Languages from the Cradle - lullabies of Europe

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Why Pedagogic Basis - Lullabies and Language Development Research shows that lullabies do much more than lulling a baby to sleep. They provide opportunities for children’s growth and development as well as promoting a loving relationship between parent and child. In addition to instilling a love for music within the child, lullabies lay the foundation for future language growth because the child's environment can have its most profound impact before age four when intelligence is growing most rapidly (Howle 1989) Language development begins at birth. During the first 3 years of life, children form the main learning pathways in their brains (Bloom, 1964). At that point, the brain is very receptive to learning by sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, and doing (Dryden & Vos, 1997). Later in adult life, everything an individual learns will be built on the information gained during these early years including the sounds that make up language (Kotulak 1996). If adults talk and sing with children, their ability to distinguish the sounds and rhythms of language will develop. They begin to understand how speech is constructed, which is the first step in becoming speakers of their native language. These early years of child development are particularly important and, according to recent research, there are a series of time periods, or "windows," in which children learn faster and easier in conjunction with increased brain development. At the end of this time it becomes much more difficult, sometimes impossible, for the child to learn the same thing (Wolfe 1998). Critically the ability to learn a second language is at its highest between birth and the age of six. Much of the data on “learning windows” is relatively new and is still in debate. What is certain, however, is that a rich emotional and linguistic environment has a critical impact on the rapid development of a child’s brain. Lullabies combine these two factors, providing the child with an emotional safe and warm haven, and at the same time with the sounds and rhythms of their native language or indeed the introduction to the language of another culture. References Bloom, B.S. (1964). Stability and Change in Human Characteristics. New York: Wiley. Dryden, G. & Vos, J. (1997). The Learning Revolution. Auckland, NZ: The Learning Web. Howle, M.J. 1989. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star: It's More Than Just A Nursery Song. Children Today, July-August. Kotulak, R. (1996). Inside the Brain. Andrews and McMeel. Wolfe, P., and R. Brandt. 1998. What do we know from brain research? Educational Leadership 56(3): 8-13. European Values A basic premise of the whole European ideal is the preservation, respect and encouragement of the rich diversity of European Union (EU) languages. European culture is embedded in the languages of Europe. The EU has set itself a goal that each citizen shall be able to understand at least two other European languages. To achieve this goal the EU funds projects that raise motivation and visibility of languages in Europe. The Languages from the Cradle project (Lullabies project) is a direct manifestation of this goal. It is targeted at young learners as well as the adults within a family.