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Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
Have you ever dreamed of having your Son or Daughter on your dream vacation to Paris, Mexico, Argentina, China, German or Egypt and enjoy watching them communicate and negotiate like a native speaker?! It might be a big dream now, but dreaming big is the first step towards success, so go with the necessary steps, and you are going to reach your goal! In this article, we are going to talk about Bilingual education in Early age — Pros/Cons, the appropriate age to consider teaching your children a second language. And some tips for starting a bilingual education at an early age.Pros of a Bilingual Education
1. Motivates kids’ skills in their native language
Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
Years ago, people believed that learning a second language would confuse a child. Now, research shows that children who study a foreign language perform better in their native language than non-bilingual students, and the advantage increases the earlier you expose them to the second language.2. Encourages wisdom, empathy, curiosity, cultural sensitivity, and tolerance
Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
Wisdom develops from personal experiences. Bilingual education provides students with more of those personal experiences over time. With greater wisdom, improved decisions are easy to make, which can create the foundation of a better life. The first seven years of a child’s life are when a child’s belief system starts to grow. Learning a different language can make them more aware of cultural differences; they also come to understand why those differences exist and the importance of respecting cultures different from their own experiences.
3. Improves kids’ brain function ( Bilinguals Are Smarter! )
Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
Many academics studies showed that bilingual people are better at tasks requiring multi-tasking and attention focusing than monolinguals. Brain scans show they have more gray matter in the regions of their brains, which is vital for the executive functions skills ( Emotional Control, Working Memory, Inhibition, Initiation, Planning and prioritization, Shift, Organization, and Self-monitoring )4. It improves test scores in English, mathematics and science
Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
4. It can be turned into an after-school activity
Many school districts across the United States and Canada have started enrichment programs that introduce students as young as 5 to a second language. Although these programs are not as long or involved as full bilingual education, it can be the start of the learning progress.5. It prepares children for more future career opportunities
6. It helps train a child’s ear for music
Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
Studies showed that speakers of tonal languages, like Mandarin and Cantonese, were better at identifying musical pitches than speakers of non-tonal languages like English and French.7. Helps connecting kids to their heritage
Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
8. It makes travel more fun, exciting travel adventures and deeper insights into how others see the world
Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
9- It helps prevent age-related cognitive decline
Cons of a Bilingual Education
The truth is that there are only 10 potential disadvantages, and even those are not true in every case:1- Additional effort for the parents
Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
That is probably the biggest issue. Raising a multilingual child is a commitment, and it is a long-term investment in your child! It will require extra effort on your part to provide enough language exposure, extra encouragement, keeping your language use consistent. At some points, you will need to change the language you are using during the daily routine at your home. It can feel a bit awkward at first if you introduce a new language into the family but rest assured that it simply becomes a part of your daily routine after a few weeks. It’s easier to raise a multilingual second child if your first child is raised that way. Your first will end up doing a lot of the work for you by simply being a blabbermouth all the time!2- Speaking Later
While there’s no scientific evidence that proves multilingual begin speaking later. However, many parents estimate that there is a three to six-month delay compared to monolingual children the same age. Even so, six months is a small price to pay for your kid’s ability to speak two or three languages!3- Mixing languages
Bilingual education in Early age l Pros/Cons l Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education l pro and cons of learning a second language l early English education pro and cons
Mixing words are prevalent in children learning more than one language at a time. But this is a temporary phenomenon. At the age of four or five, it has mostly disappeared. Keeping in mind that children who are learning only one language often use the wrong word until they learn the right one. The best remedy is to be consistent when talking to your child and never forget that practice makes perfect!4. Education in a second language can be inconsistent
Some school districts stop their bilingual education in high school. Some school districts don’t even offer a bilingual education as an option.
Because of this inconsistency, some students may lose some of their second language abilities simply because they aren’t using it every day.
5. Bilingual education is not cheap
Many schools are already cutting their creative classes for funding issues. So, the cost of adding bilingual courses is something that many schools don’t have on their planning list. Experts stated that a single-language program is easier and cheaper to operate and can still provide the essential skills that the student may require by adding some art and creative activities to the language classes!6. Bilingual education can shift a student’s focus
If a bilingual education program is divided into a standard 50/50 split during the school day, students who struggle with the new language may find themselves focused on the second language only.
For the schools that provide creative or athletic classes. If the student falls behind on the second language and struggles to keep up with their classwork, their only option is to try to catch up on the second language instead of learning essential life skills.
7. There may be a lack of qualified teachers and assistants
For a bilingual education to be effective, it must be immersive. We need to have teachers and teaching assistants who are fluent in both languages.
With Modern educational requirements, many teachers are struggling to meet the minimum requirements in many subjects. There isn’t time to add another language to the mix.
After we looked at Bilingual education in Early age — Pros/Cons, we need to know what is the appropriate age to consider teaching your children a second language.
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