Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

How children learn a second language (Part 1)

Paola Season 1 Episode 2

In this episode, we explore the foundational theories of learning that help us understand how children acquire a second language. From Behaviorism’s repetition and reinforcement, to Cognitivism’s focus on active construction of knowledge, to Vygotsky’s sociocultural perspective on interaction, and Krashen’s Input Hypothesis on comprehensible input—we look at how each approach explains the way children learn.

This episode moves from the general to the specific, giving teachers a practical framework to reflect on their own classroom practices. By connecting classic theories to English language teaching, we lay the foundation for Part 2, where we’ll dive into what neuroscience says about children’s brains and how to design effective English lessons.