Michigan State University – Tracy Trautner 
Why would we want young children to learn a second language while they are focused on learning their primary one? It seems like this would be learning overload at a time when they are also learning how to be friends, count, play on the playground and so much more. However, this is a time in our lives when acquiring a second language comes very naturally. The brains of young children are uniquely suited to learn a second language as the brain is in its most flexible stage. They can learn a second language as easy as they learned to walk and learn their primary language. As adults, we have to consider grammar rules and practice, but young children absorb sounds, structures, intonation patterns and the rules of a second language very easily. Up until the age of 8, young learners benefit from flexible ear and speech muscles that can detect differences between the sounds of a second language.(more)