What is learning English as a second language (English as a Second Language / ESL)?
A first language refers to the language that children naturally acquire first during the earliest years of life, usually from daily communication with parents or within the family. A second language refers to another language learned after the first language, often including third and fourth languages.
As the most commonly used language with global influence, English language phenomenon in schools is very common in many countries. Learning English as a second language provides an opportunity to understand different cultures, make new friends and have fun during the learning process. With English influence spanning the globe, mastering English reading, writing and speaking skills can greatly benefit a child’s growth, education, learning and career development.
When and how should children start?
For young children, language acquisition is a natural process; they automatically and spontaneously learn new languages without having to consciously memorize or force memorization like teenagers or adults.
After teenagers enter puberty, their ability to learn languages decreases due to increased self-awareness, and they start to think English must be learned intentionally through grammar-focused courses.
While children are still developing their brains in early growth, teenagers and adults have more mature thoughts, and certain pronunciations may still be influenced by their mother tongue. Therefore, some errors made by second language learners in speaking come from their mother tongue.
Young children have the ability to imitate pronunciations and figure out the rules of language through self-exploration. They do not feel learning to speak English is particularly difficult.
Preschool children have more time and opportunities to incorporate English into their daily activities. With chances to interact regularly with native English speakers, they can learn English as a second language naturally through interactions and communication, instead of consciously learning another new language. Therefore, young learner pronunciation tends to be more standard and authentic, grasping a better sense of language and related cultures.
The importance of early ESL learning
English is a global language, and learning English as a second language is very important. In the past decade, especially in Asia, the number of English learners has increased, which is not surprising at all. People want to learn English for many reasons, but most commonly it is to communicate more conveniently with people all over the world.
There are many benefits to starting early – it can help them establish their vocabulary early on, improve their pronunciation and grammar skills, increase confidence in speaking to others, and develop greater cultural awareness.
Starting language learning early puts them ahead of the starting line – the earlier children start learning English, the easier and more natural it will be for them to master English reading, writing and speaking skills, achieving twice the results with half the effort.
