How music can aid in language learning

Here at the Alliance Francaise we are always interested in learning about new ways to acquire language. So when we found this article we thought you could be interested too!

Cap Enfants, a network of nursery schools in France is taking a unique approach to develop the listening skills of toddlers. They believe that exposing children to different rhythms in infancy allows them to better understand languages in life.

This intent is related to a study by the Institute of Learning and Brain Science for the University of Washington that discusses the relationship between musical rhythms and language rhythms. The study looked at the neural responses of 9 month old infants after they were exposed to music. It found that infants exposed to music were more sensitive to changes in rhythm in both speech and music than infants who were not. At the Cap Enfants,the centerpiece of the nursery playroom is occupied by a colorful igloo-like “La Bulle Musicale” that was designed to bathe the children in sounds from all angles. They hope that by exposing the children to a variety of sounds and rhythms early in life it might make it easy for them to be more perceptive of languages, both mother-tongue and otherwise. It was designed by a team made up of an early childhood educator and a sound engineer.

At the Alliance we love singing! Come see for yourself and enroll your child in our Chez Kids Academy classes. If you would just like to learn more about us, come to our Kids’ Open House on Saturday, February 4th.

To read more about Cap Enfants and the Bulle Musicale read the original article.