Russian for Kids
Never mind Russian for kids—why should children learn a second language at all?
In this era of vigorous technological development, the value of a sound education in science and math generally goes without question. Fair enough, right? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize the wider applications of her own quantitative training and its demand in the professional world. What too often escapes notice is the equal importance of foreign languages like Russian for kids early in their development.
What makes languages so important? Do the math. Time and again, numbers and statistics bear out the importance of words, foreign or otherwise. A recent study featured by Newsweek indicated that competence in language actually proved more useful in finding employment than knowledge in almost all other areas, including the sciences. According to the findings, “a survey of employment destinations of graduates in the UK discovered that those with language qualifications fared better than practically any other subject specialization—even computer specialists.”
Nor are the benefits of knowing multiple languages limited to the United Kingdom, though Brits such as Tony Blair, Queen Elizabeth II, Julie Christie, and Hugh Grant—all of whom speak French in addition to English—do seem acutely aware of bilingualism’s value. In the United States the rapid growth of minority populations who speak other languages makes communication and intercultural understanding more important than ever. And with business going global—think of the worldwide economic shockwaves generated by the recent debt crisis of a single Mediterranean nation—no country is immune to the activities of the others.
Okay, learning a second language makes sense.
But why Russian for kids?
The benefits of mastering a second language are clear: enhanced opportunities, enhanced cultural awareness, and enhanced communication abilities. But why choose Russian for kids? Even parents who recognize the benefits of starting their children on a language early may wonder which to select. Why not Spanish, for instance? Or Wolof? Truth is, you can’t go wrong, but consider some of the particular attractions of Russian for kids.
Russian offers its speakers access to a rich cultural history and a seat of great political influence that has been instrumental in shaping the modern world. How thrilling is the prospect of visiting the palaces of St. Petersburg, reading Tolstoy in his native language, and rocking out to t.A.T.u. with a complete understanding of their lyrics!
Another advantage of Russian for kids is the linguistic sophistication to which it introduces them. Mastering a language with case endings and a high degree of grammatical complexity stimulates the mind and makes learning other languages easier. After all, a well-taught language, like a good dessert, leaves a child hungry for another. And that’s a craving you can freely indulge.
Why wait? A few good reasons a program in Russian for kids cannot start too soon.
The sooner kids begin Russian or another language, the easier the process will be. Studies repeatedly show that people absorb language most quickly before their teenage years. More compellingly still, the Center for Applied Linguistics notes that studying a language “has a positive effect on intellectual growth and enriches and enhances a child's mental development.” By learning an alternative linguistic system, a child develops “more flexibility in thinking” and “a better ear for listening.” What parent could resist that improvement?
Additional studies conducted by the Cornell Language Acquisition Lab confirm these claims. According to the findings of Barbara Lust, a professor of human development and director of CLAL and her collaborator Sujin Yang, a former postdoctoral research associate at the lab, “teaching young children how to speak a second language is good for their minds.” In particular, their research indicates that kids who learn another language “maintain attention despite outside stimuli better than children who know only one language.” (Again, parents, who can resist?) The ability to concentrate is particularly important, Lust and Yang say, because it is “responsible for selective and conscious cognitive processes to achieve goals in the face of distraction and plays a key role in academic readiness and success in school settings.”
With summer just around the corner, a terrific opportunity awaits for introducing Russian to kids. Make it a family project. Use it as a boredom buster. When children whine that there’s nothing to do, respond with a resounding nyet! Break out the borscht, pop in the Muzzy disc, and crank up the Tchaicovsky. Maybe you’ve heard that classical music can also enhance children’s minds? Think what a Russian composer could do! Worlds await—linguistic, musical and more.
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