| WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF | | | | disadvantages. |
| BILINGUALISM ? | | | | Your child might be starting to speak 3 - 6 |
| "Giving your child an extra language is a gift for | | | | months later |
| life! "Well is it? What exactly is the gift you are | | | | You can expect your bilingual child to begin |
| giving your child? Which life advantages will your | | | | speaking about 3-6 months later than his/her |
| child benefit from and are they worth your effort | | | | monolingual peers. Monolingual children are |
| ? Build your own opinion by browsing through the | | | | expected to say their first 8-10 words around the |
| facts of advantages and disadvantages below. I | | | | age of 18 months and their first 2 word |
| will start by sharing with you the most important | | | | sentences around the age of 2 years. So you do |
| advantages based on latest research findings as | | | | the math. If your child doesn't start speaking |
| well as experience of hundreds of parents and | | | | even after the extra 3-6 months, it is time to |
| their bilingual children. | | | | consult a specialist and potentially check your |
| Exposure to Another Culture: | | | | child's hearing. Many children's delayed speech |
| Learning another language has been shown to | | | | development is a result of hearing problems |
| enhance cultural understanding. Being able to speak | | | | caused by infections, damaging noise levels or |
| to people from different countries and cultures | | | | trauma - even if the hearing screening showed no |
| exposes the child to different ways of thinking, | | | | defects at birth (see the appendix for a checklist |
| different attitudes, habits and views. It also opens | | | | on language development milestones). |
| new doors. As a result, children learn early on that | | | | Your child might mix languages temporarily |
| there is more than one way to everything. | | | | It is normal for bi-/multilingual children to mix up |
| Builds bridges to new relationships: | | | | languages until about the age of 4. If children are |
| Communication is a core part of human | | | | lacking the right word in language A, they will |
| relationships and while young children certainly find | | | | borrow it from language B to communicate their |
| and use many forms of non-verbal | | | | message. There is nothing to worry and no action |
| communication to interact and play with each | | | | to take until that age. However, as parents we |
| other, language is a key enabler to new | | | | need to stay completely consistent and avoid |
| friendships. Speaking the language of those around | | | | creating sentences that start in one and end in |
| you is the bridge to connecting with them. | | | | another language. We act as role model to our |
| Potential Economic Advantages / Career: | | | | children. If parents mix languages, children will do |
| Many professions today require the command of | | | | so too, and far beyond the age of 4. |
| a second or third language and those who master | | | | Your child will face an added academic load: |
| them, are certainly at an advantage over those | | | | reading/writing |
| who don't. | | | | If you want your children to not only speak |
| More flexible and divergent thinking: | | | | another language but read and write in it, too, you |
| Many studies have been carried out to determine | | | | will have to provide extra tuition beyond the |
| the impact of bilingual up-bringing on thinking | | | | regular school day. Only few schools provide this |
| capabilities and the interesting result is that bilingual | | | | as part of the normal curriculum. Of course, you |
| children think more flexibly. One of the | | | | can decide to teach your child yourself. Whichever |
| explanations is that these children learn early on | | | | way you choose, for a minimum of 9-12 months |
| that there is more than one word to every | | | | your child will have to study for an extra 1-2 |
| concept, staying open for possibility. | | | | hours per week to acquire the additional skills to |
| Self-identity as a language or culture bridge: | | | | read and write in a second language. |
| Bilingual children not only act as a language or | | | | It will require additional effort from YOU, the |
| culture bridge, they also become very aware of | | | | parents |
| their special gift. This consciousness transfers into | | | | Raising your child with a second (third etc.) |
| their self-image and forms part of their | | | | language is a gift as well as a commitment on |
| self-identity, part of how they see themselves | | | | your part. Different to a pottery or art class |
| and how they define who they are. | | | | where you can participate for a couple of months, |
| Increased self-esteem & self-confidence: | | | | the decision to raise bilingual children is a |
| Knowing more than one language helps your child | | | | commitment for a few years. It requires that you |
| to adapt easily to different language environments | | | | consistently work on providing language |
| thereby increasing his/her self-esteem and self | | | | opportunities for your children spending time, |
| confidence. | | | | money, creativity and consistently organise and |
| Of course there are many more advantages. | | | | re-organise your children's language exposure. |
| Parents report that their children are learning a | | | | The last point is really the biggest and most |
| third and fourth languages more easily, particularly | | | | important fact to be aware of. Committing to |
| when the new language shares a similar alphabet | | | | raising your children with more than one language |
| or language structure. Research has also shown | | | | will cost extra effort from you and sometimes, it |
| that bilinguals develop superior writing and reading | | | | can feel like quite a burden. |
| skills. | | | | Deciding against bilingualism, however, is always a |
| Looking across the whole list, there is no single | | | | shame, particularly when it means for one parent, |
| most important advantage. Different people will | | | | that their children will lose the connection to one |
| judge them differently. However, the combination | | | | parent's heritage and culture. One of my |
| of them all points to THE most important | | | | workshop participants was almost in tears about |
| advantage overall: becoming bilingual involves the | | | | her daughter not speaking her language "I felt as |
| whole child, not just his/her language: | | | | if she wasn't really my daughter, as if she wasn't |
| Becoming bilingual defines the identity of a child, | | | | "mine". |
| his sense of security and status, his/her | | | | Knowing that thousands of parents before you |
| self-esteem and self-image and it boosts a child's | | | | have gone the same way, will, no doubt, make |
| self-confidence. | | | | you join in their final judgment: |
| ARE THERE DISADVANTAGES ?his article | | | | "The benefits are well worth the effort !" |
| wouldn't be complete if I did not point out the | | | | If you have come to the same conclusion have a |
| few potential trade-offs you are about to make | | | | look at more information in the e-book "Make |
| as you embark on your family's journey into bi- | | | | Your Child Multilingual! - The 10 Step Success Plan |
| multilingualism. But as you will see, these are | | | | for Raising Bilingual/Multilingual Children" from the |
| rather minor compared to the list of advantages - | | | | Multilingual Network. |
| some people wouldn't even call them | | | | |