Category: Parents
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Learning languages can benefit neurodivergent learners
Elsa O’Brien López Both languages are active in the brain of the bilingual speaker and this strengthens inhibitory control amongst other executive functions. What is neurodivergence? Neurodivergence- also referred to as neurodiversity at times- is an umbrella term that encompasses all specific learning differences such as Autism, dyslexia and ADHD, among others. Neurodiversity Week is…
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How to help develop a child’s language without screens
ELSA O’BRIEN LÓPEZ As much as cartoons might help children who already know how to speak acquire new words, watching a show should never replace real interaction or exposure to real-life situations. In fact, research shows that person-to-person interaction is key for the early development of a child’s language. Systematically exposing children to screens to…
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How to help develop your baby’s language through storytelling
Storytime is a great time to help develop a baby or toddler’s language. Through language we can help a child to enrich their vocabulary, organise and strengthen their memory, understand abstract concepts, and allow them to express what they feel and want in an efficient way. Apart from choosing the right moment to read, the…
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Raising a bilingual child: pros and cons
elsa o’brien lópez Some parents fear that teaching their children several languages from an early age may result in a delay in the age of speaking. Research shows that being spoken and listened to will play a greater role in a child’s language development than whether they are being spoken to in one or multiple…
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Special educational needs and second language acquisition
elsa o’brien lópez In most cases, there is no reason why a child with special educational needs or disability cannot learn a second language. As long as this process takes place in the most natural way possible, resembling how a first language is learned. When talking about special educational needs and disability, each case is…
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The benefits of bilingualism
elsa o’brien lópez Despite the value attributed to learning certain languages, the cognitive benefits of bilingualism tend to be overlooked. This can lead to parents’ choosing a monolingual education for their children when a bilingual option is also available and to the loss of a family’s heritage language. The benefits of bilingualism have probably never…
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Learning a second language: the sooner the better?
elsa o’brien lópez When children are asked to learn a language in a very structured way from a very early age they’ll be asked to use skills they don’t possess yet and won’t be developing till later on in life. For some time now, this has been a question asked and answered by many parents,…
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