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Patricia Kuhl just got a little Kuhl-er.

One of the most internationally-recognized experts on multi-language development in babies, Kuhl recently received the 20th Prix Jean-Louis Signoret Neuropsychology Foundation Ipsen in France.

The international jury, chaired by Professor Albert Galaburda at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA awarded Kuhl 20,000 pounds for her work to help educators, parents, and researchers around the world better understand the “critical period” for language learning in a child’s first year.

“Neuronal imaging using magnetoencephalography (MEG) is used to understand the neuroplasticity of the brain of children from the brain more mature adults but less flexible, which explains the changes during the critical period for language acquisition.

“She also studied the brain development of bilingual children. From 10-12 months, babies who live in a bilingual environment show no decrease in perception of sounds as monolingual babies. This is further evidence that the experiences are shaping the brain,” according to TFI news, a news resource in France.

Great news for ABC English & Me educators advocating for learning a second language in a child’s first year, as some parents worry that bi-lingual exposure too early might affect a child’s ability to learn the first language.

We wanted to share the news, and in the coming weeks, we’ll post more information that further explains how ABC English & Me aligns with Kuhl’s research.

For a better understanding of Kuhl and her work, check out “The Scientist in the Crib.”