STI: More exposure helps children learn languages

Oct 18, 2004
More exposure helps children learn languages

CHILDREN born in societies where many languages are used, such as Singapore, are at a distinct advantage as it allows them to acquire more than one language easily.

You should not worry your child will get confused by the many languages he hears around him. Given the right family support, most children do pick up languages faster when they are younger.

Children who grow up bilingual also understand better the concept of what a word is - that it is just a way to represent meaning.

So a child who learns both English and Malay will realise quickly the words bunga and 'flower' mean the same thing.

These youngsters will also realise the similarities and differences between languages.

In a case study, a 3 1/2-year-old child who grew up speaking English and Mandarin was asked by her Cantonese-speaking grandmother if she wanted to have lunch.

She tried to use the few Cantonese words she knew but was stuck after a while. So she replied to her grandmother in Mandarin, probably recognising that as it was a closer alternative to the dialect than English, her grandmother would understand it.

While it is good to expose children to many languages, chances are they will not be equally proficient in all. How well they speak and understand the languages they know will depend on several factors, including frequency of usage.

A good way to expose them to various languages is for each parent or family member to use one, as your family does.

The following activities can help your child practise using different languages:

Describe daily routines such as bath time. Initially, children hear lots of unrelated sounds but as the activity becomes more familiar and predictable, they begin to learn words such as shower and soap, and the objects or actions these refer to.

Name things together. A simple way is to look at picture books over and over together and ask your child to repeat the names of objects after you.

Vary your child's experiences by visiting different places - the bird park, shopping centres, Botanic Gardens and others. Every new experience provides opportunities to learn new words and different ways to express oneself.

Look at, listen and respond to your child. Besides bonding with him, you also provide him with a role model from whom he can learn to produce speech sounds.

Play games with your child. For example, when he is two or three years old, he may pretend to go shopping, visit a doctor or behave like a storybook character. This will let him practise expressing what he thinks and engage someone else in communication.

Read to your child and talk about the stories. He will pick up phrases, sentences and words, and how to use them. This is important to improve vocabulary and grammar, among other things.

Talk to your child at mealtimes. This will require him to use language in different ways, such as to recount events that happened at school. He will learn how to make information explicit so it can be understood by others.

Use different languages often, and well. If you want your child to learn English well, ensure you and other family members use the correct grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary.

Finally, give your child plenty of opportunities to hear family members conversing with others in a variety of languages in his early years.

Besides acquiring new languages, your child will also learn to appreciate the cultural diversity that surrounds him.

Dr Christine Goh and Dr Peter Gu are assistant professors of English language at the National Institute of Education. Dr Goh is a specialist in linguistics and language. Her interest is how language is acquired and developed, especially in the areas of listening and speaking competence.Dr Gu is a specialist in language learning strategies, particularly in learning vocabulary.