufficiently attached due to the low quality of his upbringing and care. Personality formation is determined by the way of attachment. An explanation for this is: when a child is socially content in the first year of life, this determines the child’s social-emotional development.