Learning multiple languages

We often hear that children are like sponges and can easily learn any language when they are young. This is true, provided they are exposed to it often in a variety of contexts and are motivated to learn another language.

Language development in children exposed to two or more languages

The period preschool is conducive to language learning due to the adaptability of the toddler brain . In addition, At a young age, children more easily distinguish the sounds of different languages ​​in their environment. This allows them to speak a language without an accent.

Some parents, however, fear that learning more than one language will cause a language disorder in their child. This is not the case. Recent studies show that learning two or more languages ​​does not cause language disorders or worsen language difficulties. in children who have them.

Thus, a child frequently exposed to two or more languages ​​since birth should say his first words around 1 year old and make word combinations (e.g., “dropped ball”) between 18 and 24 months. Similarly, a 5-year-old child who is fluently exposed to two or more languages ​​will have language development similar to children who speak only one language.

Particularities of learning more than one language

It is quite common for a child who speaks two or more languages ​​to have not the same forces in each of them. For example, he may produce better-constructed sentences in one language and use a more precise and richer vocabulary in the other language. Similarly, he may know the vocabulary of emotions in the language used at home and that of animals in the language used at daycare.

The important thing is to consider all sentences and words produced in both languages. This is how we can assess whether a bilingual child's language development is normal, not by assessing their language skills in just one language.

Moreover, the language best mastered at a given time can vary and change over time and depend on the context in which the child uses it as well as on the people to whom he is speaking. Thus, he can use and better master one language rather than another during a certain period of his life (e.g.: home language at 4 years old) and become better in the second language during another period (e.g.: in the ^2nd year of primary school).

It finally happens that the child mixes the two languages ​​in a sentence when he does not know the word he is looking for in the other language. This is a normal phenomenon that is also observed in bilingual adults. There is therefore no need to worry about it.

Newcomers and learning French

The most important thing to promote a child's language development is to talk to them every day. For immigrant parents, it is preferable that they address their child in their mother tongue. This means they'll likely be more likely to talk to their toddler. Also, the better the child masters the language most commonly spoken at home, the easier it will be for them to learn another language.

If he attends a French-speaking daycare, The toddler will quickly realize that teachers and other children do not understand him when he speaks in his mother tongue. So it is possible, at first, that he speaks very little or not at all for a short period.

He will begin by understanding words, then sentences, that he hears. To make himself understood, he will use gestures, then words. Little by little, he will be able to make short sentences, even if they are sometimes poorly constructed.

In general, a child is able to have a conversation like a child of their age after 1 to 3 years of regular exposure and diversified to a new language. We observe the same thing when a child enters school without speaking French.

Moreover, when a child learns to speak French at school, it is quite normal that he:

• mixes French and his mother tongue when he speaks;
• refuses to use his mother tongue at home because French is associated with his news friendships and allows him not to appear different from others;
• become less proficient in their mother tongue if it is not stimulated at home. They may therefore, for a certain time, have poor language skills in their mother tongue and in French;
• make several grammatical mistakes.

Factors that influence learning more than one language

Several factors influence the learning of different languages ​​and the choice of language spoken by the child: age, time of exposure to languages, the status of these languages ​​in the adopted country, etc. However, regardless of the context and environment in which the child grows up, it is It is important that parents demonstrate a sense of pride and adopt a positive attitude. towards the use of these languages. Thus, the child will be more interested in learning them.

On the other hand, we must also remember that bilingual children remain children first and foremost, with their own personality , their needs and preferences, and that they can choose one language rather than another, despite the wishes expressed by those close to them.

How to help a child learn a new language?

For a child to be able to express himself fluently in two or more languages, he must hear them often and have the opportunity to speak them. In some communities, such learning occurs naturally if the languages ​​in question are spoken equally, and if the child is in contact with different people in his family or entourage who speak them.

He is It is better for parents not to mix languages ​​in the same sentence. when speaking to their child, as this may hinder learning of the minority language. However, language mixing does not harm overall language development.

When one of the two parents speaks a minority language

If one parent speaks French and the other, a minority language , it is It is important to increase the number of opportunities where the child is exposed to the minority language. Adopting a positive attitude towards this language is necessary to promote its learning, because the toddler understands very early on that one of their languages ​​is not widely used outside their home. Since they are naturally more exposed to the majority language, the child develops less ability to express themselves in the minority language. This may lead them to understand the latter, but not to be able to speak it.

He is possible for a child to learn to read and write in French as well as in another language. To help your child learn, it's important to explain the differences between the two languages. For example, for a child learning to read and write in French and Arabic, you can point out that the direction of writing differs depending on the language. In French, we read from left to right, while in Arabic, we read from right to left.

When both parents speak French

When French is the mother tongue of both parents, fostering bilingualism requires some planning and effort. They must then agree on strategies to encourage their child to learn another language. For example, the week is spent in French and the weekend in English.

Sometimes children do not respond in the expected language because they do not have the words or phrases needed to express themselves. When this happens, it is important to offer the model of the expected sentence to the child. Next time, he will then have the words or phrases necessary to express himself in that language.

Tips to encourage bilingualism in your child

• Speak to your child in your native language. Use this when you play with him too. You're a better role model for him when you use the language you're most fluent in. Remember, it's much better to speak to him in your native language than to speak very little.
• Develop a social network where both languages ​​are used. Attending social gatherings, community events, and other activities that bring together people who speak each language allows your child to practice both languages ​​and understand that both are useful and valued.

• Make sure your child acquires a solid foundation in the minority language early on by registering them, if possible, in a daycare service where it is the only language used or the main language.
• Make a list of services offered in the minority language (eg: health professionals such as doctors or dentists, libraries , movie theaters, community centers), and prioritize them. Doing so will likely require long-term planning, and perhaps traveling longer distances, but your efforts will benefit your child.
• Expose your child to books, movies, music, and TV or radio channels in both languages. These activities will strengthen their language skills and appreciation for both cultures. Since it is often difficult to find books in several minority languages, don't hesitate to choose books without text (or in another language) and tell the story in your native language.
• Visit family members who speak the minority language or welcome them into your home. Stays abroad or visits from extended family members also encourage learning this language.

When to worry?

If you feel that your child is exhibiting a language delay compared to children of his age in the language to which he has been most exposed since birth, consult a speech therapist.

If your child is learning a new language at daycare, make an appointment with a speech therapist. if he expresses himself very little or not at all after several months of exposure or if he seems unable to communicate properly with those around him after 2 years of exposure to this language.

However, it is not It is not necessary to speak to your child in only one language if he or she has a language delay. Research shows that speaking to him in two languages ​​should not aggravate his difficulties.

To remember

• Learning two or more languages ​​does not cause language difficulties or worsen them.
• To assess a bilingual child's language development, one must consider their skills in both languages, not just one.
• It is important for immigrant parents to speak to their children in their mother tongue, as this will make them more likely to speak to them.

Photos: iStock.com and GettyImages/Pollyana Ventura