Sucianik, Student of English Education Department
State Islamic University of Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau
A.
Introduction
Talking about bilingualism or multilingualism, it is totally
related to the process of gaining more knowledge
by the learners or gaining more sophisticated technology in order to increase
the quality all of the sides of sustainable development of Indonesia nowadays.
Yet, this paper focuses on psycholinguistic side. The scope of this topic is
about the process of acquiring languages by the children.
It is not a rare thing to be a bilingual or even multilingual.
It can be almost heard many people talking in languages other than Bahasa
Indonesia everywhere, informal occasions, schools, and many other places. Many
of very young children speak English in their daily communication with their
parents and teachers.
Many schools implement bilingual program that means using
English and Bahasa Indonesia as their classroom languages. What becomes the
issue today is the anxiety of mother tongue loss. On the other hand, although
many linguists worry about the decreasingly improvement of mother language, it
is also attempted to be covered that bilingualism should develop in order to
regenerate a better young children in Indonesia.
B.
Discussion
Ability of
speaking the language has given a part of guarantee of survival, and it might
be said as an initial requirement to enter that global life, because there are
still many qualifications needed by persons to be able to take a part there.
The sense of being different in a positive way – that the speaking – English
person has the key to global communication already — has motivated more people
who are still left behind to catch up with it. Many of them strive to master
English by doing courses, many parents send their children to bilingual school
– or even to school where English is totally the media of instruction.
Talking about
language learning process to be bilingual, it is related to several factors. It
can be mother tongue, environment, and neuroticism. Similarly, Andres (2002) stated that the importance of affective factors has been of interest in the field of language
learning because of their high effects on learning a foreign or a second
language (p. 2).
On the other
side, other people consider early exposure of English to very young children
will result in language confusion that will disturb the first language
acquisition, and even ruin the mother tongue. Although it would not be
sufficient generalizing all children to have troubles with their first language
when starting to acquire the second language, it is an interesting fact that
the anxiety of a mother who had an experience sending her 3-year-old daughter
to a pre-schooling institution using English has the media of instruction
–described below- has become the concern of many Indonesian parents, even
educators.
A mother of two
children had been worried because her 3-year-old daughter produced unstructured
Indonesian phrases. She mentioned that her child spoke ‘bola biru’ as ‘biru
bola,’ the phrase that is translated in English as ‘blue ball.’ The Indonesian
language convention has ruled that the phrase should be ‘bola biru’ (adjective
following the noun), and not vice versa. Not only that, the child is mentioned
to have mixed the English words in the Indonesian sentences when speaking.
Considering the
phenomenon as a threat to her mother tongue, the mother moved the child to a
fully Indonesian speaking school. It is believed that the first language must
be acquired completely before a child learns a new language (foreign language).
How easy or how
difficult is it to learn a second language (or foreign language)? What is going
on inside the brain when somebody picks up new language words and system then
processes them to acquire it? Is the prevalent belief that a child will be
confused by learning more than one language at once true? Some people, or some
children, are able to use English to an extent that they use it with the
correct language convention: pronunciation and structure. Some others speak
English fast, but miss many language rules, and some words are even
mispronounced. However, the listeners understand them well. Both kinds of
English speaker may be said to be bilingual, depending on the principles
of bilingualism applied. However, both kinds of speakers know when to
alter between languages and show adequate intelligibility.
Children who
start picking up new language words then acquire the language since aged under
3 would have more precise English pronunciation as it is spoken by native
English-speaking people.
However, it
does not guarantee that these children produce correct English as they speak or
write. However, it happens to their first language as well, where children do
not always produce correct Bahasa Indonesia when speaking or writing. So, is
the grammatical mistake intolerable when speaking mother tongue for bilingual
children? Is the language development of their Bahasa Indonesia distracted?
A research by
Paradis et al. (2003) as it is mentioned in Chin and Wigglesworth (2007) has
shown that there is no difference between the severity of language impairment
in bilingual as compared to monolingual children with Specific Language
Impairment. Up to now, there is no evidence to suggest that bilingualism is
negatively associated with language impairment. What many people in Indonesia
often ask is whether children will get confused learning two languages. The
fact is, children who acquire the second language simultaneously (since aged
under 3) and those who acquire it successively (learning the second language
after they acquire the first language, which is after they are 3) – terminology
and definition by McLaughlin, 1978 are able to differentiate between the two
language systems and rules and will be able to alter between the language when
needed. The ability to switch between languages shows the state of
bilingualism.
Most parents
are concerned that speaking to their child in different languages will make
them confuse and result in a delay in language development. With current
studies this is found to be a myth. Studies have found that bilingualism does
not cause a language delay in children.
In fact
exposing it to many languages are beneficial for their learning in the later
years with current research saying children will benefit with increased
creativity, be able to communicate with more people, better at solving complex
problems and advantages in thinking skills.
Gone are the
days in which educators may say that bilingualism can cause language delays in
children. If so it will be minimal and insignificant in the grand scheme of
things of being able to speak several languages which can be beneficial in this
modern world.
As Montessori
has observed the critical period for language is from 7 months in utero until 6
years of age. One should talk to their children as they can absorb languages
much more easily and learn a 2nd or 3rd language as a child rather than as an
adult. It is a unique gift you can give to them. Teaching a child a new
language can never start too early, as in different stages it develops from
learning the pronunciation to learning proper grammar.
Raising
children to be a bilingual one has to have a plan or a goal as to what degree
of bilingualism to learn and of course consistency is needed. It is not easy
especially if the language at home will be different from the language of the
community to speak a different language which both is ideal to be learned by
the child.
If both parents
speak the same language at home and different as that of the community - keep
speaking the home language to child. Keep this consistent and do no fear that
the child will not learn the community language. When the child gets exposed to
the community or school the community language will be learned just as quickly.
A child that is exposed to a new language completely can learn it quickly and
even try to speak it within a short period of time. Unlike adults learning a
new language, children will have more courage trying out a new language with no
fear of mispronunciations.
Speaking to children
in native language starting from birth will help with keeping to the
consistency of speaking to them in a new language. It can be awkward and
difficult if the child has to learn 3 different languages- the mother’s the
fathers and the community’s. This can remain consistent with each parent
speaking only their native language to the child only. Try not to mix it up so
as to avoid confusion of vocabulary and grammar usage for the child. It will
also avoid the child using both languages as one and can affect their language
fluency. Even if the other parent is around speak in your native language to
the child. It is rude to speak in a language in which the other cannot
understand but for this case it is needed for consistency. A brief translation
can be provided after if need be or it can also be a way for the partner to
learn a bit of another language.
If the parent
speaks 2 languages it should be decided as well if you want the child to learn
that language. If it is not your native language but decide the child to learn
another language that might speak as well, try to set aside a time or several
days in which that language is spoken to them to keep consistent and avoid
confusion of languages.
As the child
gets older and more sociable, children may avoid speaking the home language as
it is seen not being part of the community or to fit in with their peers. The
attitude and importance given to the language can affect the development of the
language development. This is considered normal and again just kept on speaking
to them in your own language even if they do not seem interested. This phase is
expected and will pass with proper management. Try not to give up though it may
seem hopeless at times. They will later appreciate these lessons you have
imparted on them.
C.
Conclusion
1. The
ability of speaking English in communication gives the speaker a sense of
pride. When it comes to children, it gives the parents sense of pride as well.
As the minority language or foreign language, English has been highly
considered to be used, because of the global challenges today. People who do
not speak English will not survive in the global communication; thus, they will
not survive in the global life.
2. Raising
children to be a bilingual one has to have a plan or a goal as to what degree
of bilingualism to learn and of course consistency is needed. It is not easy
especially if the language at home will be different from the language of the
community to speak a different language which both is ideal to be learned by
the child.
3. The
key to teaching children to be bilingual is to remember to try not to mix the
languages and be consistent at all times.
References
Andres,
Veronica de. (2002).
“The Influence of Affective Variables on EFL/ESL Learning and Teaching”, The Journal of the Imagination in Language
Learning and Teaching. Vol. VII
H. Douglas
Brown. (2000). Principles of Language
Learning and Teaching, Addison Wesley Longman, Inc, San
Fransisco.
Nigel, Warburton. 2006. The Basics of Essay Writing. New York:
Routledge
Taylor and Francis Group.
Wind H. Cowles. (2011).
Psycholinguistic 101. New York: Springer
Publishing Company. New York.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar