What is Bilingual Education? What are the advantages ?

Second language acquisition process

Children, unlike adults, can complete their language learning very quickly because they are in the developmental stage. The most important point when giving bilingual education is that either the parents use two different languages ​​at home from the moment they are born at the same time, or they are taught in early childhood by being supported from home together with the school. For example; With a newborn child, if his father speaks English at home while his father speaks Turkish and stability can be achieved, the child will be able to master both languages ​​in the same way, or as a second option, the child will learn the first language at home until the age of 3-4, and then learn a second language at the school he goes to. The language he learned from his parents until he went to school should be his mother tongue. Thus, after the child learns his mother tongue, he can easily absorb the second language at school. It does not cause any complexity.

Simultaneous and sequential learning

The first example we mentioned above can be called simultaneous learning, and the second example is sequential learning. The trick in simultaneous learning is that mom or dad doesn't speak two languages ​​alone at the same time. If one speaks one language, the other must speak the second language. If a family has gone to live in another country and the language of that country is desired to be learned by the child, their mother tongue should continue to be spoken at home and the child should acquire the language spoken outside at school, in his natural environment with his friends. Bilingual education has no rule of fluency and error; but the biggest feature observed in bilingual children is that one language is more dominant in use than the other.

Things to Consider in Bilingual Education

In this education method, in order for the two languages ​​not to be intricate, if the child is learning at home, parents should pay attention, and if they are learning at school, teachers should be very careful. In particular, families and institutions that are not conscious of what needs to be considered in bilingual education may cause damage that may cause speech problems in children.

It is very important to use words from two languages, to introduce their cultures and to ensure continuity so that the child does not experience confusion and can adopt two languages ​​​​in a good way. He needs to be able to reconcile with his daily life and attract attention; because the more interesting it is, the more fun it will become. The easiest way to learn for a preschool child is through games and entertainment. If the child cannot feel that both languages ​​are valuable to him, it will be more difficult for him to learn.

It can be included in certain children's clubs and courses for a language other than their mother tongue, and a suitable environment can be provided for frequent conversations with children who speak that language. If parents are clear about giving bilingual education to their children, the period when the child's language acquisition skills are quite fast should be evaluated and it should definitely be started until the primary school period. In short, the acquisition of a second language is achieved in a process where an atmosphere is created in which the child is active and actively uses both languages.

Bilingual education at an early age is important

Every language has its own unique sounds. Therefore, in the process of acquiring a second language, the periods in which the child's larynx, tongue and mouth development are flexible are important so that it is possible to produce the sounds that the child will need. For this reason, it has been supported by experts that the acquisition of two languages ​​is easier at a young age. If the child has reached the age of 3-4 and has difficulty in forming sentences in his mother tongue, other language education should be abandoned and a transition should be made to one language. If not noticed or delayed, it can cause more serious speech problems in the future.

Advantages of Bilingual Education

In the researches, it has been observed that the cognitive development of the children who are educated in a bilingual language is faster than the children who are educated in a single language. Bilingual education is not an obstacle to the development of children, on the contrary, it plays a major role in the consolidation of development by increasing the bonds established in the brain.

This system, which makes the child ready to use his brain much more, will make the child better in solving the problems in complex thinking, which will definitely help him to become a solution-oriented individual instead of being problem-oriented in his future life. Experts stated that creativity is among the advantages of bilingual education and that children can use their working memory more actively. A child who has learned two languages ​​at the same time and can use them continuously in his life can become an individual with higher self-confidence. Since he knows two different languages ​​and its origins, he will develop significantly in socio-cultural terms.

According to the studies, an individual who has gone through a bilingual education process can deal with a concept and the relationship between concepts in a multidimensional way. Considering the relationship between intelligence and creative thinking, the richness of language skills and multidimensional thinking, a bilingual individual will be advantageous in many ways.

Any pressure on children about bilingualism can cause a reaction, so it is necessary to observe the child's reactions very well. If attention is not paid, bilingual education can have advantages as well as disadvantages. If the child feels that he has not succeeded during the acquisition of the second language, he may become aggressive and have difficulty expressing himself. If it is desired to be successful in these trainings given at home and at school, it should be investigated thoroughly by considering the physical, auditory and visual development of the child, and most importantly, it should be started at the right time. If necessary, a specialist should be consulted.

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