Can teaching make a difference in brain

development?

Interest among second and foreign language educators has lead research to interesting studies on language and the brain. Language learning is a natural phenomenon, and seems to occur without intervention. But by understanding how the brain learns naturally, language teachers may be better able to enhance their effectiveness of language learning in schools.

Different regions of the brain have specialized functions. For example, the frontal lobes are involved in abstract reasoning and planning; while the posterior lobes are govern vision. Until recently, it was believed that these specialized regions developed from a genetic blueprint that determined the structure and function of specific areas of the brain. That is, particular areas of the brain are specifically designed to process certain kinds of information from birth.

Recent findings indicate that the specialized functions of specific regions of the brain are not fixed at birth al all, but shaped by experience and learning. Think of a young brain as a computer with incredibly sophisticated hardwiring, but no software. The software of the brain would be its exceptional processing capacity in the service of specialized functions, like vision, smell, and language. All individuals have to acquire or develop their own software in order to harness the processing power of the brain with which they are born.

Early teaching systems such as the Helen Doron Early English method, utilize this special imprint going on in young brains to teach English as a new language to very young children. Helen Doron Group has qualified Learning Centers in 23 countries around the globe, teaching the world’s children for over 20 years with amazing results.

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