First, the necessity and feasibility of early childhood English education
Neurophysiological research shows that from two years old to adolescence, that is, from 10 to 12 after birth, the area responsible for speech in the human brain is constantly developing and changing, and its speech center has not yet been located, so both left and right hemispheres of the brain can participate in language learning. However, with the increase of age, children's language acquisition ability gradually declines. Some research results show that language learning should be done sooner rather than later. The era before 12 is an important period for the development of human language. Early childhood is the most sensitive to pronunciation, followed by mastering grammar. Childhood is the best time for children to acquire language.
Chomsky, a famous American linguist, put forward more than 50 years ago that people have innate ability to master language rules, and its embodiment mechanism is the innate language acquisition device (LAD). Chomsky believes that LAD contains a set of universal language rules, which can form a series of alternative conversion grammars through a certain logical order. From this, can we infer that if we teach children two languages at the same time, that is, input the two languages into the child's LAD device, LAD will compare and match the redundant conversion grammar with the input structure at the same time, and constantly adjust it until it matches, that is to say, the child's innate language acquisition device will automatically switch codes between the two languages, which will not burden the child's psychological development. A large number of existing studies show that bilingual children perform better than monolingual children in the tests of analytical reasoning, concept formation and cognitive flexibility, and their metalanguage skills have also been particularly well developed. They are more aware that words are just random symbols, and they are better at paying attention to grammar and meaning errors in oral and written compositions-these abilities enhance their reading performance.
Some researchers worry that learning mother tongue and foreign language at the same time will confuse children, slow down the speed of language learning, and even fail to distinguish between the two languages, thus affecting their social development. A related study found that children in bilingual families acquire two languages much slower than their peers who only learn one language. However, this backwardness disappears with age, and their proficiency in two languages will eventually enable them to use either language freely. The research on children's language comprehension ability clearly shows that children can distinguish sounds and phonemes in different languages. So confusion or inaccuracy in understanding is not a problem. In other words, children can use a word in one language instead of a word with the same meaning in another language, which embodies the principle of extension. Learning two languages at the same time will not bring obstacles to children's language development, but will promote their language and thinking development.
Second, the principles of family English education
1. Subtle in the natural and real background
Language is only a tool for human beings to communicate and understand the world. The whole language theory emphasizes that children's language learning is natural. In the family, parents don't need to let their children have intentional memories, but should exert natural influence on their children in daily life. When teaching children to speak, parents should pay attention to creating real scenes. For example, when teaching children to know the word "apple", put the real apple or apple picture in front of them to give them an intuitive impression, and they will subconsciously think that the word is meaningful and worth remembering.
When teaching children to learn a second language, most parents show the color of quick success and instant benefit, blindly asking their children to memorize words and ignoring the application of language. In family English education, we should pay attention to the use of language meaning, emphasize children's understanding of the second language, and don't ask children to speak first. For example, parents can ask their children some simple questions in English, let them answer them in Chinese, and then guide them to express them in two languages after a while.
2. Follow the mother tongue learning model
Children acquire their mother tongue by selectively strengthening the principle of association. In this process, words, as signals, are associated with the specific things they represent and various components of the language itself, and finally form a stable language system in children's minds. In English learning, parents should encourage their children to watch more, read more and speak more, and give them all-round English stimulation. In learning, we should pay special attention to the accumulation of learning time and learning volume. You can't fish for three days and dry the net for two days, and interrupt your child's study at will to ensure the continuity of your child's study.
3. Pay attention to "reading and writing preparation"
"Reading and writing preparation" is applied to children, that is, parents repeatedly read their favorite stories to their children, and children can tell stories according to their own understanding with pictures in a short time. In this process, children begin to associate some specific sounds with specific words, and reading begins. In English learning, if we strengthen the preparation of reading and writing, it will effectively promote children's cognition of English, and children will easily associate pronunciation with words and meanings and know where to use them, which is much better than memorizing words mechanically.
4. Keep children interested in learning.
It is found that effective language learning is not "correct" or "standard", but learning that connects personal life experience with society. For young children, this kind of learning is meaningful only when their foreign language learning is useful, that is, they can communicate in foreign languages.
A large number of studies show that one of the important reasons why children lose interest in learning is that they need to complete a lot of meaningless exercises in their daily study and life, while children who receive English education endure more, such as dictating words repeatedly, which are not needed in their daily life. Meaningless teaching itself has no intrinsic and essential meaning or purpose, and can't solve problems in real situations. The purpose of providing it to children is only to enable them to practice certain skills.
If children have endured a lot of meaningless contact in kindergarten or school, so that their interest in learning is about to be polished, then what parents need to do at home is to help their children maintain their interest in learning. Parents should pass on the fresh excitement, interesting stories, rich knowledge and pleasant feelings of learning English to their children, and don't let them feel that learning English is a painful thing.
5. Carry out family research and pay attention to the communication and interaction between children and parents.
The word "family study" conveys an idea and an idea. It refers to various forms of learning carried out by various types of families in all possible environments. When children study with their parents, their learning efficiency will be greatly improved. In children's family English education, parents should not only play the role of educators, but also play the role of learners to discuss with their children. Moreover, regular family study can also be conducive to parent-child communication between parents and children, establish good emotions, and also have certain benefits for children's personality development.
References:
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