“I often hear people say that mixing languages will confuse a child. I also worry that learning two languages at the same time might delay their children’s development. Some people even tell me it’s better to wait until a child can read and write before putting them in a Bilingual school. And I’ve asked countless people whether I should keep speaking my native language to my daughter or switch to English.”
These doubts and misunderstandings about bilingualism are common, not just among parents but also among teachers and school staff. It’s important that everyone involved in bilingual education agrees on the benefits and shares the same information.
Let’s look at three of the most common misconceptions about bilingualism. These are often heard in our community and can cause worry. Let’s share this information with parents to help clear up any confusion!
Myth 1: Learning two languages slows down language development.
Many people believe that learning a second language can delay a child’s ability to learn their first language. This idea comes from older studies that didn’t accurately measure language development in bilingual children. Newer research has clearly shown that this isn’t true.
Bilingual children develop language at the same pace as children who only speak one language. Learning difficulties like dyslexia or speech problems are just as common in both groups. Some recent studies even suggest that bilingualism might be helpful for children with autism, but we need more research to be sure.
Myth 2: Speaking the native language at home slows down English learning.
Some people think that children who speak their native language at home will take longer to learn English. This idea is based on the belief that more exposure to English leads to faster learning. While it’s true that more English exposure helps, speaking your native language at home doesn’t hinder English development.
In fact, learning one language often makes it easier to learn another. There’s a method called “One Parent, One Language” where each parent speaks a different language to their child. Studies show that children as young as 18 months can understand that different languages are used with different people.
While we often think that babies start to understand language differences around 18 months, research shows it’s even earlier. In his book “The Bilingual Brain,” Albert Costa explains that babies can tell the difference between different sounding languages just a few hours after birth!
Myth 3: Bilingual children always mix up languages.
People often think that bilingual children constantly mix their two languages. But this isn’t always true. Research by a scientist named Grosjean shows that bilingual children can easily switch between languages depending on who they’re talking to.
For example, if a child’s parents speak different languages at home, they might mix the languages when talking to both parents. However, when they talk to someone who only speaks one language, they usually stick to that language.
So, even if the child only receives French from the mother, for example, in mother-child interaction, they also see the mother speaking English with the father, speaking English in the market, speaking English on the phone, watching TV in English. So the child knows that, even if the mother only speaks French with them, the mother is a competent speaker of two languages, and the child mixes the languages WITH THE MOTHER because they understand the mother is bilingual and capable of this.
When a bilingual child interacts with someone who only speaks one language, they automatically adjust their speech to match. For example, a child who speaks both French and English will usually only speak French when talking to a French-speaking grandmother. Studies have shown that children as young as 20 months can already do this.
This is important because it shows that children can understand who they’re talking to and adapt their language accordingly. When we, as adults, show children that we’re comfortable speaking a language by using it with others, we’re teaching children that it’s okay to speak that language with us too. This helps them feel confident in using both languages.
Now that we have debunked these myths, let’s reinforce some advantages of being bilingual, so we also realize that the work of bilingual schools goes beyond teaching a language! The advantages have two different origins. The first set is knowledge generated by current research. There are many more than these three, but we will focus only on these. The second set of benefits is the advantages declared by bilingual adults. These are perceptions that these people report as benefits of being bilingual themselves.
Research indicates that:
- Bilingual children perform better on tasks requiring controlled attention (selective controlled attention).
- Bilingual children perform better on tasks requiring the analysis of representations.
- Bilingual children perform worse on vocabulary tasks requiring exclusive use of one language to a certain extent, although when the child can use both, the total vocabulary is greater than that of monolingual children. When one language stops being dominant, performance equals that of monolingual children.
Opinions and perceptions of bilingual people:
- Being able to communicate in different situations with different people and knowing different cultures.
- Knowing how to read and write in more than one language.
- Having a broader worldview.
- More opportunities in the job market;
- Being able to help globally.
- Understanding different realities and having more perspectives to analyze situations.
Learning multiple languages goes beyond simply acquiring new vocabulary and grammar. It’s about developing a deeper understanding and empathy for different cultures. Language acts as a bridge, connecting us to people from diverse backgrounds. By viewing language as a tool for cultural exchange and human connection, we expand our worldview and foster a more inclusive society.
