Minggu, 20 September 2015

Gaining Bilingual; It's a Possibility


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.


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