The Early Development of Bilingualism
Chapter 5 Summary:
The Early Development of Bilingualism chapter focuses on the different ways young children become bilingual. Baker (2011) refers to the social and political way children learn their languages and states that acquiring a new language in the home doesn’t just happen in the home. Learning happens within the community, country and culture. Each home has its unique demands which in turn affects process and end results. The chapter also discussed the types of bilingualism; simultaneous and sequential childhood bilingualism. Simultaneous means a child learns two languages concurrently from infancy. This may occur when one parent speaks to the child in one language and the other parent speaks to child in another language. However, single parent homes can also raise bilingual children. Sequential refers to the acquisition of a second language later than the first. Studies have shown that language memory begins in the fetal stage (Baker, 2011). It’s also evident that very young children are able to store and make distinctions between the two languages, using them appropriately in different social circumstances. Codeswitching (switching from one language to the other) happens when bilingual children interact with other known bilinguals. Codemixing is the use of both languages in one situation. This has its benefits but is often unacceptable in a formal classroom. Trilingualism/Multilingualism can be reached when parents speak two languages in the home and then a third language is acquired outside the home. The proficiency of each language in these situations may vary.
Study Activity #2:
I interviewed a 10th grade female student in her second year at our school and her father. They are originally from the Dominican Republic and have been in the US less than two years. I will use fake names to protect their privacy. I will refer to the student as Caroline and her dad as Samuel. Caroline has made more progress than her dad. Outside of school, Caroline immerses herself in reading books for fun and watching television in English only. Caroline speaks to her siblings in English inside and outside of the home. Samuel is a full time plumber who relies heavily on gestures and one or two word phrases to communicate with non-Spanish speaking customers. When he visits the school he relies on a translator to get his concerns across. Samuel is not taking any formal instruction because his job is demanding and often requires him to put in long hours daily. He depends on Caroline to clarify information he doesn’t understand. Caroline expresses her frustration about this. She feels as though she is still learning herself and can’t help him most of the time. Caroline is motivated by grades. She wants to reach the honor roll in school and score high on her Regents exams. She has big plans for college and doesn’t want the language barrier to hold her back.
The Early Development of Bilingualism chapter focuses on the different ways young children become bilingual. Baker (2011) refers to the social and political way children learn their languages and states that acquiring a new language in the home doesn’t just happen in the home. Learning happens within the community, country and culture. Each home has its unique demands which in turn affects process and end results. The chapter also discussed the types of bilingualism; simultaneous and sequential childhood bilingualism. Simultaneous means a child learns two languages concurrently from infancy. This may occur when one parent speaks to the child in one language and the other parent speaks to child in another language. However, single parent homes can also raise bilingual children. Sequential refers to the acquisition of a second language later than the first. Studies have shown that language memory begins in the fetal stage (Baker, 2011). It’s also evident that very young children are able to store and make distinctions between the two languages, using them appropriately in different social circumstances. Codeswitching (switching from one language to the other) happens when bilingual children interact with other known bilinguals. Codemixing is the use of both languages in one situation. This has its benefits but is often unacceptable in a formal classroom. Trilingualism/Multilingualism can be reached when parents speak two languages in the home and then a third language is acquired outside the home. The proficiency of each language in these situations may vary.
Study Activity #2:
I interviewed a 10th grade female student in her second year at our school and her father. They are originally from the Dominican Republic and have been in the US less than two years. I will use fake names to protect their privacy. I will refer to the student as Caroline and her dad as Samuel. Caroline has made more progress than her dad. Outside of school, Caroline immerses herself in reading books for fun and watching television in English only. Caroline speaks to her siblings in English inside and outside of the home. Samuel is a full time plumber who relies heavily on gestures and one or two word phrases to communicate with non-Spanish speaking customers. When he visits the school he relies on a translator to get his concerns across. Samuel is not taking any formal instruction because his job is demanding and often requires him to put in long hours daily. He depends on Caroline to clarify information he doesn’t understand. Caroline expresses her frustration about this. She feels as though she is still learning herself and can’t help him most of the time. Caroline is motivated by grades. She wants to reach the honor roll in school and score high on her Regents exams. She has big plans for college and doesn’t want the language barrier to hold her back.
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