Lesson 3: Bilingual Language Development in Early Childhood

Bilingual development in early childhood refers to the process by which a child acquires and learns proficiency in two languages, typically through exposure and interaction in their formative years, leading to cognitive and linguistic benefits.

Key Concepts

MFLA (Monolingual First Language Acquisition)
ESLA (Early Second Language Acquisition)
BFLA (Bilingual First Language Acquisition)
Bilingual Language Development

Unit 1: From Birth to Word Comprehension – The Social Context

With some exceptions, family in the early years of life turns out to be one of the most relevant social contexts in the child's life, about which you will read more in the last lesson. The timing of development varies from child to child, but they travel through critical transitions that do not depend on mono-, bi- or multi-lingual early childhood contact.

Similarities between MFLA and BFLA

By the first year of age, infants begin to understand the language with which they come in contact, and around the sixth month, they start "babbling", as we saw in lesson one. During the first year, the expression of a few isolated words without any syntax and logic begins. Only towards and in the second year, the production of sequences limited to 2–3 words with a logical principle begins. As the months pass, sentences begin to be syntactically longer and structured. These key passages are the same for each individual. Comprehension always occurs before expression and "babbling" always before first words.

Differences between MFLA and BFLA

Since bilingual children are included in a broad spectrum, ranging from those who speak only one language but also understand a second to those who speak two languages competently, it is difficult to work out consistent differences between monolingual and bilingual language acquisition. There are no texts that demonstrate differences such that bilingual children are thought to be disadvantaged compared to monolingual children; however, some differences in language development have been identified, the most important being related to vocabulary learning. While a monolingual child learns a language linearly, that is, has multiple contacts all in the same language, the BFLA child will learn a language in a sectional way. Assuming that topic X is dealt with only by the mother in Italian and topic Y only by the father in German, while topic Z by both parents in both languages, the result will be the absorption of topic Z in two languages and topic X and Y in one language. Subsequently, the child, unless subjected to a translation activity or a change of circumstances, can express itself well in the language of interaction. Hence, many language insecurities arise, and this is the reason why a BFLA rarely develops equal competence in two languages.

Exercise 1

Discuss the following questions in the whole class or in larger groups:

What languages did you assimilate during your childhood?

Do you understand and speak multiple languages?

How do you feel about expressing yourself in one rather than the other language?

Does your usage depend on the circumstances or surroundings? Why do you think this is the case?

UNIT 2: Words, Combinations and Phrases

First words always have a broader contextual value. For example, "Water" or "hot" may indicate the need for drinking, and "Mom" may mean to call attention to one or more needs. Combinations begin with the passage of months when enough vocabulary has been acquired. These initially lack pronouns, prepositions, articles, and connectives that develop only later. This is true for both BFLA and MFLA children, with the difference that in the former case, a child may prefer to respond to an interaction in the less trained language because the language is more present in their days. This is especially true when there is little presence of a language or e.g., parents frequently correct the child by translating their response into the language deemed more important. It tends to be the case that one of the languages develops further than the other, but the tendency is the binary response: topic and response are in one language. The primary cause of second language dropout is the loss of binary response: The interaction is in one language, but the response is in another. This occurs when vocabulary development in one of the languages is deficient, and the child cannot express themselves as they would like, preferring the language where the child feels safest to express themselves.

Exercise 2

Divide the class into monolinguals and bilinguals. Then, discuss the following questions:

Do you think you have equal or better language skills in German (or your mother tongue) than the other group?

Do you see bilingualism as an advantage or disadvantage for everyday communication?

Do you feel confident in your communication skills?

Final Thought

A last thought should be given to the following question: Can growing up bilingual be harmful to children?

Many teachers and even professionals seem convinced of this. However, there is no research to support this thesis, not even refute it. The researchers answer it by emphasizing that the bilingual case should not be analyzed by comparing it to a monolingual case, but as a case by itself.

continue with the 4th lesson

Sources

Annick De Houwer (2009). Bilingual first language acquisition. Toronto: MM Textbooks.

Annick De Houwer (2009). An Introduction to bilingual development. Toronto: MM Textbooks.

Colin Baker (2014). A parents’ and teachers’ guide to bilingualism. Toronto: MM Textbooks.

William O’Grady (2005). How Children Learn Language. London: Cambridge University Press.