Early childhood socialization is very important. The impact it has on the child is arguably permanent. Thus, for the child, in this case, he will grow up with a dislike for the English language simply because he heard some comments about the language when he was younger. Similarly, there is a small likelihood that the child might forget what he heard about the English language.
The child will get secondary socialization immediately after primary socialization. He will meet peers and get socialized in the school he attends, which might help him change his mind about the English language.
It is during the secondary socialization that the child will learn to think independently. In turn, he will be able to know how to decide what he likes and what does not like. He will make his own judgment of the language (English) and he might even like it more than he thought he would. However, it suffices to mention that primary socialization has a more permanent impact than secondary socialization.
The level of influence can be ranked according to the amount of bias that the individual in question portrays. It is common to find that people hold on to the judgments their parents had. This can be attributed to the level of respect and trust that people have for their family members.
For instance, the little boy at that tender age does not have reason to doubt his parents’ comments. Thus, he uses their comments freely because he does not think that they are wrong. Additionally, the boy does not think that the comments will get him into trouble. One can decipher this from the carefree way he talks. Furthermore, he might not realize that he is being judgmental because people did not react badly to his comments. In fact, many people might laugh when they hear his comments.
Using the example of the kid, it is obvious that parents, grandparents, and other close relatives help in shaping the attitudes and beliefs of an individual. If the child did not hear the comments from his parents, then he heard it from close relatives. It is, thus, true that the older generation shapes and influences the younger generation’s perception of language.
In most occasions, the children will carry the prejudices of their parents in regard to different languages. If the child learned how to think independently and not rely on borrowed comments from his parents, then he might not have said what he said about the English language.
However, the child has to go to school to learn how to think independently. This becomes a challenge because the child might be too young to start school. Ideally, many children start school at age three. However, at that age, the children already know a lot of things. Their vocabulary is built and they can imitate anything they see. Moreover, this is the time when they are very curious and keen on actions and words that can increase their vocabulary.
There are many other similar stories of children saying things they heard from their parents or nannies. In fact, some are embarrassing stories that make the parents uncomfortable. However, to the child, he is not doing something wrong. If it were wrong, then his parents or the nanny would not have done it. Education might help the child let go of the prejudices that he obtained from other people. However, it is important to mention that letting go of these prejudices might be difficult.