From what age to start teaching Italian to my child?
Did you know that up to 10-12 years old, a child can perfectly distinguish all sounds, even those of foreign languages that do not exist in their mother tongue?
Speak to your baby in Italian and you will see that he is surprised! However, you will be assimilating it.
Children from 1 year old can learn Italian or any other language.
But from what age can I teach my baby Italian , exactly?: From what age to start teaching Italian to my child?
Children have a brain that can assimilate a lot of knowledge before the age of 6. This knowledge will remain with you forever. It is therefore before the age of 6 when you should listen to the intonation and musicality of other languages.
Between 1 and 6 years old, your child can therefore begin to learn Italian.
Affective bonds are also part of learning Italian: for example, a grandmother with an accent or a grandfather who speaks Italian …
Your child will want to communicate with members of his family.
“If you immerse yourself from your earliest childhood in a bath of sounds different from those of Spanish, you will develop an interest in languages,” explains Bárbara Abdelilah-Bauer, psychologist and linguist.
Why not say “good morning” in Italian ( buongiorno) ?
Or use some words in Italian: “my love” ( amore mio) ?
Call him by the equivalent of his name in Italian? Alessandro instead of Alejandro?
In addition to the expressions of affection that this implies, your little one will be more and more attentive and will get used to the words he hears in Italian.
Make him hear Italian words every day! Why not make him listen to lullabies or music in Italian? Or watch cartoons.
A baby can be taught a second language from birth. Then you may mix the two languages into one sentence, but you will soon differentiate them.
In addition, a child who listens and who speaks two languages from an early age will have an easier time comparing and assimilating linguistic similarities when learning to read and write.