Bilingual children: who is it and how to properly educate

The Austrian philosopher L. Wittgenstein in his "Logical and Philosophical Treatise" wrote: "The boundaries of my language are the boundaries of my world." 

The thinker considered linguistics as a way of knowing the world. The more extensive a person's linguistic base is, the larger his personality is. One of the main advantages of bilingualism fits into this concept — knowing and using two languages, the child has broader life prospects. 

In our article we will tell you how bilingualism is formed in children, and give advice to parents on how to help a child learn two languages. Who is a bilingual child

Bilingualism, that is, bilingualism is the possession of two languages.

A person equally knows both languages, understands them, actively uses them. There are both individual cases of bilingualism and mass cases when the whole country or any part of it communicates in two languages.

A vivid example of mass bilingualism is Ukraine, where 20% of children simultaneously use two languages — Ukrainian (state) and Russian. In the USA, 28% of children are considered bilingual, and more than 45% worldwide. 

It is worth distinguishing bilingualism from ordinary knowledge of foreign languages. It's simple: bilingual children begin to speak and think in both languages at once. They can express their feelings equally well on each of them.

It is believed that the optimal age for learning two languages is from 3 to 15 years. But all researchers agree that the sooner you start, the better. Find out how to choose the best way to raise your child - at Dmitry Karpachev's transplant-free online master class "What every parent should know". How bilingualism is formed

Bilingualism arises due to migration flows in the world.

People move to other countries, bring or give birth to children there. A foreign language environment does not frighten the younger generation. Even if children hear only their native speech at home, in society they quickly learn a previously unknown language.

Bilingualism can be formed without moving. For example, by hiring a native tutor for a child, that is, someone for whom the language being studied is their native language.

Another factor in the formation of bilingualism is the family. If the child's mom and dad have different native languages, then he will successfully learn both and will communicate in the one that is preferable for each of the parents. Also read: What influences the formation of a child's characterMyths and Truth about bilinguals

To understand what bilingualism carries — benefit or harm — you need to dispel the myths around this concept.

Let's look at some of them:

Myth: bilingualism provokes a delay in the development of speech and thinking in children.

The truth: bilingual children develop at the same pace as monolingual children. Even if a baby confuses words or mixes part of a word from one language with part of a word from another, this is not considered a sign of abnormal speech development. It will take a little time, and he will easily differentiate the vocabulary of each of the languages. 

• Myth: learning two languages at the same time can confuse a child.

Truth: yes, from time to time children can confuse grammatical rules and other language patterns. But by the age of 4-5, these difficulties remain in the past. The better he learns both languages, the clearer the line he will build between them.

• Myth: Children with speech development problems cannot learn a second language.

True: such children usually have more difficulties with learning two languages, but this does not mean that they are insurmountable. You will have to spend more time to achieve an equally high level of proficiency in both languages.

• Myth: bilingual children may have problems at school. 

True: numerous studies have proven that bilingualism has a number of academic advantages. Among them are valuable skills of multitasking, cognitive flexibility and quick search for the right solution. 

• Myth: children who just know a second language are already bilinguals.

True: to be considered bilingual, you need to know and use both languages approximately the same. Yes, a dominant language is possible, but regular practice and a developed vocabulary of the second language is an indispensable condition for bilingualism.

Find out the instinctual needs of a child in order to raise him happy and successful - at Dmitry Karpachev's free online master class "What every parent should know".Right now, click on the "Register" button and get a gift.

Advantages and disadvantages of bilingualism

If you have not yet decided how many languages to teach your child, check out the pros and cons of bilingual education.

PositiveA child who knows two languages equally well has a competitive advantage in the labor market.

1. Bilinguals are more willing to take prestigious jobs, they earn more than employees who simply know one of the foreign languages.
2. Bilinguals are distinguished by cognitive flexibility. Their brain is used to instantly switch between languages, so its cognitive functions are developed at a higher level: better memory, faster perception and processing of information, improved ability to make the right decisions in a critical situation.
3. Regardless of the type of bilingualism (migration, household, artificial), no extra effort will be required to learn languages. The language environment will help with the migration type, natural learning will help with the everyday type. As for the artificial creation of a bilingual environment, it is not so much the efforts of the child that are important here, as the correct choice of the teacher / school. 
4. Nelson Mandela said: "If you communicate with a person in a language that he understands, you appeal to his mind. If you speak to him in his native language, you are speaking to his heart." Bilingual children feel comfortable in the company of those with whom they speak the same language. They can express their thoughts and feelings, demonstrate knowledge, and make a friendly joke. All this is inaccessible to those who have mastered the basics of a foreign language and can communicate only at an elementary level.
5. Having mastered two languages, the child will easily learn the third one. The ability of bilingual children to learn foreign languages has been confirmed by numerous studies. The ability to quickly memorize and use unusual vocabulary will open the opportunity for an ordinary bilingual to become a real polyglot. 

MinusesTo immerse yourself in the language environment, you need to read books, watch movies and TV programs, listen to music, communicate with native speakers.

1. It is necessary to assemble an appropriate library, find interlocutors or teachers who will help to polish oral and written communication, etc.
2. According to research, the vocabulary of those who speak one language is wider than that of bilinguals, but this is fixable — special classes, games, literature will help fill in the gaps in the vocabulary. 
3. If the child's parents speak different languages (for example, a Spanish father speaks Spanish, and an English mother speaks English), then the child will associate the language with the parent. He may be hostile to Mom's attempt to address him in Spanish, even if the situation requires it.

How to raise a child bilingual There is one axiom: the larger the volume of a language, the faster it learns.

There are so—called language inputs - sources of foreign vocabulary. These can be books, movies, communication with other people in the language being studied, study, travel and even computer games. The number of inputs and the degree of their impact on bilingual children make it possible to predict both vocabulary and the speed of language acquisition. 

You should start by increasing the number of language inputs. Try to have as many of them as possible at the first stages, and for in-depth language learning, increase the intensity of exposure. 

Example: The child learns English with the help of: mom (native speaker)

1. + books + lessons at school + music + literature.
2. The child already knows the language, but it is necessary to expand the vocabulary. Therefore, we deepen the entry points: you need not just to read the book in English, but also to discuss it with the teacher and write an essay based on the plot. 

What else can be done✓ It is possible to make progress in everyday language learning with the help of loved ones.

People from different generations often have different vocabulary, and the more variations (dialects, slang, professional terms, obsolete words) the child will have access to, the better.

✓ Use the "one person — one language" approach in mixed families (parents from different countries), as well as "one situation — one language" for the migration type of children's bilingualism (at home — the native language, in society — the studied one). 

Systematize knowledge with the help of a teacher. No matter how well a child communicates in the languages being studied, it is better to learn the rules of grammar and spelling in an academic way. 

✓ If interest in one of the languages is gradually lost, spur him on by enrolling the child in a circle / section where they will speak exclusively in that language. The combination of hobbies and training will bring a good result.

________

Do not scold a bilingual child for speech mistakes, mixing of languages or long-term thinking of phrases. He is just learning, so he can make mistakes, but this is not a reason to abandon bilingualism. 

On the contrary, continue in the same spirit! The possibilities of a child's brain are so wide that soon you will be pleasantly surprised by the progress.