APRENDIZAGEM DE LÍNGUA INGLESA E BILINGUISMO NA PRIMEIRA INFÂNCIA

Abstract

This work approaches the influence of the English language for children, mainly in the world, something that has been growing for centuries. It is at the top of the most used languages both orally and in writing. More than 1.5 billion people speak English, some as their mother tongue and others as an additional or working language. English is the first or the only official language of major international organizations. It then becomes important to learn this language if we want to be able to face the challenges of globalization. As it is easier for children than for adults to learn a new language, the school environment where they take their biggest learning steps should be sufficient for learning English. From kindergarten to university, the educational system dedicates very few hours to English learning. This is the main reason why people finish their studies without being able to express themselves well in English or in other foreign languages taught. The general objective of the research is to show why children should study English as a second language in early childhood and the specific objectives of the research are to: a) discover the theories of how children learn a second language in early childhood; b) understand how children learn a second language in early childhood, in addition to, c) analyze how they do this and understand how the environments in which the child lives influence second language learning. The methodology used here was bibliographical and qualitative research. It is concluded that learning a second language from an early age brings many advantages for children, as learning happens more spontaneously, instinctively and generates an advantage that they will keep for the rest of their lives. In addition to providing them with knowledge of other cultures, other peoples and their respect. KEYWORDS: English language; second language; early childhood.