When Should Babies Start English? What the Science Says
“They say earlier is better with English — but does it really mean anything when a child is still a baby?” “I play English CDs, but I can’t tell whether any of it is sticking.” For parents raising a newborn, these are natural places to pause.
In fact, look up when to start English with a baby and you’ll find several answers stacked up: from two or three months, from six to eight months, from after the first birthday. The more information there is, the harder the decision can feel.
This article draws on research into infant language development to set out what starting at age zero actually means. It also covers the one condition that turns out to matter more than the starting month, what you can do at home by age in months, and how to look at choosing a class.
In this article
When should babies start English? A month-by-month guide
First, here is a summary of developmental features by age in months, and how to approach English at each stage.
| Age (months) | Developmental features | How to engage with English |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 | Hearing develops rapidly; babies prefer sing-song, exaggerated speech | Mixing a little English into songs and talk is enough |
| 3–6 | Responses to voices and faces grow richer; babbling begins | Through songs and hand games where responses go back and forth |
| 6–12 | Sound discrimination tunes toward the native language | Face-to-face chances to use English pay off |
| 12–18 | Sound and meaning connect; pointing increases | Settings with real interaction (parent-and-child classes, etc.) work well |
There is no single right answer to “from how many months.” The estimates differ because each study focuses on a different ability (sound discrimination / vocabulary / grammar). What multiple studies consistently show, however, is that how a child engages matters more than the month they start.
What developmental science says the 0–1 year window means
The “narrowing of sounds” at 6–12 months
According to a review by Professor Patricia Kuhl, who leads the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) at the University of Washington, published in the journal Neuron (2010), newborn babies have the ability to distinguish the sound differences of languages from all over the world1.
But between about 6 and 12 months, sensitivity to native-language sounds rises while the ability to tell apart sounds not in the native language gradually dulls. In fact, the ability of infants raised in a Japanese environment to distinguish English /r/ and /l/ declines during this period, while it improves in infants in an English environment1. Professor Kuhl calls this “neural commitment,” a developmental process in which the brain efficiently adapts to the patterns of the languages around it1.
In this sense, 0–1 year is the period most open to the sounds of a wide variety of languages.
It doesn’t mean “too late after age one”
That said, this is not to say English won’t stick if you miss that window. A research review of the critical-period hypothesis in second-language acquisition (Nanzan University, Shikano, 2018) concludes that the simple view of “a single critical period up to age X” is hard to support, and that the sensitive period differs by type of ability — pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar3. Materials from Japan’s Ministry of Education (MEXT) also state that no clear critical period has been confirmed in environments where English is learned as a foreign language4.
Language development varies from child to child; even at the same age in months, each child responds differently. Rather than rushing, choosing a form you can keep up comfortably at your family’s pace carries more meaning over the long run.
Passive listening alone rarely helps — the condition research revealed
What parents researching baby English worry about most is the effect of passive-listening materials and videos. On this question, there is a relatively clear research finding.
An experiment where recordings and video produced no learning
In a study by Professor Kuhl and colleagues published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS, 2003), nine-month-old infants raised in an English environment were given 12 sessions of exposure to Mandarin Chinese2.
The group that interacted face-to-face with a live Chinese speaker became able to distinguish sounds specific to Chinese. But the group that heard exactly the same audio through video or sound alone showed no measurable learning effect2. Professor Kuhl calls this “social gating” — interaction with a person is the key that opens the door to infant language learning. How much a baby engaged with the other person during the lessons was also reported to predict the learning of sounds and words12.
“Conversational turns” over “number of words heard”
A study by a research team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University (Romeo et al., Psychological Science, 2018) points in the same direction. Recording the home language environment and analysing activity in the brain’s language area (Broca’s area) alongside language-test scores, they found that rather than the total number of words a child heard, the number of back-and-forth “conversational turns” between adult and child was more strongly linked to both language ability and brain response56. This relationship held independent of household income and parental education5.
What grows language is not the volume of sound poured on a child, but responsive dialogue — that is the single point these two studies make.
How to get along with video and audio
So should you avoid English videos? Public-health guidance is a useful reference. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend screen media, apart from video calls, before 18 months, and for 18–24 months suggests parents watch high-quality content together and explain it7. The World Health Organization (WHO) likewise advises against sedentary screen time for those under one year and suggests no more than one hour a day for ages 1–28.
This does not mean English video has no value. Rather than leaving it running, use it as material to watch alongside your child and talk about — that is the shared message of the research and the guidelines.
What you can do at home from age zero — practice by month
0–6 months: start with songs and talking
No special materials are needed. Humming an English song while holding your baby, saying “All done!” at a nappy change — that alone is a fine way in.
The effects of musical engagement are shown in research too. A study of 64 infants aged 8.5–18 months (Papadimitriou et al., Infant Behavior and Development, 2021) reported that the home musical environment predicted the development of gestures, and that under 12 months a parent’s singing was linked to comprehension of words9. A song is a natural form in which sound and interaction arrive together.
6–12 months: toward play that gives responses
This is the period when sound discrimination is narrowing. The key is to return responses to the baby’s reactions.
- Peek-a-boo — expression and voice come as a set, creating back-and-forth turns
- One English picture book a day — more than finishing the book, value responding to a point with “Yes, that’s a dog!”
- Short words tied to daily moments — “Up?” “More?”, paired with the action
Your own English ability is not what’s tested. Even if pronunciation isn’t perfect, the presence of a response itself supports learning — that is what the research above shows.
12–18 months: meaning and interaction connect
Pointing and gestures increase, and sound begins to link with meaning. This is when settings with same-age children, and chances to interact directly with a native teacher, grow in value. At home, repeating short phrases like “Open please.” “All done.” together with the actual situation works well.
On the worry that “Japanese will fall behind”
According to reviews of bilingual research, there is at present no strong evidence that exposure to English in infancy delays Japanese vocabulary development10. What to watch for, rather, is cases where playing English audio for longer ends up reducing the parent-child conversation in Japanese itself10.
The foundation of both Japanese and English is the same “interaction.” If the order is to add English time while valuing talking in Japanese, both languages can be nurtured without strain.
Three perspectives for choosing a parent-and-child English class
With the condition the research shows in mind, the criteria for choosing a class also come into view.
- Can the teacher interact with each child one-on-one? — What supports learning is responsive engagement. The younger the child, the more whether the group is small matters
- Can a parent take part together? — Even during shy or clingy phases the child can feel secure, and you can bring home ways to engage
- Is there a path that continues onward? — Whether it ends as a one-off or connects to a next environment such as a preschool changes whether English keeps being part of daily life
The style that fits differs by your family’s approach and your child’s temperament. We recommend using visits and trial sessions to check your child’s actual reaction before deciding.
How Laurus approaches this in its parent-and-child English class
The “face-to-face interaction,” “songs and rhythm,” and “time spent together with a parent” introduced above — these are shaped into a single lesson in the Mother and Toddler Program at Laurus International School of Science.
It is for children aged 10–18 months and their parent. In 45-minute, small-group, all-English classes, experienced native teachers give attention to each child. Alongside songs, hand games and picture-book reading, the class does science experiences in English — reaching out to the wonders of everyday things — a feature distinctive to Laurus, which uses science as its lens for education11.
The parent-and-child class is designed as a starting point, not a goal. From here the path of learning continues to the preschool from 18 months, kindergarten, and the elementary division12. It currently runs at six schools in Tokyo and Kanagawa (Bunkyo, Shirokanedai, Jiyugaoka, Musashi-kosugi, Musashi-shinjo, Tsukishima), with single trial lessons also available.
On the option of a preschool itself, see What a preschool is — and how it differs from nurseries and kindergartens.
In closing
On when to start English with a baby, the answer research gives is simple. 0–1 year is a period open to the sounds of many languages, and there is real meaning in exposure to English sounds then1. At the same time, acquisition is fully possible past that period too3.
What matters more is not what you play, but with whom and how a child interacts25. Songs, talking, picture books, and time facing another person. There is plenty you can start at home, at any age in months.
At Laurus, we hold a parent-and-child English class open from 10 months and school visits and information sessions on a rolling basis13. Please feel free to use them as a chance to see for yourself how your child responds to English songs.
Questions & Answers Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsYes. Six to twelve months is when sensitivity to sounds not in the native language is changing, and the value of exposure to English sounds can be explained by research1. But it is not that “after six months is too late” — what matters is being able to keep up a way of engaging that involves interaction.
There is no single right answer. Some families start with talking and songs soon after birth; others ramp up around six months when responses grow richer. For classes, ones you can join from around 10 months, when interest in people develops, are common.
Starting from age zero has the meaning of making use of the period when sound discrimination is flexible1. On the other hand, starting after age one, acquisition is still fully possible3. When starting from age zero, everyday interaction such as songs and talking — rather than materials — is at the centre.
Many parent-and-child English classes accept children from around 10 months. The Laurus Mother and Toddler class is also for 10–18 months. Because a parent attends, it is a format that is easy to join even during shy phases.
Research on nine-month-olds shows that listening alone tends not to produce results. The group that interacted face-to-face learned the sounds, while the group that heard the same audio via recording or video showed no effect2. Audio comes to life when used as material to sing along with and talk over together.
No problem. What the research emphasises is not accuracy of pronunciation but the number of responsive exchanges5. A split where the parent talks in Japanese and English sounds arrive from a native teacher or from songs works fine.
There is no strong evidence that an English environment in infancy delays Japanese vocabulary development10. What to avoid, though, is a use that reduces parent-child conversation in Japanese. Adding English time while keeping up talking in Japanese makes it easier to keep both languages in balance.
No disadvantage to language development has been reported, but there are points to note. Methods that use screens for long stretches are not recommended in infancy78, and rushing results by prioritising pace over your child’s state is also best avoided. Development varies from child to child, so we recommend judging by whether your child is enjoying it.
- Brain Mechanisms in Early Language Acquisition — Patricia K. Kuhl, Neuron, 2010 University of Washington I-LABS · Neuron (2010)
- Foreign-language experience in infancy: Effects of short-term exposure and social interaction on phonetic learning — Kuhl, Tsao & Liu, PNAS, 2003 Kuhl, Tsao & Liu · PNAS (2003)
- A review of the critical-period hypothesis in second-language acquisition — Nanzan University (Midori Shikano, 2018) Nanzan University (2018)
- Materials on the critical period in foreign-language education — MEXT MEXT · Central Council for Education
- Beyond the 30-Million-Word Gap: Children's Conversational Exposure Is Associated With Language-Related Brain Function — Romeo et al., Psychological Science, 2018 Romeo et al. · Psychological Science (2018)
- Back-and-forth exchanges boost children's brain response to language — MIT News, 2018 MIT News (2018)
- Media and Young Minds (policy statement on infant media use) — American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016 American Academy of Pediatrics (2016)
- Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age — World Health Organization, 2019 World Health Organization (2019)
- The impact of the home musical environment on infants' language development — Papadimitriou et al., Infant Behavior and Development, 2021 Papadimitriou et al. · Infant Behavior and Development (2021)
- Does English-environment education in infancy delay Japanese vocabulary development — Bilingual Science Institute Bilingual Science Institute
- Preschool (official page) — Laurus International School of Science Laurus · Preschool
- Preschool Curriculum — Laurus International School of Science Laurus · Preschool Curriculum
- School Visits & Information Sessions — Laurus International School of Science Laurus · School Visits