How to learn Russian at such a young age?
Russian is the largest native language in Europe and the most geographically widespread language in Eurasia. It is the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, with over 258 million total speakers worldwide. It is also the seventh-most spoken language in the world by a number of native speakers and the eighth-most spoken language in the world by total number of speakers. The language is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Russian is an East Slavic language native to the Russians in Eastern Europe. It is an official language in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and is used widely throughout the Caucasus, Central Asia, and to some extent in the Baltic states. The current Russian spelling follows the major reform of 1918, and the final codification of 1956. An update proposed in the late 1990s has met a hostile reception and has not been formally adopted. Russian is also the second-most widespread language on the Internet, after English. Science and research support the commonly held belief that children learn languages faster than adults. Let’s look at some of the factors that attempt to answer why they do if they do by comparing the benefits to kids Vs the disadvantage the adults have!
Let's discuss our topic by dividing it into two parts. A. A benefit available to a child and B. Disadvantage to an Adult
Let’s begin by exploring the benefits available to a child
1.Children are blessed with environmental advantages when learning languages that most adults don’t have.
2. To begin with, young children aren’t formally instructed in language the way adults and older children are. Hence, they learn by being immersed in multilingual environments by passively “absorbing ” the language through contact.
3, However, even when they are formally instructed, it is through games and songs, not verb conjugation and exams that adults are subjected to!
4. Children make better candidates for immersive language learning because they have fewer inhibitions.
5. The standard of language competence is much lower for children than it is for adults.
6. They aren’t judged the way adults are so they don’t receive, or give themselves, as much negative feedback when they make mistakes.
7. They also aren’t tested the way an older child would be, so there is less pressure. The learning process is more playful and natural.
8. Young children are often exposed to language in immersive situations, but they don’t deliberate the merits of their decision.
9. Neither are they aware that they are learning a new language in this manner not they bother knowing how it may serve them later in life.
10. They start from, “this is how I talk to Dad” or “this is how I talk to my classmate”. It’s the pure desire to communicate that drives the learning.
11. It is very interesting to note that other than environmental advantages children are also blessed with cognitive advantage!
12. Babies and very young children form neural connections at a rapid pace. As the brain develops, it becomes more specialized, reinforcing the neural pathways that are regularly used.
13. It is a good thing at the beginning because it enables the brain to be more efficient, however, this same process makes learning new things more challenging as they grow older.
14. That’s why those who learn a language at a very young age can pick the accent of a native speaker effortlessly.
15. It is because of the brain’s elasticity and rapid neural formation that babies and young children are able to learn languages at a faster rate, also sometimes referred to as the “critical period”.
Thus, we can see why, despite as many difficulties posed by Russian, each Russian kid is able to learn Russian to native fluency. The same goes for a non-Russian kid if he/she were to be exposed to the language in young age, they will be able to learn it faster than an adult put into the same situation!
Disadvantages for Adults
1.Adults also learn much faster through immersion, but the cost of immersion is much higher for adults than it is for children. Also, adults don’t have the privilege of abundant time and energy to spend hours in environments that challenge their communication skills, unlike children, who have no responsibilities in life,
2. It’s a proven fact that learning a language is far easier if you aren’t intimidated to make mistakes or sound weird. Adults live under fear of ‘impression’ that makes them extremely anxious and learning super difficult.
3. When adults move to a foreign country only a few will take the opportunity to, consciously initiate language learning to communicate and connect with others depending on their compelling reason.
4. The neural pathways that are in the developing stage in children, firm up as we grow old and force adults to rely on and use the same pathways created ‘once upon a time for mental efficiency.’ This challenges learning rather than being supportive!
Finally,
It is theorized that if a child does not learn any language, including non-verbal languages, during this time period that they may never be able to learn any language because the necessary neural foundation for it has been permanently damaged.
A study by the University of Oxford quotes:
“University of Oxford scientists say that adults may find learning more difficult than children because their brains store memories differently. The study, in the journal Neuron, looked at nerve cell activity – the basis of learning and memory – in rats. Experts said younger brains may learn things more easily, but older brains may store information more efficiently”
Whatever the primary factor, there are so many advantages to learning languages as a child that it would be a shame not to take advantage of those critical years.There’s an amazing new way to learn Russian! Want to see what everyone’s talking about! Click Here.