Language is basically obtained in one of two ways.
It may be acquired naturally; from infancy, the home, media, and what is heard within the community at large. It is known as the “source language”, the “native tongue”, the “mother tongue” or the “sfat em”, in Hebrew. The rate of speed at which language development progresses is innate or inborn, meaning it is genetically determined. More than one language may be part of this stage. Growing up in a three-language household, I was spoken to by each of my parents in a different language, and I picked up the third one from my sibling, television, and the neighborhood kids. The other way language is obtained is by “applied linguistics”, actually being taught a foreign language, after the first grade. The rate of speed at which this type of language development progresses is typically slower. It often requires familiarity with vocabulary, rules and structures. Awareness of differences and similarities between the source language and the new target one need to be emphasized. The learner is strongly affected by the mother tongue. There are an overwhelmingly large number of benefits to taking on a foreign language. Among these are improvements in listening skills, cognitive and sensory processing, rational decision-making, critical thinking skills, and the ability to concentrate. Knowing another language slows cognitive decline due to mental aging. The positive effects of learning an additional language are definitely convincing!