Frequently Asked Questions by Parents on Bilingualism and Bilingual Education
1. How long does it take for my child to become bilingual?
Research has shown that there is no set time line by which a child can become bilingual; this depends on many factors and personality characteristics. ( e.g.type , quality and frequency of exposure, motivation, extrovert, risk taker etc)
Research indicates that second language learners take up to two years of consistent exposure to the new language to develop oral competency and 5 to 7 years(when attending a bilingual program) to develop academic language proficiency in their 2nd language.
There are different stages of development in second language acquisition and these need to be respected.
2. What happens if my child does not understand the language of the teacher or of his/her peers?
No pressure is ever put on the child to perform;
We use sheltered instruction, visuals, peer group support, body language and a number of other developmentally appropriate strategies to facilitate communication and learning.
We try to be very mindful that language does not become a barrier in building social relationships amongst peers and between child and adults or prevent the child from learning.
3. Will my child get confused? Mix languages?
It is a myth that children are confused when they mix languages; children do sometimes mix languages but this needs to be seen as a natural phase of second language development and which will disappear over time
In the early stages of second language development, it is important that the child has good adult language models; if adults mix languages when speaking to children then children will imitate this model.
When bilinguals master both languages they often “code switch” using both languages to communicate their message, but they only do so, if they know that their interlocutor understands both languages. This is considered to be a common linguistic strategy many bilinguals use.
4. How do you separate languages in your day to day lessons?
One person one language approach
By teaching context; certain activities/lessons/subjects are led/taught in one language and others in the other.
Learning environment; classroom displays and resources are labelled in both languages.
5. How and in what language will my child relate to her peers and to her teachers?
It is natural that the child will relate to both peers and adults in her native tongue; since bonding with peers and adults is so important for learning, we aim to support and encourage children using their mother tongue in this area for at least the initial stages of second language acquisition.
6. How will I be able to encourage my child’s 2nd language development- or help her with her school work if I do not speak the language?
You do not need to speak the language in order to support your child’s learning! Try to share the experience by talking about it, by inviting your child to teach you a few new words in her newly acquired language, read you a story or sing you a song! Invite school friends around and take part, if at all possible, in school life.
For older children who may bring school work at home, this is normally something they can do independently. If not, talk to your child’s teacher. This is an excellent opportunity to carry out research together for a unit they are studying and for you to reinforce your child’s home language in that area of the curriculum.
7. I can speak the 2nd language well; would it help my child’s 2nd language development if I changed languages and started speaking to my child in that language?
The answer is definitely NOOOO!! Your child has bonded with you in the language you have been speaking to him since birth. There is research evidence which shows that by doing so this can become traumatic and compromise your relationship with your child. So it’s not worth it! There are other ways for increasing exposure to the 2nd Language outside school and these can be: playing music, watching films, traveling or making friends who are speakers of that language.
8. How will I know that my child is making progress?
You will be getting ongoing feedback from his/her teachers
Observe your child and his or her changing behaviours (often young children start relating to their toys by speaking to them in their newly acquired language; they also do this with siblings)
9. How can I be sure that my child is not missing out or falling behind academically/developmentally or linguistically when compared to her monolingual peers?
Ideally, such comparisons are best to be avoided at the beginning; children raised bilingually may reach linguistic milestones later than monolingual children but they catch up early on.
Second language acquisition like any other type of learning is a process and takes time.
Progress looks different for every child; unless your child suffers from some form of learning difficulty, learning a second language will not hold him behind linguistically or academically.
Longitudinal studies have shown that bilingual children tend to overtake their monolingual counterparts in both academic and linguistic performance. (V. Collier & Wayne Thomas 1988)
10. When I ask my child to tell me “the colours” in English she replies she does not know them; yet she has been attending this school for three years now. I feel she is not learning...
Language learning like any other learning takes place in a context; children relate their new language learning experience with school and the adults who speak it in school; being asked to use it in a context which for them is not a natural one, may discourage children from using it and in some cases they do respond by “I do not know” or totally “ shut down”.
Parents are encouraged not to put children under pressure to perform or question them/test them in a language which is not shared in the home environment.