Skip to main content
Cambridge
  • Products and Services

    Products and Services

    • Products and Services

      Our innovative products and services for learners, authors and customers are based on world-class research and are relevant, exciting and inspiring.

    • Academic Research, Teaching and Learning
    • English Language Learning
    • English Language Assessment
    • International Education
    • Education resources for schools
    • Bibles
    • Educational Research & Network
    • OCR
    • Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
    • Cambridge CEM
    • Partnership for Education
    • Cambridge Dictionary
    • The Cambridge Mathematics Project
    • CogBooks
    • Bookshop
  • About Us

    About Us

    • About Us

      We unlock the potential of millions of people worldwide. Our assessments, publications and research spread knowledge, spark enquiry and aid understanding around the world.

    • What we do
    • Our story
    • People and planet
    • Diversity and inclusion
    • Annual Report
    • News and insights
    • Governance
    • Legal
    • Accessibility
    • Rights and permissions
    • Contact us
    • Media enquiries
  • Careers

    Careers

    • Careers

      No matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, you’ll feel proud to work here.

    • Careers
    • Jobs
    • Benefits
Change Language

Cambridge English

Main navigation

  • Products and Services

    Products and Services

    • Products and Services

      Our innovative products and services for learners, authors and customers are based on world-class research and are relevant, exciting and inspiring.

    • Academic Research, Teaching and Learning
    • English Language Learning
    • English Language Assessment
    • International Education
    • Education resources for schools
    • Bibles
    • Educational Research & Network
    • OCR
    • Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
    • Cambridge CEM
    • Partnership for Education
    • Cambridge Dictionary
    • The Cambridge Mathematics Project
    • CogBooks
    • Bookshop
  • About Us

    About Us

    • About Us

      We unlock the potential of millions of people worldwide. Our assessments, publications and research spread knowledge, spark enquiry and aid understanding around the world.

    • What we do
    • Our story
    • People and planet
    • Diversity and inclusion
    • Annual Report
    • News and insights
    • Governance
    • Legal
    • Accessibility
    • Rights and permissions
    • Contact us
    • Media enquiries
  • Careers

    Careers

    • Careers

      No matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, you’ll feel proud to work here.

    • Careers
    • Jobs
    • Benefits
Change Language
English
  • Home
  • Educators and organisations

    Educators and organisations

    • Accept and verify our exams
    • Schools
    • Preparation centres
    • Higher education and adult education
    • Exam centres
    • Resources for teachers
    • Professional learning and development
    • Teaching qualifications
    • English language consultancy
    • Education agents
    • Become a Cambridge English assessment specialist
    • Popular links

    • Our 2025 catalogue
    • Information for preparation centres
    • Find an exam centre
  • Learners

    Learners

    • Learning products and resources
    • Online learning activities
    • Cambridge English journeys
    • Exams & tests

    • Ways to take your Cambridge English qualification
    • Find an exam centre
    • How to register
    • Exam preparation
    • What to expect on exam day
    • Study English in the UK
    • Study English abroad
    • Visas and immigration
    • See exam results online
  • Learning & assessment products

    Learning & assessment products

    • Integrated learning and assessment
    • See all learning products
    • Official exam preparation products
    • Exams & tests overview
    • Placement test
    • Cambridge English Skills Test
    • Cambridge English Qualifications (CEQs)
    • IELTS
    • Linguaskill
    • Occupational English Test (OET)
    • Michigan English Test (MET)
    • Cambridge English Scale
  • Community

    Community

    • Community for teachers
    • Community for learners
    • News
  • Support

    Support

    • Lost certificates
    • Enquiries and appeals
    • Special requirements
    • Special considerations
    • Malpractice
    • Complaints
    • IELTS
    • Additional support

    • Contact us
    • Speak to a Sales Representative
    • Help on Cambridge One
  • Test your English
  • Find an exam centre
  • Who accepts our exams?
English

You are here:

  1. Cambridge English
  2. Learning English
  3. Help your child learn English
  4. Supporting your child
  5. How children learn languages

How children learn languages

  • Supporting your child
    • Encouraging your child to speak English
    • Find the right learning activities
    • What are the different ‘levels’ of learning a language?
    • How parents can support English language learning
    • How to encourage children who are not confident speaking in English
    • How to increase motivation to learn English
    • How children learn languages
    • Should my child learn American or British English?
    • How to use technology for learning
    • How parents and teachers work together
    • Why are exams useful for language learning?
    • Which English language skills are needed for the future?
    • How mistakes help you learn

How long does it take to learn a language?

Many different factors affect the time it takes. These include your child’s age, first language, their reason for learning English and their teachers.

You can help your child learn quickly by giving them lots of opportunities to use English. It helps to have real reasons for using a language, rather than just studying grammar.

Is it true that boys and girls learn languages differently?

Yes. At early ages, girls tend to develop language more quickly.1 Remember that it’s OK for children to develop at different speeds. It will be more similar by secondary school age.

However, by this stage children might think that languages are 'more of a girl thing'.2 Attitudes to learning can have a big impact on educational success3 so it’s important to find ways to encourage your child and help them enjoy their learning.

Do primary and secondary children learn languages differently?

Yes, there are differences.

Primary school children are learning their first and second languages at the same time. It’s really important to support both languages. Children with a strong foundation in their first language will find it easier to learn a second language.4

Encourage your child to play, sing and read in both their first and second languages. Remember to plan separate times to focus on each language. If you say something in English and then in another language, your child will automatically listen for their stronger language and ‘tune out’ the other language.

Teenagers are interested in exploring their personalities and identities. This creates lots of opportunities to use popular culture, films, TV, music and video games. Teenagers also enjoy challenging authority, which provides opportunities for debates and discussion.

Will learning another language affect how well my child does at school?

Multilingual children learn at a young age that they can express their ideas in more than one way. This helps their thought process and makes them better, more flexible, learners.

Research has found that children who speak more than one language do better in school,5 and have better memories and problem-solving skills.

What kind of learner is my child?

Watch your child playing. What do they enjoy doing? Puzzles and problem-solving? Physical play and sports? Word games? Writing stories? Creative play? Try doing these types of activities in English and make a note of what your child responds to best.

Alternatively, ask your child to create in English their own one-week ‘dream timetable of activities’. Let them choose how to present it. For example, they could act it out, prepare a written fact file, make a video, draw pictures, go on a treasure hunt or make a scrap book.


1 Science, 'Language Gene' More Active in Young Girls Than Boys (accessed 30 November, 2017).
2 Cambridge Assessment, The Gender Gap in English Language Proficiency? (accessed 30 November, 2017).
3 Huffington Post, How Boys and Girls Learn Differently (accessed 30 November, 2017).
4 NALDIC, Supporting children learning English as an additional language (accessed 30 November, 2017).
5 The Telegraph, Why learn a foreign language? Benefits of bilingualism (accessed 30 November, 2017).

On this site

  • Educators and organisations
  • Learners
  • Learning & assessment products
  • Community for teachers
  • Community for learners
  • Support
  • About us
  • Impact monitoring
  • English Research Group
  • ALTE logo
  • English Profile logo
  • Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  • BSI Logo

View Related Sites

  • Cambridge English main site
  • Cambridge English helpdesk
  • Cambridge English Schools
  • Cambridge English Online
  • Cambridge English for Centres
  • Preparation Centres Online
  • Results Verification Service
  • Occupational English Test
  • ALTE
  • English Profile
  • Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  • Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
  • Michigan Language Assessment
  • Cambridge Assessment Japan Foundation


© Cambridge University Press & Assessment

  • Terms & conditions
  • Data protection
  • Accessibility statement
  • Statement on modern slavery
  • Safeguarding policy
  • Sitemap
Back to top