Developmental Education in Children
Teaching a Foreign Language to Young Learners
Gözde Demirel Fakiroğlu, Mehmet Yalçın YılmazIn this chapter, children’s language learning and language acquisition are discussed. The differences between language learning and language acquisition are explained in prior chapters. Bilingualism and multilingualism is another important aspect of children’s language development. Bilinguals are exposed to two languages while a monolingual child deals with one language. For second language acquisition, Krashen’s theories, which address acquisition, and learning theory, natural order hypothesis, monitor hypothesis, input hypothesis and the affective filter hypothesis are explained. The factors affecting language development and language learning periods are also explained and examined. The methods and approaches for teaching a language to young children and key principles for learning a foreign language are addressed and discussed. In addition, the importance of language for identity formation and language with the role of cultural transmission are explained. A number of suggestions for language teachers are also included.