Learning Language at an Early Age

Children have a remarkable ability to soak up information and put it to use at a young age.

Each Monday for 45 minutes, parents encourage their children take advantage of that instinctive ability to learn by attending Newtown Township Parks and Recreation’s “Mommy and Me” Chinese language class.

The six-week class is for children ages 3 to 5. Teacher Ya Chuo uses music, crafts, puppets, and art to introduce the young students to her native language of Mandarin Chinese.

Chuo, who came to America from Taiwan 24 years ago, said she’s passionate about teaching because she knows what it’s like to learn a second language. When she moved to America, first by way of New Jersey then to Bucks County, she could only speak a few words of English.

“I use my experience to teach. I struggled,” Chuo said, adding that she immersed herself in art classes at Bucks County Community College as a way to become conversational in English. “I’m still learning,” she said.

While Chuo learned her second language as an adult, the best time to do it is as a child, she said.

“Kids are not afraid of making a mistake,” she said.  Chuo, who also tutors adults, said children and adults have a very different way of learning. “Kids aren’t thinking, ‘did I do it right or did I do it wrong’.  I always encourage my students, don’t be thinking you’re doing it wrong.”

Because when it comes to language, what really matters is that you’re able to communicate with those around you.

“If you say something and someone understands you, that’s a start” -- no matter if you said it with perfect grammar, Chuo said.  She encourages her students to use body language or even just one word they know to convey their message.  “Then when you learn more, you build up.”

She’s patient with her students and does not pressure them, especially the children. “They learn language long-term. Every kid is different.”

Some children like to sit quietly and just listen, soaking everything up. Others like to be interactive and sing, Chuo said.

“Even if they do nothing but listen, that’s a start,” she said. After all, that’s what babies are doing for the first few years of their lives – just listening and taking in the language. When they are ready, they slowly start communicating words. Then, gradually, their vocabulary grows and grows. Learning a second language is very similar, Chuo said.

Chuo likes to make her class fun. She uses songs, crafts, puppets, and other interactive games to keep the children engaged and interested.

“You must have a busy hand in class so they listen,” she said.

Parents and kids both seem to enjoy the change of pace and the immersion into another culture, even if it is for a short period of time.

Ellen Kim, whose daughter Sierra attends the class, agreed with Chuo that children pick up new languages best at a young age.

Sierra, 3, is already bilingual – she speaks English and a Taiwanese dialect of Chinese.  She also already knows a little bit of Mandarin Chinese because that is the native language of some of Kim’s family members.

“This is the best stage to pick it up,” Kim said. “Kids soak it up like a sponge.”

The next session of “Mommy and Me” Chinese begins Feb. 14.  The cost is $40 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.

The township Parks and Recreation is also sponsoring a special event this weekend to celebrate the Chinese New Year. On Saturday, Feb. 5 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., there will be a children’s Chinese New Year party at Dragon in Newtown. Kids ages 7 through 12 will have the chance to make crafts, eat Chinese food, and learn about traditions associated with the holiday.  The cost is $15 for residents and $20 for nonresidents.

For more information or to register for either the class or the party, visit www.newtownfun.com.