Literacy news
Early Dual Language Learning
13 Sep 2008
Many parents, educators and other child care professionals believe that learning one language is normal, but that learning two languages is a burden and puts children at risk for delayed speech and language development. In his article, Fred Genesee from McGill University reviews research findings on the issues commonly associated with (and not always rightly so) bilingualism in babies and offers suggestions about dual language learning during the infancy and toddler period.
Genesee reminds parents that learning their family's different languages is beneficial for infants who can then fully function within their family. Also, because language is an integral part of cultural identity, "minority language children risk becoming alienated if they do not learn the home language."
Research has shown that children fluent in two languages have certain cognitive advantages compared to those who speak only one. They are better at problem solving, demonstrate greater creativity, and express more tolerant attitudes toward others, for instance. If children are going to benefit from these cognitive advantages, they must use both languages regularly. Genesee says that "parents and other child care providers should understand that if they want infants and toddlers to benefit cognitively from knowing two languages, they should be serious and committed to raising children bilingually." It is also important that dual language learning starts early because infants and toddlers are particularly adept at learning languages.
Significantly, research shows that simultaneous bilingual children go through the basic milestones in language acquisitions as children who learn only one language. These children do so at the same rate as monolingual children, provided they are given adequate learning environments. Bilingual children begin to babble at the same age as monolingual children. They say their first words at the same age and start to produce multiword sentences at the same age as well.
Many people assume that infants and toddlers can become confused by exposure to two languages, however Genesee reminds them that "as long as most people in the child's family, community, and child care facility use one language at a time, the child will learn that this is the appropriate way to use the two languages. Research has shown that most bilingual children keep their languages separate most of the time. When they mix, it is often to fill gaps in their vocabulary in one or the other language. Mixed does not mean that children are confused or impaired; they are simply using all of their language resources to express themselves."
Other research has revealed that even though simultaneous bilingual learners have approximately half as much exposure to each language as monolingual learners, they display the same basic developmental patterns at approximately the same ages as their monolingual counterparts. On the flip side of this, it is commonly thought that children with language impairment should learn just one language as learning two could result in even greater impairments and delays by exceeding their language learning capacity. Though there is very little research on dual language learning by children with SLI, Genesee explains how research evidence that is available suggests that children with language impairment can become bilingual.
Zero to Three, September 2008
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