You are not bilingual. You skipped high school Spanish class one too many times! Now you have your own children whom you realize need to speak more than just English, but you have no clue where to start. Based on a book titled The Bilingual Edge by Dr. Kendall King and Dr. Alison Mackey you are just fine to give your child a jump start on learning a second language.
These two Doctors, who happen to be moms themselves, do a terrific job dispelling all of those second language myths that have held many parents back from just jumping right into a second language journey with their own family. Both Dr. King and Dr. Mackey assure all parents that they do not have to be bilingual in order to help their child acquire the skills to become bilingual.
First of all they suggest you not listen to all of those myths that people try to share with you about introducing a second language to children under the age of five. Be it your pediatrician who states that you best stick to only one language at home unless you want a confused and language delayed child or your mother-in-law who gasps when she hears your little darling recite a color word in Spanish! Both mean well, but their mind set and pre-conceived notions are based on nothing even close to scientific evidence.
In fact, the most recent research suggests that children who receive two languages woven into their daily routine end up reading sooner than their monolingual peers and perform better on the math and verbal sections of standardized tests. Even the SAT, college entrance exam board, has stated that students taking this exam perform better by many, many points if the student has had the equivalent of four years of second language study.
Why not begin those four years of a new language for your young child today? As the Doctors who authored the book The Bilingual Edge so wonderfully remind us, we can do this even if we ourselves are monolingual. Read the book some day soon, and arm yourself with the knowledge, belief and motivation that any adult can give the gift of a second language to young children because interaction is the key.
The second thing you must do is to interact with your child on this second language journey. Whether it is listening to the new language together on a music CD as you drive over to the mall or watching a few minutes of a DVD that features the new language right alongside your native language or reading a book to your child where some simple words in your new target language are sprinkled into the text (with an easy to use pronunciation guide included). As all of us realize, it is the quality of the interaction we have with our children that will promote future success in learning.
Thirdly, as the adult bringing a new language into your daily routine with your family, you should attempt to remain positive and upbeat as much as possible during the language time you share together. Our adult brain is wired differently than that of a child, and it can be frustrating at times when you feel as if you do not even get it. You in turn begin to wonder and question how you can even kid yourself into believing you can give this gift of a new language to your child as you struggle with it yourself.
The truth be told, all your child wants from you is a smile, a sense of confidence that this is fun and easy, and a true demonstration from you that you respect and value the learning of another language. It may not be fun at times for you, and you may feel very far from smiling, but your child is depending upon you to introduce him to this new language.
We have all witnessed the parent who screams at their preschool aged child to speak in one language or another, sometimes even refusing the request of the child until he speaks in the demanded language. Do these parents truly feel their ranting and raging about the ability of their child to perform in one language above another is going to help this child become successful later in life? I think not!
Parents are always the first teacher a child ever has in her life. Then the formal educator steps onto the scene, and what a wonderful gift this child now has! Two teachers with one at home, one at school. Both teachers are able to provide second language learning for young children. It is simply a matter of believing first of all that you can do it, and then interact with that child in a positive manner in order to make the learning relevant and meaningful.
You will find a variety of tools to bring whatever new language you choose to introduce to your child into your daily routine. Mixing up the learning process by exposing your child to variety of learning styles will increase his chances of success.
Mix in visual learning in the forms of DVDs and books with auditory learning via upbeat and easy-to-follow bilingual music CDs along with some puppets, musical instruments, and coloring and activity books that highlight both native and new language. These language learning tools will combine to create a language classroom right in your own home every day!
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