Your a language teacher, you have spent years mastering your second language yet you only teach it to the students in your classroom. Why is it that the majority of language teachers dont actually teach their second language to their own children? My daughter, who at the time of the writing of this article (2019) is 5 years old, is native, not bilingual, but native in both Spanish and English. My wife and I are both English teachers living in Peru, and from the day of our daughters birth, we decided to only speak in English with her at all times.
For the first 3 years of her life, we did this religiously, never waivering, never speaking Spanish with her (The rest of society were her Spanish world) and this decision reaped amazing results for us. She developed her ability to communicate naturally, and without hesitation in both languages with ease. At 3 years of age, she could sit at a table and communicate in both language simultaniously without any confusion. The extent of her abilities to communicate in both languages became apparent the first day she attended kindergarten at 3 years of age. Up until then, she had had very little contact with other children due to being an only child with the majority of her use of Spanish being with her grandmother and a few friends, and because of this, we were a little worried if she would have problems studying in a room with 20 children, a teacher and an assistant who only spoke Spanish. Well, whilst the first 3 months was a little difficult, and she had a lot of adapting to do, she was able to maintain the same pace of learning as her classmates, ultimately reaching the end of the year with the same level of Spanish as her peers. Our plan worked, we were thrilled by the results, and now, at 5 years of age, her Spanish is equal to her friends and her English is more advanced that a normal 5 year old native child.
In general, for a child, being bilingual comes with many advantages, and according to research, they go well beyond those which are the most obvious. Yes, being raised and educated bilingual gives your children an entirely different perspective on life, not to mention a second means of communication that they can use whenever they want. In addition, being bilingual can increase their professional opportunities as an adult opening up an entirely new world of possibilities. But, especially for babies and young children, speaking a second language has these bonus benefits.
1. Attention to Environmental Influences: According to a study from York University, infants and young children who are raised in a bilingual environments are able to pay greater attentional to that which is happening around them. During eye movement tests, the non-speaking infants who regularly heard two different languages were better able to track environmental changes and adjust to them much easier than their monolingual peers whilst young children who were at speaking age were able to comprehend quite easily and communication in both languages (Depending upon their level).
2. Memory and Recognition: Along with an ability to focus, babies who are exposed to two languages seem to also have improved recognition memory abilities in comparison to monolingual children. This type of cognitive ability gives your child the chance to recognize objects, people, events, or anything else that they’ve seen or interacted with before. My daughter for example has an uncanny ability to remember very specific things or events that happened when she was 2 to 3 years of age, and explain them in great detail.
3. Listening: Young children raised in a bilingual environment, or who learn more than one language, may have better listening skills, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). A 2017 study found that by 20 months, toddlers could differentiate between words in different languages — just by listening.
4. Categorizing Words: Another benefit that your bilingual baby may enjoy as they grow and develop is the ability to categorize words. This ability allows children to better understand and process the world around them.
5. Perspective in Life: Empathy is an essential life skill that every child needs, but it’s not easy for children to develop. As your child builds a growing sense of self-knowledge and awareness, they’ll also start to see themselves, and their place in their world in reference to others. Research published in Bilingualism: Language and Cognition found that three and four-year-olds who were already bilingual scored better on tasks that required them evaluating and accepting other people’s perspectives.
6. Creating Connections: Being bilingual allows the child to create meaningful social connections and interactions through the use of their second language. This develops the child’s evolving social abilities and contributes to their ability to build relationships with family, friends and people in general from different cultures.
7. The Solving of Problems: A study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology found that due to their ability to think and make decisions in two languages, that bilingual toddlers may have cognitive flexibility and improved attention abilities. It is believed that the development of these areas may lead to an increase in their all-important problem-solving abilities. As your child grows and begins to study at school, problem-solving will progressively develop into a skill that they’ll constantly need to use in every aspect of their daily lives.
8. Exposure to new Culturals: When you decide that you want to open up the world for your child, then obviously being bilingual is the easiest way to accomplish this objective. Not only is your child learning a new language, but they are also getting the chance to explore the culture from where the language come from.
So, should we, as English teachers, introduce our own children to the benefits of being bilingual by putting in a concerted effort to only speak English with them? Many teachers have told me that this is too hard, that it would be confusing for their children, or maybe even cause problems with their families, but, seriously, if we want our children to have the best opportunities in life as they grow up, as professionals, then the question becomes if we can afford not to make them bilingual.
Take the time, make the effort to speak in English with your children, be their example, teach them the language in the same way as they learn their native language, through general communication. My own experiences with my daughter, and those that I have witnessed through other families similiar to my own is that the mental capabilities and skills of your children will be hightened to a level that exceeds their monolinguistic peers.
So, in conclusion, get into the habit of speaking only in English with your young children, encourage them, reward them for their efforts and watch them as they grow and develop their bilingual skills naturally. Every day, apart from just speaking to them in English, read books to them, watch cartoons or TV shows, listen to music, and make English, through the transference of your own skills and dedication, a natural part of their lives.
David White
Managing Director English For You Language Institute Trujillo Peru.
Headmaster American School (Bilingual ib school) Trujillo Peru
International conference presenter
International academic consultant.
dwenglishforyou@outlook.com
For the first 3 years of her life, we did this religiously, never waivering, never speaking Spanish with her (The rest of society were her Spanish world) and this decision reaped amazing results for us. She developed her ability to communicate naturally, and without hesitation in both languages with ease. At 3 years of age, she could sit at a table and communicate in both language simultaniously without any confusion. The extent of her abilities to communicate in both languages became apparent the first day she attended kindergarten at 3 years of age. Up until then, she had had very little contact with other children due to being an only child with the majority of her use of Spanish being with her grandmother and a few friends, and because of this, we were a little worried if she would have problems studying in a room with 20 children, a teacher and an assistant who only spoke Spanish. Well, whilst the first 3 months was a little difficult, and she had a lot of adapting to do, she was able to maintain the same pace of learning as her classmates, ultimately reaching the end of the year with the same level of Spanish as her peers. Our plan worked, we were thrilled by the results, and now, at 5 years of age, her Spanish is equal to her friends and her English is more advanced that a normal 5 year old native child.
In general, for a child, being bilingual comes with many advantages, and according to research, they go well beyond those which are the most obvious. Yes, being raised and educated bilingual gives your children an entirely different perspective on life, not to mention a second means of communication that they can use whenever they want. In addition, being bilingual can increase their professional opportunities as an adult opening up an entirely new world of possibilities. But, especially for babies and young children, speaking a second language has these bonus benefits.
1. Attention to Environmental Influences: According to a study from York University, infants and young children who are raised in a bilingual environments are able to pay greater attentional to that which is happening around them. During eye movement tests, the non-speaking infants who regularly heard two different languages were better able to track environmental changes and adjust to them much easier than their monolingual peers whilst young children who were at speaking age were able to comprehend quite easily and communication in both languages (Depending upon their level).
2. Memory and Recognition: Along with an ability to focus, babies who are exposed to two languages seem to also have improved recognition memory abilities in comparison to monolingual children. This type of cognitive ability gives your child the chance to recognize objects, people, events, or anything else that they’ve seen or interacted with before. My daughter for example has an uncanny ability to remember very specific things or events that happened when she was 2 to 3 years of age, and explain them in great detail.
3. Listening: Young children raised in a bilingual environment, or who learn more than one language, may have better listening skills, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). A 2017 study found that by 20 months, toddlers could differentiate between words in different languages — just by listening.
4. Categorizing Words: Another benefit that your bilingual baby may enjoy as they grow and develop is the ability to categorize words. This ability allows children to better understand and process the world around them.
5. Perspective in Life: Empathy is an essential life skill that every child needs, but it’s not easy for children to develop. As your child builds a growing sense of self-knowledge and awareness, they’ll also start to see themselves, and their place in their world in reference to others. Research published in Bilingualism: Language and Cognition found that three and four-year-olds who were already bilingual scored better on tasks that required them evaluating and accepting other people’s perspectives.
6. Creating Connections: Being bilingual allows the child to create meaningful social connections and interactions through the use of their second language. This develops the child’s evolving social abilities and contributes to their ability to build relationships with family, friends and people in general from different cultures.
7. The Solving of Problems: A study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology found that due to their ability to think and make decisions in two languages, that bilingual toddlers may have cognitive flexibility and improved attention abilities. It is believed that the development of these areas may lead to an increase in their all-important problem-solving abilities. As your child grows and begins to study at school, problem-solving will progressively develop into a skill that they’ll constantly need to use in every aspect of their daily lives.
8. Exposure to new Culturals: When you decide that you want to open up the world for your child, then obviously being bilingual is the easiest way to accomplish this objective. Not only is your child learning a new language, but they are also getting the chance to explore the culture from where the language come from.
So, should we, as English teachers, introduce our own children to the benefits of being bilingual by putting in a concerted effort to only speak English with them? Many teachers have told me that this is too hard, that it would be confusing for their children, or maybe even cause problems with their families, but, seriously, if we want our children to have the best opportunities in life as they grow up, as professionals, then the question becomes if we can afford not to make them bilingual.
Take the time, make the effort to speak in English with your children, be their example, teach them the language in the same way as they learn their native language, through general communication. My own experiences with my daughter, and those that I have witnessed through other families similiar to my own is that the mental capabilities and skills of your children will be hightened to a level that exceeds their monolinguistic peers.
So, in conclusion, get into the habit of speaking only in English with your young children, encourage them, reward them for their efforts and watch them as they grow and develop their bilingual skills naturally. Every day, apart from just speaking to them in English, read books to them, watch cartoons or TV shows, listen to music, and make English, through the transference of your own skills and dedication, a natural part of their lives.
David White
Managing Director English For You Language Institute Trujillo Peru.
Headmaster American School (Bilingual ib school) Trujillo Peru
International conference presenter
International academic consultant.
dwenglishforyou@outlook.com
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