English has been the primary language of communication in the modern era ever since, particularly in major cities. To meet this need, parents compete to enrol their kids in schools that employ English as a primary language of instruction. Enrolling your child in English education early has many advantages, as these advantages can help them flourish academically, socially, and in their future employment.

It can be difficult but gratifying to teach youngsters English when they are still studying their native language. Teaching English to young children in preschool, the first grade of formal education, is undeniably crucial to foster good views toward the English language. In this article, you will learn about the benefits of learning English at a young age and why kids should begin learning a new language at a young age. 

Benefits of English in Early Childhood

Children learning a foreign language before starting school never encounter a psychological or linguistic obstacle. It implies that special efforts and particular circumstances are not required to compel them to speak. They begin learning a language in a setting where their progress is not evaluated, and failure has no negative consequences, so they are not frightened to make mistakes. 

This helps children with communication skills because they start by considering what they want to say rather than how they should say it. Early exposure to English also fosters the development of abstract thought, memory, and imagination. 

• Learning English Faster

Young children are exceptionally good at remembering information, and their brains are built to incorporate new information automatically. Additionally, they can pick up English more quickly because of their less complex and sophisticated mental processes.

• Improved Learning Capabilities

Children learn more quickly when they study English at a young age since they do not encounter any peer pressure and stress. A higher degree of consciousness acquired early in the learning process helps children learn more quickly as they mature. Their cognitive talents are enhanced by engaging in activities that boost their learning capacity and memory.

• Expanded Vocabulary 

A child’s vocabulary grows because of early English instruction, enabling them to increase their knowledge base and absorb new ideas. Incorporating English into their syllabus would enable them to speak, pronounce, and write English words from the very beginning.

• Academic Excellence 

Learning English helps kids become more expressive, which benefits their academic achievements. Early exposure to the language gives kids the language abilities they need to do well in academic exams and studies.

• Future Possibilities

English is an international language used in many professions, so learning it at an early age gives kids more possibilities to travel and see different cultures.

• Easy Learning

Early exposure to spoken English speeds up academic achievement and facilitates communication between peers to learn multiple concepts.

• Improved Self-Confidence

A child’s self-confidence and self-esteem are boosted by early English instruction, which also motivates them to ask questions and get over their fear of speaking and writing in English.

• Improved Verbal Fluency 

Regular speaking, listening practice, and early exposure to the language improve verbal fluency and make it simpler to communicate in daily situations.

• Boosted Brain Activity

Young children who learn English develop memory, creativity, and cognitive skills while keeping their brains active and healthy. Children actively train their brains and memories while learning new words and grammar rules, improving their mental ability.

• Nurtures Child’s Curiosity and Motivation

Learning English brings up a world of information, both online and off, which motivates kids to do research and sparks their curiosity. They might spend hours researching new subjects, broadening their perspectives, and getting answers for their curiosities.

Importance of Early English Language Learning

Of course, establishing the ideal learning environment is crucial to success. Preschoolers learn English similarly to how they learn their native language. Children pick up their native tongue via their surroundings and their daily interactions. They learn to understand the language used in varied contexts by repeating experiences. Since repetition is the mother of learning, it is simple to memorize phrases that parents use when speaking to their children. For this reason, it is crucial to provide children with a natural setting for language learning when they are learning English.

Strategies for Introducing English in Early Childhood

Having a strategy is crucial for teaching English as a second language to be successful. Here are a few key methods for instructing English language learners.

• Immersion into the English-speaking Environment

Speaking only in English with children is necessary for early English learning. Children may sometimes find it challenging, but gradually changing to English is preferable. It’s inaccurate to believe that, though. A child’s brain adapts to the teacher solely speaking English much more readily. Their brain starts learning right away because it takes everything for granted. However, breaking the practice of speaking in your mother tongue in class is far more complex.

• Contextuality and Repetition

Playing out real-world scenarios with children provides repetition and context. Games are an essential component of learning at this age; thus, the “playing” portion is emphasized. Since this is the only activity infants have learned to this point, the format is natural and simple for them to understand. 

You can use both games and gamified learning when introducing new language material, both vocabulary and grammar. The same strategy is applied when they are trying to engage their speech and are repeating and consolidating what they have learned. Switching between different types of games (board games, role-playing games, and active games) can help kids stay focused.

• Utilize Technology

Technology may be a fantastic tool for teaching students English. For instance, you can employ software, video clips, and online resources to aid kids in learning grammar and vocabulary.

• Encourage Students to Use Their Native Language

Students must speak their original language while learning to grasp English better. Giving feedback will assist students in developing their English language abilities. To improve the capacity of students to speak in English, teach them proper pronunciation and grammar usage.

The Role of Parents and Caregivers in Supporting Early English Development

Undoubtedly, social environments like family, school, and community, whose involvement in education has recently grown in prominence, impact children’s development. Children’s first teachers are their parents or other primary caretakers, which is true even after they begin attending school. Additionally, parents and teachers must work together to create a setting that boosts their kids’ academic achievement. 

According to research, parental involvement benefits students’ social, emotional, psychological, and interactional development in addition to their academic performance. Parents and other adults, who look after children, engage in various activities with them to encourage the development of their English. They use the examples of watching English cartoons with their kids and listening to English tunes. One of them claims they shared English books to help his daughter with her reading abilities. Along with these exercises, teachers provide examples of how they study English to review the vocabulary and grammar the kids have acquired in class. They also discuss the games they play with the flashcards provided by their teachers. 

Furthermore, they show that they make an effort to increase kids’ enthusiasm by explaining how they will require English in their everyday lives. Three of the parents express a desire to converse with or teach their children English. Two of them say that their children have helped their English skills, and one says she is working to improve her English to help her daughter. In conclusion, the parents have had a moderate impact on their children’s growth in English.

Role of Teachers in Early Childhood English Development

Teachers play a pivotal role in teaching English in early childhood education. Some of the responsibilities of teachers in teaching English in early childhood are;

• Teach the fundamentals of speaking, writing, and reading English.
• Create lesson plans that effectively incorporate the entire length of each lesson.
• Depending on the subject, efficiently carry out lessons utilizing various teaching philosophies.
• Engage students to create a lively learning environment.
• Teach kids about the English language’s structure and content.
• Teach kids how to spell words and what they signify.
• Make a point of highlighting the norms of composition, syntax, and sentence structure.
• Teach students how to pronounce words properly.
• Teach students to analyze literature and poetry critically.
• Teach kids to critically evaluate news stories, advertisements, and the media.

Conclusion

English is a social language that is necessary nowadays to communicate effectively. In contrast to teenagers and adults, young children are natural language learners; they are motivated to pick up language without intentional learning. They can mimic pronunciation and establish the norms on their own. Bilingual children receive instruction in a dual language that focuses on their intellectual and cognitive development from birth. Indeed, young children’s brain development benefits greatly from early exposure to English.