For children who are trying to learn Japanese, the language can be intimidating as they are not familiar with the writing system and pronunciation. A lot of parents think that their children are too young to learn Japanese. If you are wondering whether or not to enroll your child to a class centered on Japanese for kids, use this guide to help you decide.
Kids are Fast Learners
Spoken Japanese is fast. But, kids learn language at their own natural pace, no matter the language’s nature. With a Japanese lesson, your child can work gradually at their pace instead of dealing with everything at once. In addition, kids are energetic which means they can adapt to a fast-paced language. That is why some studies claim that it might be beneficial to start language studies at a young age. As your child learns to speak a fast language like Japanese, their brain is compelled to think and function faster.
Kids Learn Respect through Language
Japanese has a particular honorifics system that dictates the way somebody must speak and behave. As your child starts to learn Japanese, they may not know the honorifics to use and when or with whom. But, the benefit is that Japanese lessons let them pay more attention to personal relationships. As your child starts to study Japanese, they will learn how to address other people with respect and how to speak to people with proper etiquette. They will be able to see relationships in a new way. This will greatly benefit young learners.
Kids Learn Japanese through Pictures and Symbols
A lot of parents are worried that the Japanese writing systems are too difficult for their little ones to understand. Although the writing systems can be challenging, they can be learned.
In the West, writing is similar to a math equation where there is a set of letters that will be added together in the correct combination to create a word. But, kanji is different. When using a kanji character, you will draw a representation of an idea. Your children can learn the language through association. This is the reason schools use picture books to teach children new words. Also, this is why kids love to draw and color. While Japanese writing can be hard, it promotes artistic development and analogical thinking. Learning Japanese encourages your child to expand their learning and help them develop in new ways.
