Teaching Them Young: Tots Learn to Say “Ni Hao” to Mandarin

Children have a knack for learning foreign languages in early childhood and those who master an extra language can even gain some cognitive advantages, suggests the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Parents in India are enrolling children as young as 3 years old in after-preschool language programs, and many were pleased when the founder of Facebook surprised the globe by speaking Mandarin during an interview in China. Numerous institutes and programs are emerging in Indian cities to teach the language through stories, crafts, songs and games. India offers evidence that children are capable of learning multiple languages in their earlier years – as many grow up speaking Hindi, English and another local language. Parents who are ambitious for their children survey economic growth around the globe and many have decided that Mandarin could be more useful than learning European languages, reports Neha Bhayana for the Times of India, but for toddlers, instructors associate the new language with fun. – YaleGlobal