周先生,
您好，我是由去年6 月開始支持你們的家長，我從事教育工作的，當時我的女兒只有6 月大，現在已17個月大了，我深信您那一套對幼兒語言教育的理念，並認為我的選擇是對的。
我最滿意的是日語老師(金鍾星期天)，我和女兒上她的課簡直是一種享受，她很細心地安排每一個教學活動，互動性強，小朋友往往被她吸引着，對她我是讚不絕口的。另外是法語課(Remi & Raphael)，他們亦能仔細地安排每一個教學活動，多元化的教學環節，還有網上重溫。
而在香港最着重的是兩文三語，我最重視的是英語，Belinda 的教學絕對是無可置疑，她很活躍，每一環節都激發幼兒思考，非常吸引，而每一環節都有連貫的...
後來就試了___的課，我認為他可在以下方面作出改善以提升教學質素：
1. 不要害羞，放大聲音，盡情享受與孩子玩樂。
2. 每一環節多點連貫，如 Belinda 那樣。
3. 多一點紀律和互動性，例如我之前提及Emily的優點，多鼓勵小孩說話。
4. 勿死板地拿着教具或字咭讀，要滲入在活動中教。
我去了其他地方試堂，相比之下，你們的課堂安排仍然是優秀的，東山的孩子真的比較機靈，簡直是天淵之別，所以我更加不能不提意見，而眼睜睜地看着質素高的東山退步！
你們的課堂在優秀的基礎上再做得更好是我們家長的福份，靜候您的佳音，望老師方面有所改善，如果Emily 老師能回來則更理想，加價也值。
Ron 媽,
非常感謝您的寶貴意見，我們會知會有關的老師，並在明天早上的會議進行討論。
容我也給您提一個小小的意見，17個月的孩子，還是在語言學習和腦部發展的高峰期。孩子每天需要大量營養，支持身體的成長，更需要豐富的語言環境，及和其他小朋友的相處，刺激腦部的發育和語言的成長，隔天才提供良好的環境，並不足夠。高峰期到兩歲半左右，告一段落。
珍惜這段寶貴的高速學習期，安排在你要上班的日子，每天都讓孩子到中心參加活動，擴闊對不同文化、不同語言的接觸面，拉闊音域，培養自信心和領袖才，發揮孩子的語言天份。錢是可以賺回來的，孩子的高速學習期，一去不複返。
歡迎出週六家長研討會
6月5日(星期六)
上午10至11時半 尖沙咀漢口道17號新聲大廈6樓 電話：2376 1808
下午2至3時半 金鐘海富中心一座5樓 電話：2866 2028
6月12日(星期六)
上午10至11時半 金鐘海富中心一座5樓 電話：2866 2028
下午2至3時半 坑口安寧花園商場後座 電話：2191 0787
28.5.10
Introducing our Summer Program - (1) English Communication
When kids take over the classroom
‘I get more opportunities to speak in class.’
“It’s fun!” said Byeong-jun. “I have more opportunity to speak out in this small class. I usually don’t have that much of chance to speak English in regular class. There’s about 30 of us. But here I can ask all the questions I want. It’s cool to talk to my friends in English, too.”
“In a regular class, students sometimes hesitate to present their thoughts and answers in English because the class atmosphere is generally strict. But in this Saturday class, they are aggressive, in a good way, eager to jump in at any time because the class atmosphere encourages students not to be afraid of making mistakes.”
“There’s no special reason that we’re here,” Jin-yeong said. “It’s just because learning English is fun!”
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2903260
This is exactly what we are going to do in English Communication in our summer program, run by trained native teachers. Let kids take over the classroom. Let them talk. Let them talk about the people they like, games they play, toys they love.
The role of teacher metamorphoses from a person who lectures into a facilitator and a resource person. The teacher becomes the host of a discussion program, introducing a hot topic of common interest, involving children and drawing out their ideas. The teacher becomes a resource person, helping participants to get the word one is looking for, repeating the word to make the pronunication right.
Is the outcome of the discussion important? Perhaps. It must mean quite a lot to the participants. But our key objective is to make learning English fun.
Our objective is to build up confidence and the verbal skills in communicating in English.
Share this with your friends. Tell us what you think.
[Don't miss our Gifted Babies Program for young babies and toddlers. They learn languages a hundred times faster than adults. Come to our Parenting Seminar Tel: 2866 2028]
‘I get more opportunities to speak in class.’
“It’s fun!” said Byeong-jun. “I have more opportunity to speak out in this small class. I usually don’t have that much of chance to speak English in regular class. There’s about 30 of us. But here I can ask all the questions I want. It’s cool to talk to my friends in English, too.”
“In a regular class, students sometimes hesitate to present their thoughts and answers in English because the class atmosphere is generally strict. But in this Saturday class, they are aggressive, in a good way, eager to jump in at any time because the class atmosphere encourages students not to be afraid of making mistakes.”
“There’s no special reason that we’re here,” Jin-yeong said. “It’s just because learning English is fun!”
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2903260
This is exactly what we are going to do in English Communication in our summer program, run by trained native teachers. Let kids take over the classroom. Let them talk. Let them talk about the people they like, games they play, toys they love.
The role of teacher metamorphoses from a person who lectures into a facilitator and a resource person. The teacher becomes the host of a discussion program, introducing a hot topic of common interest, involving children and drawing out their ideas. The teacher becomes a resource person, helping participants to get the word one is looking for, repeating the word to make the pronunication right.
Is the outcome of the discussion important? Perhaps. It must mean quite a lot to the participants. But our key objective is to make learning English fun.
Our objective is to build up confidence and the verbal skills in communicating in English.
Share this with your friends. Tell us what you think.
[Don't miss our Gifted Babies Program for young babies and toddlers. They learn languages a hundred times faster than adults. Come to our Parenting Seminar Tel: 2866 2028]
27.5.10
The Developing Mind needs rich language environment and play
Young children know, feel and learn more than we ever imagined.
PERSONALITY & SOCIAL SKILLS (EQ) Recent discoveries indicate the important role social interaction plays in early learning and in later success in school and life.
COGNITION (IQ) Human cognition is complex and requires memory, problem-solving, logic, mathematical reasoning, and the manipulation of physical tools and abstract symbols.
LANGUAGE (LQ) Language is affected by a critical period. Skills not developed early are not easily corrected by later remediation attempts.
- Institute of Languages and Brain Sciences, Washington University, Seattle.
Early language training boosts IQ. University of North Carolina
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~abc/FPG_ABC-video.cfm
Le Beaumont's Gifted Babies program offers a stimulating environment rich in culture and languages, to boost the EQ, IQ & LQ of infants and toddlers.
Find out more at Beaumont Parenting Seminar (Reservation requested)
Afternoon in Admiralty: 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Tel: 2191 0787
PERSONALITY & SOCIAL SKILLS (EQ) Recent discoveries indicate the important role social interaction plays in early learning and in later success in school and life.
COGNITION (IQ) Human cognition is complex and requires memory, problem-solving, logic, mathematical reasoning, and the manipulation of physical tools and abstract symbols.
LANGUAGE (LQ) Language is affected by a critical period. Skills not developed early are not easily corrected by later remediation attempts.
- Institute of Languages and Brain Sciences, Washington University, Seattle.
Early language training boosts IQ. University of North Carolina
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~abc/FPG_ABC-video.cfm
Le Beaumont's Gifted Babies program offers a stimulating environment rich in culture and languages, to boost the EQ, IQ & LQ of infants and toddlers.
Find out more at Beaumont Parenting Seminar (Reservation requested)
Afternoon in Admiralty: 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Tel: 2191 0787
21.5.10
Hillary Clinton Addresses Early Childhood Nutrition
May 17, 2010
The following is excerpted from speech given by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the 2010 National CARE Conference. The statistics are daunting. For the full speech, go to http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/05/141726.htm.
“One in three children worldwide suffers from under-nutrition. In some countries, half of all children are stunted, which impedes their brain development and causes lifelong health and learning problems.
More than 3 million children and 100,000 mothers die every year from causes related to under-nutrition, which weakens immune systems, makes people susceptible to other health problems such as anemia, which is a leading contributor of maternal mortality, and pneumonia, which is the leading cause of death for children worldwide.
Under-nutrition impairs the effectiveness of life-saving medications, including the antiretrovirals needed by people living with HIV and AIDS. And the effects of under-nutrition linger for generations. Girls stunted by under-nutrition grow up to be women who are more likely to endure, if they survive, difficult pregnancies. And then their children, too, come into life undernourished.
So nutrition is a universal need and people of all ages and circumstances deserve access to nutritious foods. But the two groups that have the most acute need for improved nutrition are pregnant women and children, particularly babies. This is due in part to feeding practices that have women and children, particularly girls, eating last and eating least. But it also reflects the particular health needs of women, especially mothers and especially young children.
Nutrition plays the most critical role in a person’s life during a narrow window of time – the 1,000 days that begin at the start of a pregnancy and continue through the second year of life. The quality of nutrition during those 1,000 days can help determine whether a mother and child survive pregnancy and whether a child will contract a common childhood disease, experience enough brain development to go to school and hold a job as an adult.
The science of nutrition points to a strategy. If we target that brief critical period during which nutrition has the biggest impact and focus on improving nutrition for expectant mothers, new mothers, and young children, we can accomplish several things at once. We can save lives, we can help children start life on a better path, and we can bolster economic development and learning down the road.”
Sam Chow, Director of the Gifted Babies Program in Le Beaumont Language Centre, who has invested 10,000 hours in the R & D on early brain development and language acquisition, has the following observation. "The first 1,000 days after birth are indeed critical to child development. In developing countries, the problem is with the lack of nutrition. In developed countries, the problem is with the lack of language stimulation and social interaction. One in every 6 children in UK has language development problems.
Don't leave your baby at home. Don't let your baby grow up under acute deprivation of language stimulation and social interaction during the critical first 1,000 days because both parents are away at work. Join the Gifted Babies program and let your baby grow up into a gifted child in a multi-lingual multi-cultural environment rich in stimulation and social interaction.
The following is excerpted from speech given by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the 2010 National CARE Conference. The statistics are daunting. For the full speech, go to http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/05/141726.htm.
“One in three children worldwide suffers from under-nutrition. In some countries, half of all children are stunted, which impedes their brain development and causes lifelong health and learning problems.
More than 3 million children and 100,000 mothers die every year from causes related to under-nutrition, which weakens immune systems, makes people susceptible to other health problems such as anemia, which is a leading contributor of maternal mortality, and pneumonia, which is the leading cause of death for children worldwide.
Under-nutrition impairs the effectiveness of life-saving medications, including the antiretrovirals needed by people living with HIV and AIDS. And the effects of under-nutrition linger for generations. Girls stunted by under-nutrition grow up to be women who are more likely to endure, if they survive, difficult pregnancies. And then their children, too, come into life undernourished.
So nutrition is a universal need and people of all ages and circumstances deserve access to nutritious foods. But the two groups that have the most acute need for improved nutrition are pregnant women and children, particularly babies. This is due in part to feeding practices that have women and children, particularly girls, eating last and eating least. But it also reflects the particular health needs of women, especially mothers and especially young children.
Nutrition plays the most critical role in a person’s life during a narrow window of time – the 1,000 days that begin at the start of a pregnancy and continue through the second year of life. The quality of nutrition during those 1,000 days can help determine whether a mother and child survive pregnancy and whether a child will contract a common childhood disease, experience enough brain development to go to school and hold a job as an adult.
The science of nutrition points to a strategy. If we target that brief critical period during which nutrition has the biggest impact and focus on improving nutrition for expectant mothers, new mothers, and young children, we can accomplish several things at once. We can save lives, we can help children start life on a better path, and we can bolster economic development and learning down the road.”
Sam Chow, Director of the Gifted Babies Program in Le Beaumont Language Centre, who has invested 10,000 hours in the R & D on early brain development and language acquisition, has the following observation. "The first 1,000 days after birth are indeed critical to child development. In developing countries, the problem is with the lack of nutrition. In developed countries, the problem is with the lack of language stimulation and social interaction. One in every 6 children in UK has language development problems.
Don't leave your baby at home. Don't let your baby grow up under acute deprivation of language stimulation and social interaction during the critical first 1,000 days because both parents are away at work. Join the Gifted Babies program and let your baby grow up into a gifted child in a multi-lingual multi-cultural environment rich in stimulation and social interaction.
Brain Development
Brain development in a Preschooler Brain development commences in children as early as when they are babies. As per researches, early childhood care and experiences are believed to serve as an important prerequisite to a developing brain. It is also wise to reflect on the say, ’we are born with few traits and we acquire some’ in the process to become more informed and learned. A similar process works for our brains and intellect. Human brain is composed of a complex network of neurons that collect information and process it further to yield outputs. The more early these neural pathways are stimulated, the better it facilitates learning as one grows older.
http://blog.indianwomenshealth.com/brain-development/
http://blog.indianwomenshealth.com/brain-development/
20.5.10
TV is not an option for your baby
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states that television viewing can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior. Most of us are aware that Sesame Street teaches children who are ready for it, letters and numbers. Mr. Rogers teaches pro-social values. But many of us forget that by the same token, ALL television programs are teaching our children something. And when we take a close look at what most programs are teaching our children, it can be rather scary. Research on children’s behavior, school performance, weight, sleeping habits, and brain development back up the assertion that TV is harming our children.
American Academy of Pediatrics state that children aged 2 and younger should have NO screen time. Children older than that should be limited to 1-2 hours per day of nonviolent, educational programming.
Encourage alternative entertainment for children, including reading, athletics, hobbies, and creative play. [Join playgroups to exercise their brain and learn languages at the same time.]
For the full article, please go to
http://www.21blog.com/2010/05/19/television-teacher-trouble-maker-or-tool/
Find out more at the Parenting Seminar (free)
- Early brain development and language acquisition
American Academy of Pediatrics state that children aged 2 and younger should have NO screen time. Children older than that should be limited to 1-2 hours per day of nonviolent, educational programming.
Encourage alternative entertainment for children, including reading, athletics, hobbies, and creative play. [Join playgroups to exercise their brain and learn languages at the same time.]
For the full article, please go to
http://www.21blog.com/2010/05/19/television-teacher-trouble-maker-or-tool/
Find out more at the Parenting Seminar (free)
- Early brain development and language acquisition
16.5.10
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
The Science of Early Childhood
Neuroscience, molecular biology, and genomics tell us that early life experiences are built into our bodies. They get under our skin and into the brain and other organ systems, with lasting effects on individuals, communities, society, and the economy. Children subjected to poverty, violence, or neglect during these early years without a supportive network of adults can end up with faulty “wiring” that has long-term consequences well into adulthood. Experiences during the first few years of life – good and bad—literally shape the architecture of the developing brain. Stable, positive relationships with adults and growth-promoting experiences are key to the development of the architecture that forms the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health.
[The site provides links to 2 reports and 10 working papers which provides valuable information to parents who want to have an in-depth view about the subject of child development.]
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/council/
Neuroscience, molecular biology, and genomics tell us that early life experiences are built into our bodies. They get under our skin and into the brain and other organ systems, with lasting effects on individuals, communities, society, and the economy. Children subjected to poverty, violence, or neglect during these early years without a supportive network of adults can end up with faulty “wiring” that has long-term consequences well into adulthood. Experiences during the first few years of life – good and bad—literally shape the architecture of the developing brain. Stable, positive relationships with adults and growth-promoting experiences are key to the development of the architecture that forms the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health.
[The site provides links to 2 reports and 10 working papers which provides valuable information to parents who want to have an in-depth view about the subject of child development.]
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/council/
14.5.10
Talking Seriously With Children Is Good for Their Language Proficiency
ScienceDaily (May 12, 2010) — How adults approach children aged 3 to 6 years during conversations has a major influence on their language acquisition. Those who address children as fully-fledged conversation partners lay an early basis for the development of 'academic language', says Dutch researcher Lotte Henrichs.
Children at a primary school need a certain type of language proficiency: academic language. Academic language is not an independent, new language, but is the language that teachers use and expect from the pupils. It enables children to understand instructions and to demonstrate their knowledge in an efficient manner. Academic language is characterised by difficult, abstract words and complex sentence structures. The language often contains a lot of clauses and conjunctions and due to the methods of argument and analysis it has a scientific appearance.
Parents make the difference
Henrichs demonstrated that children are already confronted with academic language in the nursery school. They already hear a lot academic language from the teacher and are often expected to use academic language themselves. The extent to which academic language is used at home was found to differ strongly between families. An essential aspect is how parents approach their children during conversations. If children are given the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to conversations, they often use characteristics of academic language proficiency naturally. In addition to this, the knowledge of academic language depends on the extent to which parents read to their children, tell them stories and hold conversations about interesting subjects.
Lotte Henrichs investigated how very young children in particular acquire this academic language proficiency and the role played by child raisers and schools in this process. Within the large research programme that Henrichs carried out her research in, 150 children aged 3 to 6 years were followed for a period of three years. All of the children lived in the Netherlands and came from Turkish, Moroccan-Berber and Dutch families. From all these participants, a subgroup of 25 Dutch families were involved in the in-depth study of Henrichs.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100512172529.htm
The English program for school children in Le Beaumont is highly interactive. Children are given a lot of chance to participate in daily conversation, in reporting daily events and in discussions. Le Beaumont program is student centre. Students get highly motivated to take part in the activities. Participating in Le Beaumont English program for 3 months can have a better effect than attending a traditional English course for a year. Same happens in the Putonghua program. R & D make all the difference.
Children at a primary school need a certain type of language proficiency: academic language. Academic language is not an independent, new language, but is the language that teachers use and expect from the pupils. It enables children to understand instructions and to demonstrate their knowledge in an efficient manner. Academic language is characterised by difficult, abstract words and complex sentence structures. The language often contains a lot of clauses and conjunctions and due to the methods of argument and analysis it has a scientific appearance.
Parents make the difference
Henrichs demonstrated that children are already confronted with academic language in the nursery school. They already hear a lot academic language from the teacher and are often expected to use academic language themselves. The extent to which academic language is used at home was found to differ strongly between families. An essential aspect is how parents approach their children during conversations. If children are given the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to conversations, they often use characteristics of academic language proficiency naturally. In addition to this, the knowledge of academic language depends on the extent to which parents read to their children, tell them stories and hold conversations about interesting subjects.
Lotte Henrichs investigated how very young children in particular acquire this academic language proficiency and the role played by child raisers and schools in this process. Within the large research programme that Henrichs carried out her research in, 150 children aged 3 to 6 years were followed for a period of three years. All of the children lived in the Netherlands and came from Turkish, Moroccan-Berber and Dutch families. From all these participants, a subgroup of 25 Dutch families were involved in the in-depth study of Henrichs.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100512172529.htm
The English program for school children in Le Beaumont is highly interactive. Children are given a lot of chance to participate in daily conversation, in reporting daily events and in discussions. Le Beaumont program is student centre. Students get highly motivated to take part in the activities. Participating in Le Beaumont English program for 3 months can have a better effect than attending a traditional English course for a year. Same happens in the Putonghua program. R & D make all the difference.
UK Education Secretary on education
Michael Gove, the new Education Secretary said nothing was more important to the fairness of society and the country's future prosperity than getting education right.
The department has been renamed as the "Department for Education". Previously, it was called the "Department for Children, Schools and Families".
"Too many children still leave primary school every year without meeting basic standards in English or maths and too few 16-year-olds get five decent GCSEs.
"So improving literacy, raising pupil attainment, extending parental choice, freeing teachers from bureaucracy, improving discipline and closing the widening gap between the richest and the poorest should be our shared goal."
Other key priorities confirmed by Mr Gove were to:
* give schools greater freedom over the curriculum
* radically reform exam system
* support teachers to ensure higher standards of discipline
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/education/10113940.stm Thursday, 13 May 2010 12:51 UK
Le Beaumont shares a number of issues in common.
(1) Nothing is more important to the future success of your child than in providing a rich and stimulating language environment for growing up during the critical early years. Beaumont Playgroups stimulates the healthy department of personality, IQ and language skills.
(2) Too many children started their formal education in kindergarten totally unprepared in EQ, IQ and LQ. One third of all students ended up as failures in the School Certificate Examinations. Parents must pay due attention to the early years which are so critical to brain and language development.
(3) Beaumont Playgroups gives plenty of room for teachers to improvise and to modify the curriculum during each playgroup session, responding more closely to the interest and the response of children in the group.
The department has been renamed as the "Department for Education". Previously, it was called the "Department for Children, Schools and Families".
"Too many children still leave primary school every year without meeting basic standards in English or maths and too few 16-year-olds get five decent GCSEs.
"So improving literacy, raising pupil attainment, extending parental choice, freeing teachers from bureaucracy, improving discipline and closing the widening gap between the richest and the poorest should be our shared goal."
Other key priorities confirmed by Mr Gove were to:
* give schools greater freedom over the curriculum
* radically reform exam system
* support teachers to ensure higher standards of discipline
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/education/10113940.stm Thursday, 13 May 2010 12:51 UK
Le Beaumont shares a number of issues in common.
(1) Nothing is more important to the future success of your child than in providing a rich and stimulating language environment for growing up during the critical early years. Beaumont Playgroups stimulates the healthy department of personality, IQ and language skills.
(2) Too many children started their formal education in kindergarten totally unprepared in EQ, IQ and LQ. One third of all students ended up as failures in the School Certificate Examinations. Parents must pay due attention to the early years which are so critical to brain and language development.
(3) Beaumont Playgroups gives plenty of room for teachers to improvise and to modify the curriculum during each playgroup session, responding more closely to the interest and the response of children in the group.
11.5.10
Learning a Second Language is Kid Stuff
May 10, 2010, 1:10 pm by Jennifer Johnson
Language researchers would probably agree that your second language acquisition would have been more easily-achieved had you started before age five.
There’s an abundance of research out there confirming that young kids pick up languages more easily than adults. The relative ease with which children learn a second language may have something to do with a linguistic theory called “language transfer.”
The more children learn about a foreign language, the more they understand about their own language,” said Nancy Rhodes, Director of Foreign Language Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C.
For young kids, language learning is intuitive and natural. What educators call a “window of opportunity” may be what experts say is a greater neural and linguistic plasticity, which allows kids to acquire language with relative ease and speed.
Researchers led by neurologist Dr. Andrea Mechelli studied the brain images of bilinguals and concluded that learning a foreign language at any age increases the grey matter density in the brain, according to a 2007 New York Times article. Though learning a foreign language at any age adds to grey matter density, the most significant advantage exists for people who acquired that language before age five.
Learning a new language could have helped your SAT scores. The 2007 College Bound Seniors report, issued by the SAT-administering College Board, reported the significant benefits of studying a foreign language for four or more years: students scored an average 140 points (out of 800) higher on the Critical Reading section than students with only two semesters of foreign language, 150 points higher on Writing, and another 140 points more in the Math section.
Web MD reports that learning multiple languages can ultimately delay the onset of dementia by nearly four years in elderly patients.
Adults find it hard to mimic never-before heard sounds in other languages. Children, on the other hand, are natural copycats, often delighting in repeating and mimicking sounds and words. Kids can pick up slight differences in tones and sound, which can be helpful when imitating a natural-sounding, native-like accent that may take adolescents and adults years of practice to achieve.
A study conducted by researchers from UCLA and the University of Hong Kong shows that even adults with significant exposure to the language in childhood can end up speaking like a native.
Immersion–where all or nearly all of the verbal inputs a person receives are in the language they’re trying to learn–can be enormously helpful for learning a new language quickly and in a manner that lasts. Linguists suggest that, if you can’t study abroad in a place where you’re immersed in the language, consistently exploring the language may be your next best bet.
So stick with your foreign language classes in college or sign-up for them as an elective and your grey matter will thank you.
http://blog.openstudy.com/2010/05/10/learning-a-second-language-is-kid-stuff/
Language researchers would probably agree that your second language acquisition would have been more easily-achieved had you started before age five.
There’s an abundance of research out there confirming that young kids pick up languages more easily than adults. The relative ease with which children learn a second language may have something to do with a linguistic theory called “language transfer.”
The more children learn about a foreign language, the more they understand about their own language,” said Nancy Rhodes, Director of Foreign Language Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C.
For young kids, language learning is intuitive and natural. What educators call a “window of opportunity” may be what experts say is a greater neural and linguistic plasticity, which allows kids to acquire language with relative ease and speed.
Researchers led by neurologist Dr. Andrea Mechelli studied the brain images of bilinguals and concluded that learning a foreign language at any age increases the grey matter density in the brain, according to a 2007 New York Times article. Though learning a foreign language at any age adds to grey matter density, the most significant advantage exists for people who acquired that language before age five.
Learning a new language could have helped your SAT scores. The 2007 College Bound Seniors report, issued by the SAT-administering College Board, reported the significant benefits of studying a foreign language for four or more years: students scored an average 140 points (out of 800) higher on the Critical Reading section than students with only two semesters of foreign language, 150 points higher on Writing, and another 140 points more in the Math section.
Web MD reports that learning multiple languages can ultimately delay the onset of dementia by nearly four years in elderly patients.
Adults find it hard to mimic never-before heard sounds in other languages. Children, on the other hand, are natural copycats, often delighting in repeating and mimicking sounds and words. Kids can pick up slight differences in tones and sound, which can be helpful when imitating a natural-sounding, native-like accent that may take adolescents and adults years of practice to achieve.
A study conducted by researchers from UCLA and the University of Hong Kong shows that even adults with significant exposure to the language in childhood can end up speaking like a native.
Immersion–where all or nearly all of the verbal inputs a person receives are in the language they’re trying to learn–can be enormously helpful for learning a new language quickly and in a manner that lasts. Linguists suggest that, if you can’t study abroad in a place where you’re immersed in the language, consistently exploring the language may be your next best bet.
So stick with your foreign language classes in college or sign-up for them as an elective and your grey matter will thank you.
http://blog.openstudy.com/2010/05/10/learning-a-second-language-is-kid-stuff/
7.5.10
Child Language Acquisition Development
By Katlyn Joy, eHow Contributing Writer
We are born with an ability to learn speech and language, and have a need to communicate as social beings. However, the environment we grow up in has a tremendous impact on how our speech and language develop.
Language Elements
Certain elements are present in all languages. These include phonology (speech sounds), morphology (word formation), syntax (sentence building), semantics (meaning of sentences/words), prosody (intonation and rhythm of speech), and pragmatics (practical rules for language use). A child learns these elements within the first few years of life without formal instruction, but rather just by regular interaction with others.
http://www.ehow.com/about_6390177_child-language-acquisition-development.html
Our study shows that babies are interested in speech sounds, intonation and rhythm of speech in the first 15 months, word formation after 15 month, and sentence building from 24 months.
By far the most difficult part in learning a language is in voice recognition, which babies up to 8 months excel. As babies are only interested in sounds and sound patterns, and there are only 30+ basic sounds in any language, babies can learn 10 languages at the same time without confusion and without any problem.
We are born with an ability to learn speech and language, and have a need to communicate as social beings. However, the environment we grow up in has a tremendous impact on how our speech and language develop.
Language Elements
Certain elements are present in all languages. These include phonology (speech sounds), morphology (word formation), syntax (sentence building), semantics (meaning of sentences/words), prosody (intonation and rhythm of speech), and pragmatics (practical rules for language use). A child learns these elements within the first few years of life without formal instruction, but rather just by regular interaction with others.
http://www.ehow.com/about_6390177_child-language-acquisition-development.html
Our study shows that babies are interested in speech sounds, intonation and rhythm of speech in the first 15 months, word formation after 15 month, and sentence building from 24 months.
By far the most difficult part in learning a language is in voice recognition, which babies up to 8 months excel. As babies are only interested in sounds and sound patterns, and there are only 30+ basic sounds in any language, babies can learn 10 languages at the same time without confusion and without any problem.
4.5.10
Toddlers and TV: Early exposure has negative and long-term impact
Montreal, May 3, 2010 – A shocking study from child experts at the Université de Montréal, the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center and the University of Michigan, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, has found that television exposure at age two forecasts negative consequences for kids, ranging from poor school adjustment to unhealthy habits.
"We found every additional hour of TV exposure among toddlers corresponded to a future decrease in classroom engagement and success at math, increased victimization by classmates, have a more sedentary lifestyle, higher consumption of junk food and, ultimately, higher body mass index," says lead author Dr. Linda S. Pagani, a psychosocial professor at the Université de Montréal.
"Early childhood is a critical period for brain development and formation of behaviour," warns Dr. Pagani. "High levels of TV consumption during this period can lead to future unhealthy habits.
TV exposure replaces time that could be spent engaging in other developmentally enriching activities and tasks which foster cognitive, behavioral, and motor development.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-05/uom-tt042710.php
"We found every additional hour of TV exposure among toddlers corresponded to a future decrease in classroom engagement and success at math, increased victimization by classmates, have a more sedentary lifestyle, higher consumption of junk food and, ultimately, higher body mass index," says lead author Dr. Linda S. Pagani, a psychosocial professor at the Université de Montréal.
"Early childhood is a critical period for brain development and formation of behaviour," warns Dr. Pagani. "High levels of TV consumption during this period can lead to future unhealthy habits.
TV exposure replaces time that could be spent engaging in other developmentally enriching activities and tasks which foster cognitive, behavioral, and motor development.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-05/uom-tt042710.php
2.5.10
"芎蒼下的女神 Angora" is a great movie
Angora is a great movie, currently on show in IFC, with only one show a day. The show time on Sunday is 9:15 a.m. The film won the Goya Award and top the box offices in Spain for 4 consecutive weeks. It was set against the background of the Library in Alexandria during the latter part of the Roman Empire when Christianity began to take over from the classical schools of Greeks and Ptolemy. It was a very powerful and thought provoking film, especially for people with some background knowledge about philosophy, astronomy, science and the history of the Greeks and the Romans. The film has its own History Advisor, Astronomy Advisor, Science Advisor and Legal Advisors. It was supported by the Film Commission of Malta. Highly recommended.
1.5.10
Love is the key to healthy early childhood development
Friday, April 30, 2010
Clifton Journal
CLIFTON — Jin-A Child Care Center has been serving young children in the Clifton area for the past 22 years. This past week Jin-A celebrated the Week of the Young Child with a wonderful concert on its playground.
Research shows that brain cells are like raw materials that must be nurtured by a child's educational environment. That environment will determine how well the cells get connected, or "wired," to each other, which will affect the development of such fundamental areas as vision, feelings, language and movement. Some of the guidelines suggested by experts to parents and teachers of young children are:
* Good nutrition
* Developing a warm, caring relationship with children
* Responding to children's cues and clues
* Recognizing the uniqueness of each child
* Talking, singing and reading to children
* Encouraging safe exploration and play
* Disciplining with love
* Establishing daily routines
* Limiting TV watching
Overall, creating a warm and loving teaching environment is crucial to the healthy development of a child's brain and her subsequent growth into a well-functioning human being.
http://www.northjersey.com
news/92481374_Love_is_the_key_to_healthy_early_childhood_development.html
Clifton Journal
CLIFTON — Jin-A Child Care Center has been serving young children in the Clifton area for the past 22 years. This past week Jin-A celebrated the Week of the Young Child with a wonderful concert on its playground.
Research shows that brain cells are like raw materials that must be nurtured by a child's educational environment. That environment will determine how well the cells get connected, or "wired," to each other, which will affect the development of such fundamental areas as vision, feelings, language and movement. Some of the guidelines suggested by experts to parents and teachers of young children are:
* Good nutrition
* Developing a warm, caring relationship with children
* Responding to children's cues and clues
* Recognizing the uniqueness of each child
* Talking, singing and reading to children
* Encouraging safe exploration and play
* Disciplining with love
* Establishing daily routines
* Limiting TV watching
Overall, creating a warm and loving teaching environment is crucial to the healthy development of a child's brain and her subsequent growth into a well-functioning human being.
http://www.northjersey.com
news/92481374_Love_is_the_key_to_healthy_early_childhood_development.html
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