Our children are growing up bilingual in the French part of Canada ? Qu?bec. "That's fine", says everyone. "Even though they'll probably start speaking later because they're learning two languages at once, they'll catch up."
Well actually, this well-entrenched idea that bilingual children are slower to acquire language, is actually a myth!
We were surprised and delighted to learn that research is finding that bilingual children do NOT acquire language later than monolingual children. Our first child participated in a language study on babies carried out at McGill University of Montr?al, Qu?bec, Canada. There it was explained to us that research is finding that the difference in language acquisition of one child compared to another is very large. Some children speak sooner, some speak later. And the range of language acquisition of bilingual children is just as large as the range for monolingual children, statistically speaking.
Although these research results are relatively recent, I was able to find an article on the internet about it, written by Professor Fred Genesee of McGill University at http://www.earlychildhood.com/Articles/index.cfm?FuseAction=Article&A=38, confirming what we had been told verbally. In addition, instead of seeing bilingualism as the minority exception to the rule, Professor Genesee suggests that there many be as many children growing up bilingually as there are growing up monolingually.
So rest assured that the myths are wrong and the following are true:
Bilingual children do NOT have delayed language acquisition. Learning more than one language at a time is NOT difficult for small children.
Bilingual children DO master both languages just as well as one.
More and more parents are convinced of the benefits of exposing their small children to foreign languages. This has resulted in the recent explosion of videos, books, music and computer software aimed at babies and preschoolers, that expose them to another language. For example, free computer games on the http://www.kiddiesgames.com website allow babies and preschoolers from an English-speaking environment to learn and practice French and Spanish.
The most obvious benefit, and one that is confirmed by research, is that exposing infants to a foreign language can help them master that foreign language later on. In the well-documented but very accessible book on baby brain development "What's Going On In There?", the author Lise Eliot explains that babies are born being able to hear the sounds of every language in the world. However, this ability is subject to the "use it or lose it" phenomenon. If the baby is not exposed to foreign sounds, she will lose the ability to distinguish those sounds. For example, on page 368, she reports:
?Infants' ability to discriminate foreign speech sounds begins to wane as early as six months of age. By this age, English-learning babies have already lost some of their ability, still present at four months, to discriminate certain German or Swedish vowels. Foreign vowels are the first sort of phoneme to go. Then, by ten or twelve months, out goes the ability to discriminate foreign consonants, like /r/'s and /l/'s for Japanese babies or Hindi consonants for English-learning infants.?
Another benefit of exposing children to another language that is starting to be recognized, is that of increasing their proficiency in their primary language. It may be that the brain exercise of sorting out multiple languages gives that brain a deeper proficiency in language and grammar overall.
So the next time your infant has the opportunity to be exposed to a foreign language in a suitably fun setting (which is how all activities should be presented to infants, isn't it?), then jump at the chance!
The author of this article, Emma Rath, produces free online and purchasable download baby and preschooler software, available at http://www.kiddiesgames.com.
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carMealtimes together deserve an important place in any family. Around... Read More
It was no contest. Given a choice between a ball... Read More
Many families, ours included, have learned that breakfast is eaten... Read More
We all know that using cloth nappies is best for... Read More
Once, as a Learning Support Teacher, I made my way... Read More
It was blisteringly hot last Saturday. As I took that... Read More
Are your children truthful, kind, and helpful? If so, read... Read More
I will never forget the day that my daughter's sixth... Read More
Creating and making special memories with your child is very... Read More
The biggest complaint you hear from parents about their children... Read More
One of the few decisions you'll make during pregnancy that... Read More
There are a lot of sophisticated parenting theories and techniques... Read More
A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is... Read More
Goal setting is essential for building a successful life. However,... Read More
So you're going to become a father. Now is not... Read More
People always ask my wife and I: "How did you... Read More
Gift shops are a kid magnet and often a trip... Read More
"Will my doubts and fears affect my child?" This father... Read More
First there were Yuppies (Young Urban Professionals). Then came the... Read More
Nothing touches the heartstrings of a parent more than the... Read More
Home schooling benefits children. As a parent, I feel it... Read More
It was the homework that did it. Each night became... Read More
The subject of competition is one that provokes some pretty... Read More
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is making... Read More
Learning responsibility is an ever widening and lifelong process.As thinking,... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..It's sometimes difficult to find ways to be involved with... Read More
In the first premise, some films and video tapes which... Read More
The most common medications used in the treatment of Attention... Read More
Even though the "Stop and Think" movement in ADHD treatment... Read More
"I could have helped you if I would have known,... Read More
As a parent your biggest responsibility is to prepare your... Read More
Teens can freely access the Internet from computers at school,... Read More
Since so many would rather avoid the use of stimulant... Read More
What is a parenting problem?Parenting is a tough job, we... Read More
Once, as a Learning Support Teacher, I made my way... Read More
Most people with children want to be good parents. The... Read More
The Flow of WaterWater is essential for life on the... Read More
Q: Our son has been in honors classes all through... Read More
The Internet, is magnificent in its resources for families. Educational... Read More
How well do you really know your child?There is so... Read More
Encouragement comes when you focus on your child's assets and... Read More
Nothing touches the heartstrings of a parent or teacher more... Read More
Do you remember how you first learned the alphabet? I... Read More
Life is comprised of pieces of time sprinkled with pivotal... Read More
Yesterday my husband Wade took the day off (that's one... Read More
Many children are jittery on the first day of school.... Read More
The Internet is one of the greatest inventions of all... Read More
Joey steps away from his time out chair "I won't... Read More
My kids ask me all the time to take them... Read More
Many parents seem to be more than a little confused... Read More
Parenting |