Learning a new language for kids

Learning a foreign language is a great life skill and will help you go places. As we are living in an increasingly globalized modern world, there has never been a more important time for parents to open their children to learning a new language. Aside from preparing them for career prospects, learning a foreign language helps in enhancing a child’s holistic development and educational advantage. It is also an exciting way of discovering new experiences and different cultures.
 Some might say that this may be too formal an exercise to give to kids or they’re too young for a foreign language class. However, studies have shown that there is a “window of opportunity” in childhood, and that as children grow older their adaptability and natural ability in learning new languages decreases. In fact, children are sponges who pick up new things a lot faster than adults.
 “Children have a natural curiosity about new things and they love mimicking and copying, which makes childhood an ideal starting point for learning a new language,” explains Karina Melissa Cadiogan, part-owner of and instructor at Sky Language, a center for foreign language in Davao City. “The pre-school age is actually the most ideal time to start a language course because they progress in a non-formal way. They are still in that stage wherein they naturally acquire new words and phrases without being fully conscious of that learning process. Their development is formed by the sounds and rhythms of everyday life.”
 Sky Language center provides a wide variety of Foreign Language tutorial classes for students and professionals of different ages. They provide students with a warm, friendly and professional environment, with tutorial classes which can be customized according to their requirements and convenience. Their dynamic roster of instructors is dedicated to give students a fun and quality learning experience.
 According to Karina, learning a second language poses a great number of benefits to any child. Even through foreign language sessions on alphabet and word recognition, understating simple sentences, as well as time and number recognition, these courses have helped children improve in different fields, be it in academics or extra-curricular. “They have improved in terms of academic performance and showed impressive test results for other classes. They also learn how to assert themselves well in a social environment and express a worldly view.”
 “This summer, Sky Language offers English and Filipino Enrichment Classes, Reading and Writing enhancement programs and foreign languages – French, German, Mandarin and Nihongo,” shares German and French language teacher, Susanne Audrey G. Rexrodt. “The courses run for a total of twenty (20) hours. It is up to the parents if they prefer to schedule their children for 2 hours per day, either Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday. Each summer enrichment program is priced at Php3,000 for 20 hours. For our foreign language kiddie courses, we offer a group rate of Php5,800 and Php8,500 for one on one tutorials.”
 Parents also play a role in guiding children through their language courses, even at home. Susanne suggests, “They can play around fun activities which will help them converse in a foreign language, such as singing songs in a different language, counting and playing games with them using the foreign language. Make it a bonding activity for you and your child. There is a chance that the kid might become disinterested in learning the foreign language. Give them encouragement and expose them to culture of the foreign language which you would like them to learn.”
 Sky Language is located at Margarita Village Road, Margarita Village, J.P. Laurel Ave., Davao City. For inquiries, call 0919 445 0123 or follow skylanguagedavao on Facebook and Instagram.