| |
Unique Home Furniture, Home Decorating and Home Decoration Store
Bilingual Children: A number of challenging questions arise in this highly complex area which transcend the purely linguistic issues: the growth of polycul-turalism, the interface between linguistic inheritance and affiliation, and the dilemma of whether to change the experience or the expectations for bilingual children. I recall the words of a bilingual child in an inner London school discussing her family profile: 'Just because I can speak two languages, Miss, it doesn't mean I'm two children ... I'm just me.'
The term 'bilingualism' is not easily defined, since it refers to a continuum of linguistic ability, ranging from the receptive bilingual who understands a second language without necessarily being able to speak or write it, to the rare ambilingual child who operates in two languages on a daily basis as fluently as native speakers of either language. Individual children make progress in the acquisition of a second language in different ways and at differing speeds. The process is not necessarily linear, but may be described as a series of phases such as beginner, developing, intermediate and fluent according to the degree of fluency and the level of involvement. How are bilingual children best supported?
In Britain, discussion of bilingualism tends to focus on children from the West Indies, Africa and the Indian subcontinent, yet all bilingual pupils have specific needs which are distinct from those of the indigenous population. According to The Primary Language Record (ILEA 1988), these children reflect the normality of the multilingual experience outside Britain.
Multilingualism is a highly complex field, especially if speech and writing systems are considered separately. Children whose families originate from the Indian subcontinent are aware of close links between language, community and religion.
In a guide for parents, teachers and young people interested in bilingual education, Alladina (1995) shares his experience as a multilingual child:
|
|
|
 |
Child-Education-Usa.com |
|
 |
 |
|
Menu |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
