What Parents Must Know for Their Children to Become Bilingual
Many parents all over the world are joining the bandwagon of letting their children join programs and classes where they can learn a foreign language and become bilingual. Most of the parents are aware that language immersion is one way of letting children become bilingual however, not all parents are aware of what they are doing to make their children acquire a new language.
Virginia Pauline Rojas, PhD, a world-renowned expert in bilingualism and second-language acquisition has recently spoken in a seminar with parents at Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok.
Dr. Rojas has asked, “When Thai parents enroll their children in an English immersion school, do they want them to speak only English, or do they want them to be able to speak both English and Thai?” This is a question that parents of Thai children have to consider when they enroll their children in an English immersion school such as an international school.
The Thai children sent by their parents in international schools at an early age ten to be more fluent in English than Thai especially when it comes to the language skill of writing. It is vital that parents and teachers know how to help students achieve fluency in both English and Thai languages not only with their speaking and listening skills but also in writing and reading.
According to Dr. Rojas, Thai parents who want their children to become bilingual have to work closely with their children. The international schools have the responsibility of teaching English to children however; the parents must be the ones to teach Thai since the Thai language programs in international schools are not enough.
Dr. Rojas explains that “Parents need to be clear in their minds why their children are attending an international school. Not a lot of parents think about that. They just send them here because it is prestigious to attend an international school. They need to be clear in their minds that their children are going to be different; for example, their writing in Thai is not going to be perfect.”
Parents who want their children to be able to speak English and Thai must maintain teaching Thai at home not only the spoken language but also the reading and writing skills in Thai too. Parents must understand that they have the responsibility for the development of the bilingual abilities of their children.
In most international schools in Thailand and the rest of the world, teachers require their students to speak only in English. In some schools, students are not allowed to speak Thai to their friends while in school. This policy may be imposed by the school to promote a perfect English environment within the school. Dr. Rojas said that this notion might not be wise. Many teachers in international schools are not bilinguals so the teachers don’t look at the situation like a bilingual situation. Teachers think that the students have to speak only in English and it is not that they want the students to forget their knowledge of Thai but that they don’t understand that both English and Thai are involved in the process of becoming bilingual. Dr. Rojas explains that bilingual students use both English and Thai languages.
The following is a chart of the Ten Myths of Language Study that parents should consider if they want to raise bilingual children:
According to Dr. Rojas, many studies indicate that the first language of students should be able to assist the learning of the second languages. She recommends that parents and teachers have to be aware not to unconsciously impose a certain perception that a student’s first language should be able to assist the learning of the second language.
Dr. Rojas also said that for students to master their bilingual skills, aside from maintaining a strong command of the mother tongue, parents should think about when would be the best time to send their students to an English immersion school. Parents should also need to be a bilingual role model for their children too.
If you are a parent who would want to have bilingual children, what concerns do you have about letting your young children learn two languages at the same time? Share your thoughts with us.
Original article: http://www.bangkokpost.com/life/education/26363/how-to-achieve-bilingualism
