Why Dont You Ask Your Teacher? Diane Price, ACU Community Languages ConferenceJuly 2004 1 Why Dont You Ask Your Teacher?

Why Don’t You Ask Your Teacher?Diane Price, ACU

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Community Languages Conference July 2004

Why Don’t You Ask Your Why Don’t You Ask Your Teacher?Teacher?


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Q1.Q1. Why learn two languages?Why learn two languages?

•A national resource

•Desirable educational attainment

•Provides more adept creative thinking

•Child’s cultural heritage

•Greater divergent thinking

•Better ability to form concepts


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Q2.Q2. Learn two languages at the same Learn two languages at the same time, time, or start learning one later?or start learning one later?

•A language acquired naturally will be superior to those learnt formally

•Pronunciation in particular will be better

•No evidence that a child will learn faster if one language is introduced before the other


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Q3.Q3. If two languages are learnt If two languages are learnt together, together, will they be learnt will they be learnt equally well, and at equally well, and at the same the same rate?rate?

•One will dominate

•Dominance may shift at an early age

•e.g. beginning school


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Q4.Q4. Learning language at school or at home ?Learning language at school or at home ?

•Language acquired naturally will be superior

•Provides a solid foundation to continue with formal language study later

•Consolidation and development at a later stage


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Q5.Q5. Learning two languages means Learning two languages means he/she he/she won’t know either very well?won’t know either very well?

•Initially vocabulary may be more limited (2 labels for everything)

•Meaning in one language, word in another

•Does not mean they know fewer concepts

•Overall will know more words than a monolingual


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Q6.Q6. One parent speaks English only, One parent speaks English only, other other bilingual?bilingual?

•Negotiated with the family

•Second language in absence of monolingual parent

•Running summary in translation often occurs naturally


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Q7.Q7. Learning two languages means Learning two languages means pronunciation will suffer in both or pronunciation will suffer in both or either?either?

•No significant difference

•Some children will reach mastery earlier than others

•Parents should be patient, not critical


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Q8.Q8. Mixing the two languages or Mixing the two languages or refusing to refusing to use one?use one?

•Quite common

•Persist with bilingual program

•Child will acquire passive knowledge, leading to active knowledge later

•Don’t discourage questions about vocab or grammar


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Q9. Speaks first language at home but Q9. Speaks first language at home but makes many mistakes?makes many mistakes?

•Don’t discourage child from using the language

•Spontaneous use of the language is more important

•Grammatical accuracy will follow later


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Q10. Stuttering caused by trouble Q10. Stuttering caused by trouble with with learning the two learning the two languages?languages?

•No evidence of this

•Disfluency can be caused by anxiety

•Read to child


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Q11. Drop native language, use English Q11. Drop native language, use English only?only?

•Not a good idea

•Plenty of opportunities to speak English outside home

•Parents ability in native language may be superior

•Parents using their native language can improve a child’s esteem for his/her parents


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Q12. A child will have a better Q12. A child will have a better memory if memory if only learning one only learning one language?language?

•No evidence

•Memory is not impaired by bilingualism


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Q13. Each parent dominant in a Q13. Each parent dominant in a different different language, should we language, should we speak to our speak to our child in both child in both languages?languages?

•Better for each parent to use their own language

•Many variables involved

•Requires least conscious effort by child

•Naturally speaks two languages


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Q14. Stages children go through in first Q14. Stages children go through in first few few years when becoming bilingual? years when becoming bilingual?

•Stage 1 - single or few words–Can produce some words in one

language but not in the other

•Stage 2 - greater discrimination but some interchange, aware of two codes

•Stage 3 - differentiation of vocabulary and grammar

–Transition from stage 2 to 3 can be difficult


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Q15. If a child is spoken to in two Q15. If a child is spoken to in two languages languages from birth, will they from birth, will they speak later?speak later?

•No significant difference•Bilingual children may speak a little

earlier that monolinguals


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Q16. Do monolingual children make Q16. Do monolingual children make fun of fun of bilingual children? bilingual children?

•Teasing peers is common, this may in fact be jealousy

•Explain to child they have something others don’t have

•Can you speak only ONE language?


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Q17. Teach child to read and write in the Q17. Teach child to read and write in the language if not taught at school?language if not taught at school?

• R and W are essential parts of the language, keeps language alive

• Access to literature and knowledge of the culture

• Some researchers suggest a child becomes literate in home language before entering school

• Others suggest bilingual children can learn R and W in both languages at the same time

• Less confusion than speaking in two languages


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Q18. Materials for helping my child Q18. Materials for helping my child become become bilingual? bilingual?

•Books

•Cassettes, videos

•Games

•Family activities, excursions etc

Documents

Why Dont You Ask Your Teacher? Diane Price, ACU Community Languages ConferenceJuly 2004 1 Why Dont You Ask Your Teacher?