When should I start learning English?

The purpose of English education varies depending on the child's developmental stage. Children are sensitive to sounds, and it is generally believed that starting English early is beneficial. However, it is also said that early English education can confuse children. For young children, language is simply the language they can understand, and they don't recognize it as Japanese or English. Language is the language they use to communicate with the people around them. The following illustrates the importance of the surrounding environment. When raising a bilingual child in a Japanese family, the environment is crucial.

・From 6 months old: This is the time to increase the number of sounds the baby can hear through input.
Of course, children at this age cannot speak, but their ears begin to distinguish and understand various sounds. Getting them accustomed to English sounds from this age will train their ears to distinguish English, and inputting sounds will improve their pronunciation in the future. Also, children may not respond to audio from CDs alone, so we recommend listening to "audible," real English.

・Ages 2 and up: The time when children begin to like and become interested in English.
Children learn words by repeatedly saying simple greetings and phrases. They become engrossed in repeating the same words (for example, "Hello!"), so parents should join in and have fun. Also, trying to teach English at this stage may discourage them, so the focus should be on introducing them to English in a fun, playful way.

Ages 5 and up: A period for outputting English through frequent conversation.
Around this age, children become interested in what you're talking about, and they'll want to share their thoughts freely. You might want to try changing your approach to suit their interests, such as playing with the alphabet or reading picture books.

The important thing is to keep going. In order to solidify your English skills in the future, it is necessary to maintain the English you learned at a young age. When learning English, it is important to be exposed to "living" English. However, once the environment in which you converse in English ends, you will return to your original Japanese-speaking life.

As a parent, it's important not to have overly high expectations. On the other hand, when children are motivated, their ability to concentrate is remarkable, and their language acquisition skills are particularly high. Praise them when they are motivated, and when they lose motivation, accept that it's just not the right time and wait for them to become motivated again. It's important for parents to believe in their children and create an environment that fosters their motivation.