MYTH 1: CHILDREN LEARN SECOND LENGUAGES QUICKLY AND

EASILY
Frequently people think that the children learn more quickly the second language due to
the belief of the "critical period hypothesis " that consists in that the brain of the children
has a cognitive plasticity superior than that the adults because the cortex of children is
more plastic than that of the older learners. Recently this hypothesis has been
questioned due to there are other very significant factors that are very relevant at the
moment of the learning as psychological and social, for example the personal
motivation of the pupils.
Nevertheless, this hypothesis isnt true because there has been verified that the adults
learn better and more quickly than children, due to the fact that already they have
acquired learning strategies as well as the vocabulary. The only exception that we can
find is the relating one to the pronunciation.
MYTH 1: CHILDREN LEARN SECOND LANGUAGES QUICKLY AND
EASILY
People tend to think that children learn second languages more quickly and
easily than adults. We are going to explain the pros and cons about this myth.
According to the article, on the one hand, children could learn faster a second
language because their brains are more flexible and their cortex is more plastic than
adults brain. As we can see in Chinese shops, kids translate to their parents what people
are saying to them.
Talking about pronunc iation, children speak without foreign accent. They are
more open-minded to receive other languages. Also, kids are more motivated to speak
new languages because they arent so shy.
On the other hand, some studies proved that adults have more skills in order to
relate grammatical constructions than young people. In fact, adults language tends to be
more complex and technical. Also older learners have more memory techniques and
strategies to learn a second language, for that reason they have a richer vocabu lary.
To sum up, in our opinion teachers have to be aware of children difficulties and
assume they will not get it immediately.
MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SECOND
LEARNING: WHAT EVERY TEACHER NEED TO UNLEARN.

LANGUAGE

Myth 2: The younger the child, the more skilled in acquiring a second language.
On the one hand we can say that this myth is false because in this text appears a study
where we can see that older children are better than younger children in acquiring a
second
language, it can be because the older children are accustomed to study languages in a
traditional style or using grammatical styles, so older children have more skills in
instructional approach hence this ones are better in tests. But there are other things like
older children have more experience than younger children and this ones have a minor
cognitive development.
On the other hand the text says that younger children are better than older children in
pronunciation because pronunciation involves motor patterns and this stop on the first
language and it is very difficult to change after a concret age.
So younger children have a better native accent because they havent closed this motor

patterns yet. The younger children have native accent, this accent is like native persons
accent.
However this doesn't mean that learning a second language at an early age is a good or
bad thing, but it all depends on many factors, but younger children have an advantage
because they can increase their potential in communication skills and they can integrate
other cultures as their own.
Furthermore the text says that people who stay more time in contact with second
language dont learn more than the people who dont stay in contact a lot of time.
All this things says that each children have a different form to learn and acquiring skills
and the
teachers have a lot of forms to explain languages or other thing, so the younger the child
the more skilled in acquiring a second language are false because older children have a
determined skills and younger children another determined skills hence the older
students will show quicker gains and younger students have an advantage in
pronunciation.
To conclude the text explain that all the teacher have to be clear the situation of each
student and act accordingly to the needs of students because each one's need different
thing when they study, learn, memorize
For example, if a teacher have a student who have other mater language and he doesnt
understand a lot of english, the teacher will help him and the teacher have to know a
little bit the students mater language; so if people who have a minority mater language,
they have to use
this language to learn the second language because they take as a reference their mater
language.
MYTH 2: THE YOUNGER THE CHILD, THE MORE SKILLED IN
ACQUIRING A SECOND LANGUAGE.
This myth talks about the best time to start language instruction. Is supposed that the
best time to learn two languages simultaneously.
The best way to learn a second language is to begin at the same time that the first
language. Exist a discuss between when children learn the second language earlier.
A British study shows that older children learn a second language better than younger
children. This results are similar in a other studies, as for example Swedish children
learning English. However, this results aren't always similars. A program in Canada
defends that older guys haven't more skills to learn a second language than younger
children.
In the pronunciation aspect is better to learn the languages at t he same time because the
accent acquired in first language have repercussions in the second language. If the
children starts to learn the second language when their motor patterns have been
fossilized in the first language, they use this pronunciation for the second. And it
repercutes in phonology of the second language learned.
Although otherwise, the older children have acquired a cognitive skills which do that
they learn better.

MYTH 3: THE MORE TIME STUDENTS SPEND IN A SECOND LANGUAGE

CONTEXT, THE QUICKER THEY LEARN THE LANGUAGE
Myth 3 talks about the time students spend in a second language context and the quicker
they learn the language.
On the one hand, the first part of this myth explains that some educators think that the
best way to know a second language is a structured immersion. However, students that
go a bilingual classroom acquire the same knowledge that the structured immersion
because the most important is the language learning, not the time.
On the other hand there is a great deal of evidence that, while oral communication skills
in a second language maybe purchase within two or three years, it may take up to four
to six years to gain the level of proficiency for understanding the language.
Also, bilingual classroom are beneficial to students its allow do a good word. The
children who go a bilingual classroom acquire as much English as children who have
more exposure from an earlier age.
In conclusion, children learn more and quick when they expend more time in contact
with the second language, but we think that children learn the same in a public school,
bilingual, or if they have an exchange. The important is that children have a competent
teacher. Nevertheless is not necessary that they are native.
Myth 3
In first place, our myth talk about the time a child spends learning a second language
and the relation between this time and the speed of the childs learning.
It is said that children who receive all the instructions in the second language (English)
and attend only lessons in this language are faster developing the English language
skills than children who attend lessons in the mother language and in the second
language. However, research has demonstrated that this is not truth.
Furthermore, research has proved that children who attend lessons in both languages,
that is in their mother language and in the second language, have a level of English
which is equilavent to the level that have the children who only learn in English.
Finally, as future teachers, we should promote the use of both languages at the same
time because with this kind of lessons we will be sure that our children will learn the
second language and also that they will not fall behind school work.
MYTH 4: CHILDREN HAVE ACQUIRED A SECOND LANGUAGE
ONCE THEY CAN SPEAK IT
Myth 4 says that children have acquired a second language once they can speak it.
It's not true because children can speak proficiency English sometimes they aren't good
at
writing, listening, nouns, verbs, synonyms and antonyms.
Jim Cummins says that children who are not ready for all-English classroom may be
harmful to the children academic success.
Also, if the children can't understand English, they won't be able to have success in
English class.

English summary myth 4

We often think that children know English properly when they know how to speak it but
thats not true because English doesnt consist in oral expression only but also in
vocabulary, syntactic knowledge and other grammatical objects.
This thesis is supported by the Canadian educator Jim Cummins by an investigation
done by him that indicates kids take longer to handle cognitive language skills properly
rather than oral communicative skills. He and other investigators argue that children
show fluency in a language because they have good oral skills but dont understand the
abstract aspects of the language like synonyms, nouns, adverbs, adjectives and many
others.
All exposed above has a great influence in teaching. Teachers have to be careful with
placing children in all-English classes because it can be dangerous for their academic
success and knowledge. It is inappropriate to put children in a classroom where the
assessment is based in oral unrollment.
Children can have problems in reading and writing even if they can speak properly the
language. Many problems with English language can be due to the bad teaching and
limitations in middle and high school. Basically, learning a second language is not as
easy as it seems and isnt finished in a year or two.
MYTH 5:
All children learn a language in the same way
To answer this question we say that there are we two issues. In the First place we can
find from difference cultures, with its own language and in the second place we can find
difference ways to learning the language.
Parents teach their children through language, this is used to communicate meaning and
to convey information, and things like that. .. when children come to school the
language is very difference is more formal, often do not understand, so children will be
frustrated.
Some children in some cultures are more accustomed to learning from peers than from
adults. They learned to be quiet in the presence of adults and had little experience in
interactive with them.
We can find children shy and quiet and children extrovert and talkative. They learn
language the difference way. While the first will feel worry about mistakes, the others
children will dont feel worry about mistakes and therefore they will speak more and
will learn faster.
Therefore, teachers need to be aware of cultural and individual differences in learner
styles to use the best strategies and methods to help the students reach success.
What does this mean for the teacher?
Teacher must make; small group, cooperative learning, peer tutoring, individualized
instructions, and other strategies that take the childrens diversity of experience into
account.
Finally, teachers need to be aware of how the childs experiences in the home and in
the home culture affect values, patters of language, and interpersonal style.
This myth says that all children learn a second language in the same way, but it is false,
each child learn to different rate and different way.

In addition, education does not only depend on the school but also it is work of the
parents. Each child comes from a different culture so not everyone speak the same way.
Some children in some cultures are more accustomed to learning from peers than from
adults. They learn to be quiet in the presence of adults and have little experience in
interacting with them.
We can find shy and quiet children and other extrovert and talkative children. The first
feel worry about mistakes however other children dont feel worry about it so they
speak more and learn faster than the first.
Therefore, teachers need to be aware of cultural and individual differences in learner
styles to use the best strategies and methods to help the students reach success.
MYTH 5
All children learn a second language in the same way. This myth is false, teachers admit
that not every child learn the same way. A research showed that children from
American that become from minority cultural background have different ways of
talking.
Some schools from there teach language in order to communicate meaning to convey
information, to control social behavior and to solve problems and later in upper grades
the style of talk is analytic and deductive.
Furthermore in social middle-class parents teach their children through language
where instructions are given verbally from a very early age.
In addiction some children in some cultures are more accustomed to learn from peers
rather than adults.
All these facts are the things that teachers have to take into account when teaching.
We need to be aware that many culturally and linguistically diverse children enter
school with cognitive and social norms that differ from those which the govern of
every country wants to teach in every classroom. This is why this myth it isnt true.