Developing a Bilingual Child
“Do
you understand the words that are coming out my mouth?” A famous line of – detective James Carter
(Chris Tucker) in his movie Rush Hour with Jackie Chan.
Those
are the same words I want to tell in an English toddler class in a foreign
country with 8 different nationalities inside the classroom. Some of them
understand English and able to communicate, some partially understand while
others have zero knowledge of the English language.
Indeed, it was quite a struggle for any teacher. But how did I begin?
How did I survive? How did I successfully help “us” to communicate?
Sandra Crosser (2016) in her article,
‘Enhancing the Language Development of Young Children’ mentioned the
different theoretical approaches on how children learn to speak and understand language/s.
First, is the Nativist theory where
it explains that children have a natural desire to make sense of the world?
They are driven to attend to a spoken word and sort for its meaning. What a
child frequently hears/sees in an adult may result to acquiring it and
understand its meaning easily which Waddington (1957) explains that certain
behaviors are learned. These behaviors are genetic; The members of a species
are prepared to learn them with little effort. In humans, canalized behaviors
include learning to use tools and language.
Some nativists believed that it is in the
structure of the brain of human beings and therefore they naturally will use
it. Noam Chomsky (1972) proposed that there is an inborn language acquisition device (LAD) somewhere in the brain
that facilitates language acquisition. According to him, young children learn the language so effortlessly, yet lack the mental ability to analyze the rules and
structure of the language logically; he proposed that there must be a mechanism
that allows children to acquire the structure of language naturally.
This statement was supported by
neuroscientists, in which they explained that “When the baby is born, it is equipped with millions of brain cells that
he or she will ever need. Each brain cell has branching appendages, called
dendrites that reach out to make connections with other brain cells. The places
where brain cells connect are called synapses. When electrical signals pass
from brain cell to brain cell, they cross the synapse between the cells. When
synapses are stimulated over and over, that pattern of neural connections is
“hard-wired” in the brain. It becomes an efficient, permanent pathway that
allows signals to be transmitted quickly and accurately.”(Cited from Elaine
Shiver, 2001 Brain Development and Mastery of Language in Early childhood
Years)
Advances in brain-imaging technology in
recent years have confirmed this process. Connections
that are not stimulated by repeated experiences may or fade away. By the
end of the first year, the unused sounds tend to drop out. Synapses will not
weaken and soon be gone.
So, in order to promote bilingualism in the
classroom, a teacher may use the first few years and develop dendrites in the
child’s brain as she repeatedly uses simple words to a child so he/she may hear,
practice and soon understand its meaning.
Another helpful theory in developing
language in young children is the social
learning theory. From its context, children will say and understand
language through the help of the people that she constantly talks to. Verbal queues such as smile and other
hand gestures are the affirmation that he/she understands what is being said to
her. If an infant say “mama”, people around him may affirm and repeat the words
with a happy face or a happy gesture. Meanwhile, if the child babbles “nhag”,
adult may normally ignore and soon this word may not be practiced and drop out.
(Skinner, 1957; Whitehurst & ValdezMenchaca, 1988).
Social learning theory interlink with Interactionist theory which explains
that, children, will learn not only because they have the desire to speak or an
inborn LAD, or a model to follow, rather children needs interaction with others
(Bohannon & Bonvillian, 1997).
These theories are helpful in allowing
children to acquire one or two languages. However, being in the real world, it
is difficult to execute these theories. With the help of colleagues, parents,
and daily interaction with the kids, I was able to adapt and soon learn, how
to teach in a multilingual classroom and raise a bilingual child.
Sense
of belonging to the environment
The first thing a teacher should do is to
understand the child. Imagine a person in a new environment without knowing
anyone and he/she doesn’t understand the language being used. Give time to the
child to slowly adjust as he plays or manipulates objects in his new
environment. Children who are showing
violence, not following instructions, having difficulty in expressing and crying
are signs of maladaptation and distress.
Do not force these children to repeat the words you say or teach right
away.
Familiar
guide
Second, the teacher should find somebody
that can understand or has the same language as the child. It may be another
teacher, a classmate, or a parent. It is better if that person could stay for a
day with the child. Finding somebody that the child can talk to or understand
him/her makes it easier for them to move around, be comfortable with the
environment, and freely express their ideas. In case there was none to help, ask
the parent to translate and write simple sentences so that the teacher could
still somehow understand the child. For example, “I’m hungry”, “I need to use
the toilet” Teachers may also search for simple translation or words. Through this, the child may develop his sense
of belonging.
However, teachers need to be careful about
using too much ‘home language’ to the child. If the child knows that he is
understood in his home language, he may frequently use it in the classroom and
the process of learning a second language may be slower. Teachers should
maximize the use of English in speaking to the child at all times. The teacher should introduce the new vocabulary after the child/adult says it in his home
language. For instance, the child says “wo yào ”, the teacher will say the
corresponding English word “You mean, I want”. Even though the child may not
say it. He is beginning to understand the meaning of the word if frequently
used. Dulay, Bust, and Krashen (1982) in
their survey of major findings in second-language research indicate that
although the learner is reluctant to speak during an initial “silent” period,
it is best not to force speech since during the “silence” he is constantly
absorbing and receiving language. Children are known to understand language
often long before they produce it.
Think-Pair-Share
As the child adapt to the classroom and
slowly learning the second the language, the teacher may encourage
“Think-Pair-Share” where the child may share his thoughts in his home language
with his peers and asked them to share their thoughts both in their home
language and in English to the class.
The teacher may also use an exclusive time
of the day where the children in class should only speak English. Some people
called it “English time”. It is fun and
at the same time challenging too. The duration of using English time may
progressively prolong as the days go by.
Storytelling is also one great source of teaching the English language to
children. The teacher may begin with short and with repetitive lines stories to
children. Teachers may invite children to watch a play or puppet show too.
Support
cycle
Lastly, continuous environment support is a
big factor in helping the child to learn the second language. Just like in the
saying “It takes a village to raise a child”, peers, teachers, parents, school
staff should all be responsible in helping the child to acquire the second
language. If all in the classroom has a common language, learning other subject
matter may be easy.
References:
http://www.ascd.org/publications/curriculum_handbook/413/chapters/Bilingual_Education@_Effective_Programming_for_Language-Minority_Students.aspx
K Seifert and R. Sutton (2009) Educational Psychology
2nd edition p.75
Shiver Elaine, (2001) - Brain Development and
Mastery of Language in Early childhood Years
Sandra Crosser (2016),
Enhancing the Language Development of Young Children
Understanding the Impact of
Language Differences on Classroom Behaviour http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/
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