The document discusses issues related to language acquisition in babies and children. It argues that babies should be immersed in multiple languages from birth based on ecological systems theory and dynamic systems perspectives. However, it notes that both views presented in interviews ignore risk factors like low birth weight that can interfere with language development. The document advocates considering such risk factors and their long-term effects when evaluating approaches to supporting language mastery in children.

1. Snotti Prince St.Cyr
EPY 2050—Check-In#3
Sunday,February8, 2015
Should Babies be More Immersed in Multiple Languages?
I generallythinkthatbabiesshouldbe immersedintwoormore languagesthroughouttheir
entire developmentintoadulthood because the acquisitionof languages—and,byextension,culture-
and ethnicity-specificmannerisms—seemstobe supportedthe mostbyBronfenbrenner’s ecological
systemstheoryandalsothe dynamicsystemsperspective. Myinterpretationof boththe NPRinterview
withDr. JanetWerkerand the PBS“The ParentShow”withAnaFlores isthat both of theirpositionsas
portrayedinthe interviewsare flawedbecausebothof themassume “normal”developmentand
stimulationof children while ignoringanyriskfactors thatcouldinterfere withthe efficiencyof language
development(e.g.low-birthweight,braininjuries,lackof attachment,sleeppatterns).Perhapsthisis
done forsimplya lackof propertime giventothemsince bothof these outletswhere theywere
interviewedare fundedinawaythat must be paidfor throughdonationsandcommercialstokeeptheir
platformsgoing. Furthermore,the credibility couldbe higherforDr.Werkerthan Ms./Mrs. Flores
because the formerisa legitimate scientisttryingtoexpandourknowledge abouthumanitywhile the
latteris,at the veryleast,selectivelyusinginformationpublishedbyDr.Werkerandher peers(which
she may or may notcompletelyunderstand)inordertomarkether website andproducts.Ms./Mrs.
Floreshas an agendathat may notbe trustworthy,despiteseveral remarksshe made inherinterview
that are mostlikelycorrectandare verifiable.
A combinationof the ecological systemstheoryanddynamicsystemsperspective seemsto
conveylanguage acquisitioninchilddevelopmentmostaccuratelybecausetheyillustrateasymbiotic
relationshipbetweenthe innerworkingsof individual humanbeingsandthe collective nature of
societiesandphysical environments. The problem, inmyopinion,isthatriskfactorslike low-birth
weight,prenatal orinfantbraininjuries(whichaffectsneural plasticity),anddisparitiesinsleeppatterns

2. have long-termeffectsonchildren’smasteryof languagesandoverallworkingmemories. Dr.Werker
may be more likelytotake these issuesintoaccount,butdoesnotdoso. I findthisneglecttroubling
because Ithinkit hasa negative impacton“experience-expectantbraingrowth”andthe role that
language playsinsaidgrowth.Multiple studiesfromAkshoomoff (2002) and Stiles(2001, 2003, 2008)
showthat childrenwithbraindamage take longertoaccumulate language andspatial skillsthantheir
healthierpeers,struggle longerinreadingandmathskills(Reillyetal.,2004), and are subjecttothe
“crowdingeffect”withintheirbrainsbecause damage inspecificpartsof the brain resultsina smaller
surface area (orvolume?) inthe still-developingcerebral cortex toperformtasks(Huttenlocher,2002).
Basedon these studies,the ecological systemsmodel demonstratesthatlanguage acquisitionand
masterynecessitate life-longconnectionsbetweenall fourlevelsof the model;the improvement
betweensuchconnectionscanonlybe achievedthroughlanguage toconveythe ideas.Similarly,one
can argue that manyof the dynamicsystemsmodel’s“branches”are directlyderivedfromthe
languagespeopleuse toexpressandimplementideasfrom everylevel of the ecological systemsmodel.
Riskfactors like low-birthweight—and,byextension,conceptslike “social determinantsof
health”—shouldbe consideredfornearlyeveryapproachtowards language developmentbecause
ensuringthe opportunityforeverychildtomaximizehisorherpotential asan adultmaydetermine
humanity’ssurvival.Some studieshave shownthatpathwaystoproductivityin academic,social,and
cultural settingsare negativelyaffectedwhenbabiesare bornlesshealthythantheirpeers(Aarnoudse-
Moens,2009; Ribeiroetal.,2011) and a few othershave showna correlationbetweenlanguage
difficultiesandshorterattentionspan(Casiroetal.,1990; Barre etal.,2010; Sansavini,2010) as well as
parental stressforpretermbabies(Reichman,2005). I thinkthat Dr. Werkerand Ms./Mrs. Floresmiss
the pointwhenconveyingtheirviewsonlanguage acquisitionbecauseIbelievethatlanguage mastery
and memoryretentionshouldbe more importantthanmere development.Parentalstress,various
levelsof SES,andgeneticandmedical conditionsall playarole inhow childrenuse cuestoexpress

3. themselves.If aparentisstressedoutaboutthe workplace,marriage,childcare expensesforthe week,
or all three,thensaidstresswill be passedtothe child. Itispossible thatspecificwordsandmannerisms
usedto illustrate strainwill transferontothe childdependingonthe exactsituation,butatthe expense
of otherwordsand mannerismsthatmaynotbe introducedintothe child’slife until muchlater.
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