Chapter six
discusses the many different ways children become bilingual and the difference
between simultaneous and sequential childhood bilingualism. Simultaneous
childhood bilingualism is associated with children learning more than one
language at a time form the time of their birth. It seems that infants are
biologically prepared to learned more than one language at a time. In order for
infants to grasp both languages it is important that they differentiate the two
languages they are learning and that they properly store both languages as
well. Once they have stored both languages children learn to appropriately
match the languages with the appropriate situation or place. This also depends
on their age and their parents and how they switch from language to language.
There are different categories of
simultaneous childhood bilingualism, such as, the more dominant language spoken
to the child. Then there are the different languages spoken in different
settings. Therefore, the child would speak one language at home and a
completely different one at home. Then there are a mixture of when the
languages are being spoken, this is generally when both languages are spoken in
the home and outside. However, to the children who were introduced to a new
language late on do have limitations on their second language.
For
the study activity I actually interviewed the mother of one the students I work
with. I briefly interviewed her and asked her how the learning process was
going. This mother shared her struggle with me and told me she has noticed how
much faster her seven eight year old son is learning English a lot more. This
mother is very motivated and really wants to learn proper English. When I asked
her what her motivation for learning English was in the first place. Her
responses to all of this was “I just want to learn English and make my children
proud and someone my children can look up to and aspire to be on day.
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