Raising A Bilingual Child

Children are uniquely wired to acquire language. Linguists regard the first five years of life as the optimal time to learn a language. If a child, for some reason, does not learn any language by that age, he or she will find it extremely difficult to learn to speak later on. This optimal period for learning language applies to acquiring a second language in a lesser degree. Although adults can learn a second language, it is generally accepted that children find it easier to learn more than one language, and that they can acquire more natural accents in that second language than an adult learner.

There are two broad approaches to bilingualism:

1. Simultaneous bilingualism, where a child learns more than one language at the same time.
2. Sequential bilingualism, where a child is exposed to one language first up to a certain point, after which the second or third language is introduced.                                                                                                              

Research indicates that children can learn two languages simultaneously, and that this encourages cognitive development. One study has indicated that bilingual children have better cognitive flexibility, analytical skills and awareness of words and languages. Some studies even indicate that bilingualism can lessen dementia in old age.

There is no right or wrong way to expose your child to different languages. Depending on your circumstances and whether someone in your home speaks a second language, you can choose to speak to your child in your second or first language. The important thing is that your child hears both languages in a social setting. If you live in a monolingual family and want to expose your child to another language, you can try some of the following techniques in your home:

• Make one day in a week ‘second language day’ and speak only that language for that day.
• Read at least one book per day to your child in the second language of your choice.
• Choose one daily activity (like bathing, eating or getting dressed) and speak the second language during that activity for a week or two.                                                                                                                                                    

You are giving your child the gift of communication if you raise him or her bilingually. Your child will be better equipped for a globalized world and will benefit from the advantages of bilingualism in the future.