When, where and how to start learning English

                Nowadays, the importance of learning languages has become very important, and English is by far, the most studied and spoken language in the world. In the Basque Country, children learn three languages at school: Basque, Spanish and English. As a consequence, the policy about languages is a bit different compared to other countries. Because of that, parents and teachers are worried about when children should start learning English as the third language.

                Researchers say that having the first contact with English when children are 4 years old is beneficial. However, this might not be true as many factors can change children`s learning quality such as methodology, number of children at class, school´s location, rural or urban environment.

                From our point of view, small children are used to speaking each other using words of any language. Shyness is not a big problem in the early childhood, so we think the speaking and pronunciation can be worked since the beginning. Moreover, a small child will easily learn how to pronounce words in a new language. We also agree that learning depends on two factors: The exposure (the time you are in contact with a language) and the quality (how to learn a language). However, high exposure does not necessarily correlate with higher competence so, for us, the best way to start studying English is the learning without any kind of pressure. This issue is essential for English teachers as we think their main objective should be to teach English in a creative and funny way. For instance, teachers could use songs, dances, or theatres.

                In conclusion, English should be introduced at school as part of children enjoyment while they develop cognitively and socially.