| |
|
Education Beyond the Classroom
>
Raising
Bilingual Children |
| |
| |
Raising Bilingual Children
|
| Living in a multicultural society, the advantages of being
bilingual are all around us. Personal fulfillment, ease when
travelling, and especially professional advancements are all
benefits of being able to communicate in more than one language.
While many strive to learn a second language as adults, children
raised in a bilingual home, or who were educated in two languages at
school, are ahead of the game. Whether you are raising your child in
a bilingual home or considering how to expose your children to a
second language outside the home, you are helping to give your child
a head start. |
| |
| |
Misconceptions
|
| The number one misconception about raising a multilingual child
is that they will be confused. Many studies have shown this is
simply not true. In fact the easiest way to learn multiple languages
is to be taught simultaneously from birth. During the first three
years of life, a child’s brain is primed for language – the
Multilingual Children’s Association calls this the ‘critical
period’. During these first years, a child’s brain is equipped with
a peak number of synapses that are creating the optimal neural
pathways for language development. This superior ability to pick up
language declines into later childhood, so the best time to start
multiple language instruction is from birth. It is very common that
bilingual children will start to speak slightly later than their
monolingual peers. This delay is to be expected, and they will soon
catch up (in both languages). |
| |
| |
Cognitive advantages of raising a Bilingual Baby
|
| While it may take slightly longer to speak two or more languages
than it would to begin speaking in only one, it is a small price to
pay for the cognitive advantages that come with being bilingual.
Beyond the obvious ability to communicate more widely, studies have
shown numerous cognitive benefits that come with being multilingual.
These include enhanced memory, greater complex thinking and
creativity, better interpersonal and communication skills, and even
a possible delay in the onset of mental diminishment later on in
life. Why is this? One reason could be that a child who knows
multiple languages knows more than one word for each concept or
object – this leads to general cognitive flexibility. A multilingual
child will have an understanding of the connotations and ideas that
are associated with a word in each language and therefore a more
complex understanding of the word. This is only the beginning, but
studies continue to reveal cognitive advantages to being
multilingual. |
| |
| |
Personal Advantages to Bilingualism
|
| The personal and professional benefits of being bilingual are
numerous. Living in Canada, proficiency in both French and English
is a huge professional asset – and a requirement of many jobs. And
professional advancement is certainly not limited to French;
increased job opportunities can come with knowledge of most any
second language. Speaking more than one language gives you an
increased opportunity to study or work abroad, and international
travel is made easier, safer, and potentially more fulfilling when
the native language of the country you are visiting is understood.
In terms of personal enrichment, knowing more than one language
allows you deeper access to more than one culture. Knowing a second
language opens doors to a culture you might only otherwise see from
an outsider’s perspective, and allows you to communicate with people
you would otherwise not be able to. Everything from books, to poems,
songs, and traditions take on more meaning when they can be
understood in the language they were created in, rather than
filtered through a translation. Overall, the international
perspective and sensitivity that bilingualism affords will give any
child a head start. |
| |
| |
A bilingual home
|
| If you and your partner each have a different native tongue,
raising your child in a bilingual home will be an obvious choice.
Growing up in a multilingual home has also been shown to be the
easiest way for a child to learn a second or third language. The
current preferred method for teaching children multiple languages at
home is the ‘One Parent One Language’ approach. This is exactly what
it sounds like, with each parent speaking to the child exclusively
in one language (usually the parent’s native tongue). This method
requires little extra effort on the part of the parents, and the
child will learn both languages equally well. As well if one or both
parents are bilingual themselves, they can pass on their second
language to their child – effectively raising a child who speaks
three or even four languages fluently. This approach works with
children raised in a multilingual home - children are able to learn
up to four languages simultaneously. |
| |
| Another method, termed ‘Minority Language at Home’ occurs when
the family lives in an environment where the majority language
spoken outside the home is not the same as the family’s native
tongue (often occurs when families live abroad or immigrate). In
this instance, the family will speak their native tongue exclusively
at home, with children speaking the majority language exclusively
outside the home, while at school and with friends. A combination of
‘One Parent One Language’ and ‘Minority Language at Home’ can also
be used to teach three or four languages well. |
| |
| |
A bilingual Education
|
| What if as parents, you only speak one language, but recognize
the benefits of raising your child multilingually? A bilingual
education is important to consider. Depending on how strongly you
feel about your child learning a second language, and what that
language is, you could consider moving abroad for a period of time
and educating your child in the local language. A child who is
immersed in a second language at school and in activities outside
the home should pick it up quite quickly (and, as parents living in
this environment, so will you, which will facilitate your child in
maintaining the second language). |
| |
| As less drastic approach is language immersion in your home
country – in Canada this would usually be French. A child who
studies exclusively in a second language should be able to become
fluent. If the language you wish your child to learn is not offered
in a full immersion program, you might be able to find private
weekend or afterschool classes. These classes, combined with
exposure to CDs and videos in the second language at home, and your
encouragement as a parent, will go a long way towards raising a
bilingual child. |
|
|
|
