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Raising Bilingual Children Is It Too Late To Start Now
Raising Bilingual Children: Is It Too Late To Start Now?
After we talked, Ive spoken nothing but French to my one year old for close to seven weeks now. All of his new words are French, and from what I can tell he understands me completely. Not even two months into her campaign to raise her two children speaking French as well as English, Sheilagh Margot Riordan in Forida has noticed a dramatic difference in the progress between her two children: My three and a half year old is much trickier. Even though I speak only French to her, she replies in English, but I guess that she understands about 70% of everything I say. Frankly, Sheilagh worries that its already too late for her over-the-hill three-year-old to become a fluent bilingual.
In our culture it sometimes feels that if you didnt spring for ballet lessons at two or violin at three, its all over. While theres no doubt that the optimal moment to start learning languages is at birth, its not at all impossible to achieve fluency later in life. The more language interaction you provide, the more dramatic the progress, and the easier for the child. Even older children are still kids, and theyll
remain chatty and unhampered by self-consciousness. Still, transitioning into multilingualism will require motivation; here are several tried-and-true tips.
You know how when you announce that its bedtime, your kid says, Why? Youll get the same reaction to your new language program. "Why do I have to say it in Korean if I know how say it in English already?" This is a fair question, and the answer needs to be either one of necessity, fun, or flattery. Not much else will fly. Here are some possible answers: Because I/granny/everyone else here only speak Korean. This book/this game/this song is in Korean. Because you did it sooo well yesterday. So you can teach it to baby Ethan when he is a big boy like you. So you and Greg can have your own secret language.
After the explanation your next step will be to speak only in the minority language yourself (or nanny, or whoever is your childs primary language source). When you get confusion and glazed looks, translate. And, be reasonable; accept replies in the primary language when you first start out.
When your child answers back in the community language, say "Yes," and then repeat the sentence in the minority language.
If you know your child is able to say a particular word, but is struggling to remember it, jog her memory by providing the first syllable.
Be careful not to dampen her enthusiasm. Dont make speaking the second language an inflexible rule or something that becomes onerous.
Youll just inspire revolution in the ranks. You might require adherence to the language rules youve set up if you know she has the vocabulary just as you demand pleases and thank yous. For example, when youre child is asking for a glass of milk, you can require that she ask for it in the minority language. But if she's excited about telling you what happened at the circus, just listen, and then repeat it back in the second language. That way, you provide her the missing vocabulary in a positive
way.
And, as always, praise endlessly. Even when you are providing translations or the child has just issued sixteen grammatical errors in a four-word sentence. In fact, a child simply doesnt understand if you try to correct her before the age of three. Instead, just repeat the words correctly (a process known as modeling). Alternatively, you can make a joke and say, "Oops, that came out wrong!" Laugh and provide the right way of saying it, so you keep it playful rather than corrective.
Countless parents have asked me: "So now, how do we now stay firm with our new language system?" Once the child has the vocabulary to understand the second language, sticking to the language strategy is essential -- if you dont, youre back to square one and the community language! Just think of the things you could never let your child do, even if she begs, whines, and tantrums: things such as riding in a car without a seatbelt, not brushing her teeth, or crossing the street by herself. Dont negotiate about using the language any more than you do about these things, and she will get the picture eventually -- despite the occasional earful. Give it at least six months, and your persistence will be richly rewarded.
Sheilagh says that she realizes her trouble is well worth it and has stopped worrying about beginning too late: Instead of looking at the things I should have done (speak French since birth), I am looking at the great achievements we have made so far.
BONUS : Raising Bilingual Children: The 5 Most Common Myths
Doesnt she speak English? Oh, I see -- both Swedish and English. Doesnt that get awfully confusing? Swedish, you said -- when will she use that? Get used to hearing these kinds of things. Youll get opinions from the barista at Starbucks, your mother-in-law, even your neighbors and strangers on the street. Remember, being a trendsetter always ruffles some feathers, and the best way to deal with unsolicited advice (other than running for the door) is to know the facts for yourself.
Here are the most persistent myths on raising bilingual children:
Your child will be confused by learning more than one language.
This belief is prevalent in monolingual countries and has far more politics than science to back it up. Rest assured that your child's little brain has more than enough neurons firing to cope with two languages (or even more) without frizzing out. On the contrary, decades of research in countless studies actually show significant cognitive advantages to being multilingual. And what about the experience of millions of families around the world where multilingualism is the norm, not the exception? Just look at Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and Finland -- to mention a few.
I can see two languages, maybe, but more than that is too much.
Considering how much babies have to learn in their first years of life, another language really doesn't add much to the load. As long the child is getting regular interactions in the second (or third) language, there wont be problems. There is a reason why a two-year old child has fifty percent more synapses than an adult! Also, even if your child does not end up speaking all the languages, dont underestimate the value of a passive language, i.e. understanding it but not yet speaking it. If you already understand a language it is magnitudes easier to learn it later in school or as an adult, compared to someone whod never heard it before. So, even just understanding another language is definitely not a wasted effort.
Your kid is going to get all these languages mixed up.
It is true that some mixing will occur, but that is both harmless and temporary. As the child builds her vocabulary in each language, this phenomenon automatically disappears. How many monolingual children automatically fix mistakes after correct usage has been learned?
For example, children begin by saying things like Me want, when they mean "I want." And how many of them are still saying, Me want, at five? Eventually, the multilingual child learns correct usage in the same fashion as any other child. If you dont mix languages in your own conversation, itll make it much simpler for your child to remain consistent as well.
Why start now? Later your kid will pick it up in no time.
For all those who think its a huge intellectual burden on your child to grow up with multiple languages, therell be those who will tell you how easy it is. Just go to a Spanish playgroup once a week. You dont have to speak it yourself to her all the time! This is highly unrealistic. Studies indicate that children need exposure to a different language about one third of their waking hours to become actively bilingual. Theyll understand a lot with less interaction, but they probably wont be able to speak it themselves. Learning a second language is simple for children, relative to adults, but a child needs to hear a word thousands of times in all kinds of contexts before it sticks -- unless its a bad word, then miraculously you only have to say it once
Reading and writing in several languages? Some kids cant even handle that in one language.
Its true that many children have difficulties reading and writing well. However, reading and writing is a coding / decoding process and is not linked to the number of languages a child speaks, as such -- although it could involve multiple alphabets, and then be a bit more work. Interestingly enough, access to multiple languages actually makes it easier for children to understand the nature of language itself, which, in turn, improves overall literacy skills. Research supports what many parents have long felt: that multilingual children have better-developed linguistic understanding.
Still, if you are in a hurry or find that politely ignoring the groundless opinions thrown your way doesnt work, you can always ask if they think Einsteins intellect suffered growing up with both German and Italian. And, he didnt start talking until he was three years old either, but he certainly seemed to make up for lost time.
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