LAD

LAD stands for Language Acquisition Device. This is an area, present at birth in the human brain, which makes the process of learning languages possible. This innate facility provides children with the capacity to learn up to three languages simultaneously. Of course, if you have tried or are trying to learn a second language as an adult, you are well aware of the fact that this area of your brain has long since shut down. This window of opportunity, to acquire second and third languages naturally, closes by the age of twelve or around puberty. In fact, it closes much sooner in schools where the second language is taught in the student’s first language. The message is very clear. In today’s multilingual world, we must expose our children to second and third languages as early as possible.