Children and bilingualism, a relationship that the sooner you start, the better
There is no discussion possible. Learn a language It is an essential requirement for anyone, but at what age should the child start to study a new language, what is the recommended point? There are those who bet not to postpone too much and that the youngest ones begin their contact with this knowledge from an earlier age.
It is the case of Kati Szeless and ofRaymonde Sneddon, experts in language teaching. Both agree that the beginning of this language education should start between 14 and 36 months, a process in which parents accompany their children in learning a language through games and other activities. A good way to learn while strengthening the parent-child bond during the first years of life of the youngest.
The goal of bilingualism
The objective when it comes to learning a new language is bilingualism, being able to master the new language almost at the same level as the mother tongue. Szeless and Sneddon note that sometimes parents hesitate when their children immerse themselves in this teaching at early ages because they believe that it can cause a delay in the development of communication skills.
The usual tendency of these parents is to wait for their children to master the mother tongue before they start learning a new one. However to get the goal of bilingualism it is very important that children begin as soon as possible to relate to their second language.
Kati Szeless, an expert in language learning, said that the first benefit of the program of this early beginning is that the ear of the little ones is accustomed to this new language. "Begin to hear the sound of another language, learning in a structured way, using a specific language, at a particular moment, it is a great way to initiate children and parents and a good example of how to start raising a bilingual child "Kati pointed out.
On the other hand, Raymonde Sneddon, another expert in language learning, stressed the importance of parents in this lab. For her the first step is to equip the parents with skills and then transmit them at home. The goal is to turn the language into a game that entertains and develops children. At the same time these mechanisms must become a routine.
Myths of bilingualism
Both Kati Szeless and Raymonde Sneddon pointed out that bilingualism is still currently facing multitude of myths. Many families believe that to reach this level with a language the child must be very intelligent and raised in a high socio-economic environment.
Bilingualism assumes a daily teaching routine that should begin sooner. For this, a basic structure must be established and focused on the stage of development in which the child is located. There are those who think that what is taught in class and later complemented with activities such as watching series or films in the original version is enough.
At this point, these professionals point out the importance of parents when it comes to bet for bilingualism. The parents must be constant and structure the education of their children taking into account the importance of including a language in the day to day of the home.
Damián Montero
