Bilingual children "gain in their conceptual abilities and how they view the world," says Peggy McCardle, a linguist at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, in Rockville, Maryland. "Different languages state things in different ways, reflecting the culture in which each is spoken," she adds. "The typical example is how people living in Alaska think about snow, and have so many more refined words for it than folks living in the tropics."
Language isn’t just about learning a new set of words from a different culture: it affects every interaction we have,every thought we have,every judgement we make.Being bilingual makes us more open and adaptable.It would seem to follow that when you perceive reality via several languages, you can see more sides of a given situation.
Some benefits of bi- or multilingualism are not so apparent and measurable.Language isn’t just about learning a new set of words from a different culture: it affects every interaction we have,every thought we have,every judgement we make.Language dictates the way we connect to our surroundings, and each language contains its own set of rules and nuances.Being a bi or a multilingual enables kids to know how to react to different situations according to the rules of that particular language/culture. It gives the a shot to tackle a complex system with infinite combinations and possibilities. And the more of these complex systems kids can wrangle, the better off the'll be academically,socially and pschologically.. As the highly regarded linguist Steven Pinker points out in his recent book The Stuff Of Thought, children have a remarkable capacity to learn languages: they unconsciously pick up on grammatical nuances that are absurd when explained, and build a vocabulary independent of the words they are taught through official channels.
Myths about Bilingualism..
Most of the problems people tie to bilingualism are not specifically and wholly a bilingual issue.For instance, it is believed that children who learn two languages in a loving, supportive environment learn them both well. Children who learn two languages in a stressful environment may have language development problems - but so will children learning only one langauge in that same sort of environment. Here the non-conducive learning environment is the cause of language development problems,but it is easy to blame it on bilingualism.
In other words,there are a whole lot of other factors which affect us in our childrens'decisions and how they view their lives and it is really short sighted to blame every little setback on bilingualism.
Having a fixed pattern for language use in the home makes things easier, both for the children learning the languages and for the adults in their day-to-day life with two (or more) languages. Here are a few of the more common patterns.
2. One Parent One Language..This is typically followed in households where one parent speaks one native tongue and the other parent speaks another.
3. Less Common Patterns: Any pattern that works for your family is a good pattern, of course. This is just a brief selection of all the possible patterns: the first person to speak chooses the language; one language is spoken every day, the other on extended vacations to another country; one language is spoken every day, the other on special occasions etc.
To make bilingualism work,the following rules can be followed.They simply serve as guidelines for use and are in no means unbendable.
Language isn’t just about learning a new set of words from a different culture: it affects every interaction we have,every thought we have,every judgement we make.Being bilingual makes us more open and adaptable.It would seem to follow that when you perceive reality via several languages, you can see more sides of a given situation.
Some benefits of bi- or multilingualism are not so apparent and measurable.Language isn’t just about learning a new set of words from a different culture: it affects every interaction we have,every thought we have,every judgement we make.Language dictates the way we connect to our surroundings, and each language contains its own set of rules and nuances.Being a bi or a multilingual enables kids to know how to react to different situations according to the rules of that particular language/culture. It gives the a shot to tackle a complex system with infinite combinations and possibilities. And the more of these complex systems kids can wrangle, the better off the'll be academically,socially and pschologically.. As the highly regarded linguist Steven Pinker points out in his recent book The Stuff Of Thought, children have a remarkable capacity to learn languages: they unconsciously pick up on grammatical nuances that are absurd when explained, and build a vocabulary independent of the words they are taught through official channels.
Myths about Bilingualism..
Most of the problems people tie to bilingualism are not specifically and wholly a bilingual issue.For instance, it is believed that children who learn two languages in a loving, supportive environment learn them both well. Children who learn two languages in a stressful environment may have language development problems - but so will children learning only one langauge in that same sort of environment. Here the non-conducive learning environment is the cause of language development problems,but it is easy to blame it on bilingualism.
In other words,there are a whole lot of other factors which affect us in our childrens'decisions and how they view their lives and it is really short sighted to blame every little setback on bilingualism.
Having a fixed pattern for language use in the home makes things easier, both for the children learning the languages and for the adults in their day-to-day life with two (or more) languages. Here are a few of the more common patterns.
1. Native Tongue at home : Also known as the Foreign Home pattern. Everyone speaks the native language at home, and the community language outside.This is the most popular pattern and the most effective.
2. One Parent One Language..This is typically followed in households where one parent speaks one native tongue and the other parent speaks another.
3. Less Common Patterns: Any pattern that works for your family is a good pattern, of course. This is just a brief selection of all the possible patterns: the first person to speak chooses the language; one language is spoken every day, the other on extended vacations to another country; one language is spoken every day, the other on special occasions etc.
To make bilingualism work,the following rules can be followed.They simply serve as guidelines for use and are in no means unbendable.
- Although children can learn two or more languages in what seems like chaos, a reasonable amount of consistency will make their job, and ours, simpler. Children crave structure. Once children learn the pattern they are often perturbed when a parent breaks it.
- Bilingual children need rhymes, songs, bedtime stories, and other linguistic stimulation just as monolingual children do in both their languages. This will mean an extra demand on your time, both to give them this stimulation and to find the books, recorded music etc.
- The more you can make bilingualism seem like a natural and unremarkable part of family life, the more likely it is that the children will grow up to enjoy being bilingual, and the more likely it is that you will succeed in keeping both languages active in your home.
- Children often feel insecure,especially when they haven't mastered both the languages(native and community language).They need support and understanding from parents and educators during this important developmental period.
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