After many requests, we are back for Part 2 of "Myth-busting: Bilingualism in Children." Here, we will debunk an additional four myths about raising bilingual children. If you missed our original article, you can find it here.
Without further ado, let's get myth-busting!
Myth #5 Only native speakers can teach children a second language
Fact: You do not need to be a native speaker of a language in order to teach your child that language. What is important is that you are comfortable speaking the language and fluent enough in order to provide a rich, natural language model.
Myth #6 Children should not be exposed to more than two languages
Fact: Children are more than capable of becoming multilingual. There is no reason to stop at two languages; as long as the child receives sufficient exposure and meaningful interaction in each language.
A real-world example of this would be an English-Arabic-speaking father and an English-Spanish-speaking mother living in the United States, where the parents implement the "One Parent, One Language" method. In this example, the child would get Arabic language exposure through the father, Spanish exposure through the mother, and English exposure in the community. For more methods that bilingual or multilingual parents can use, check out our article "Methods for Bilingual Parents to Encourage Bilingualism in the Home."
Myth #7 Bilingual school programs are only for English Language Learners (ELLs)
Fact: Bilingual school programs are not just for students learning English. Bilingual school programs are not rare and exist in many countries featuring many different languages. Look for immersion or two-way/dual-language programs. For more information on choosing a bilingual school program, check out our article "Choosing a Bilingual School Program."
Important! Not all programs in the US are created equally - not all programs have the goal of creating well-balanced bilinguals. The intent of transitional programs is to shift the language of instruction from the minority language to English-only. The language outcome goal for transitional programs is monolingualism.
Myth #8 My child can learn to speak a second language by watching TV in that language
Fact: There is no evidence that children can learn a language by watching TV alone. Children learn a language through active methods, where the child socializes, interacts, and speaks with a real person; however, bilingual media can be used supplementally to active strategies to increase exposure to the target language.
Books are our favorite media type because an active component can be seamlessly added. Read with children, not to them!
For videos, keep in mind the guidelines set by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry regarding screen use for different ages. For more information, check out our article "Bilingual Media."
We hope you enjoyed Part 2 of our myth-busting series!
