Why Your Child Should Be Learning a Second Language

Many Singaporean children are fortunate enough to be exposed to a second or even third language from childhood, but just how can parents ensure that their child is well supported to develop comprehensive language skills in a second language? Planning, providing resources, and adopting a positive attitude are all effective ways to encourage your child to be bilingual.

The benefits of being bilingual for children

There are obvious benefits to being bilingual. As well as being able to converse with people from different cultures (which can be a huge advantage in a multicultural country such as Singapore), children adopt a richer life perspective by being able to engage with other cultures.

However, research shows that there are less obvious benefits to being bilingual. Rather than being slower in learning to speak than monolingual children, bilingual children can enjoy a number of advantages. Bilingualism can have a positive impact on brain function by supporting the way we think, make decisions, perceive things, and focus. Being bilingual is associated with higher cognitive performance on tests, better focus and the increased ability to maintain attention. It’s also linked to improved resistance to distraction, enhanced decision making and judgement, and greater responsiveness to feedback.

Bilingualism could support overall language development in children by helping them learn new words more easily, use information in new ways, and listen and connect more effectively.

Being bilingual can boost your executive function, which helps with memory and problem solving. It can also delay the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips for supporting your child in bilingualism

While Singapore has a bilingual education policy and your child is probably already exposed to more than one language every day, you as a parent can take action in supporting your child’s bilingualism.

Recognise your child can be bilingual

It’s useful to start by realising that children can thrive in developing bilingual skills. In fact, in a multilingual country such as Singapore, it’s more the norm than exception to grow up with two or more languages. It’s common for Singaporean children to be simultaneously bilingual, where they learn two languages at the same time, from the day they’re born. It’s also common for children in Singapore to become bilingual through sequential or successful bilingualism. This is where the child learns one established language before he or she learns a second, and perhaps when they start pre-school.

Plan and talk about it

It’s a good idea to plan which languages your child will learn, and discuss how his or her language development will take place. With a plan, your child is much more likely to achieve the language-learning goals you have.

Things to plan for include languages to be spoken by parents, carers, and other family members, pre-school languages, and other methods or environments in which your child can develop these language skills.

Decide whether to separate languages

Some experts suggest it’s not confusing for children to hear more than one language from a parent, so don’t be worried that your bilingual child will be confused. These experts say that bilingual children start separating their languages from the age of two or even from the very beginning, entirely of their own accord. Even children with parents who mix languages in the same sentence will learn early on to differentiate their languages at home.

Other experts, however, suggest that languages should be separated so that your child can start learning the two different languages and working out the boundaries as early as possible.

Whichever method you choose, it’s important that you remain consistent to ensure your child doesn’t become confused about what to expect.

Be consistent and balanced

Try to be as consistent as possible when it comes to language exposure. For example, mixing languages in the same conversation could prove to be more challenging for younger children. Balancing exposure to both languages is also important. If your child has limited opportunity to speak their second language, focus on that language at home.

Lead by example

If you as the parent are bilingual, leading by example can help your child develop a more positive attitude towards bilingualism and learning a new language. Take every opportunity to speak in your second language, and involve your child in your interactions with others in that language.

Have fun

Communicate the idea that learning a new language is a fun and rewarding experience, rather than taking a disciplinarian approach. Rather than rushing your child into a strict program, give them time to develop confidence and learn at their own pace. Celebrate their achievements and give positive feedback.

Choose the right language program

If your child is attending a language program, check that the program offers clear milestones that identify achievement stages. This can assist you and your child with tracking progress and understanding when you’ve reached certain levels, so that you understand how far your child has come. This will make it easier to plan pathways to support their further development in the language.

Tools, experiences, and games

Make use of a variety of resources to support your child in their second language development. Computer games, books, toys, TV shows, movies, and multimedia resources are all great ways to encourage your child to learn an additional language. Experiences are also wonderful options for sparking interest in their second language: take them to a musical, show, exhibition, or even an overseas trip to expose them to the second language.

Setting your child up for a culturally rich life

Being bilingual can provide brain-development benefits, specifically better executive function. Bilingualism can also eventually give your child more career opportunities, while allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of other cultures. As a parent, you can support your child in bilingualism not only by providing resources, but also by demonstrating your own knowledge of another language, and taking a positive attitude towards bilingualism.

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