Spanish neuroscientist David Bueno says young children are especially receptive to new sounds and speech patterns, while meaningful bilingual exposure does not cause confusion.
For families hoping to give children an early start with another language, timing can matter. In an interview on the YouTube channel “Tengo un plan”, Spanish neuroscientist David Bueno said the brain is especially receptive to language learning from about six months to five years old, when children are particularly well placed to absorb new sounds and the building blocks of speech. According to La Nacion’s report, he linked that early window to the way the nervous system develops and adapts in childhood.
Bueno’s point is not that language learning stops after that stage. Rather, as reported by 3DJuegos, he said children can still learn languages later in life, but the strategies the brain uses change with age. In early childhood, repeated exposure at home and in daily routines makes it easier for children to pick up phonemes, grammar and pronunciation in a more natural way.
The science around bilingualism also offers reassurance for parents who worry that hearing two languages might confuse a child. La Nacion said studies do not support the idea that exposure to multiple languages causes speech or communication disorders on its own. Instead, children learn to separate languages and use them according to the person they are speaking to or the setting they are in, even if they mix words during some stages of development.
The most effective support, Bueno suggested, is not pressure but meaningful contact. Conversation, traditional stories, songs and games all help strengthen language development, and they work best when they are part of warm everyday interaction. That message aligns with wider neuroscience reporting, including earlier commentary from Bueno on the value of play, which he has described as central to how children explore, learn and build the brain’s flexibility.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
