Raising bilingual kids ... how important is it?
Apart from sparking a sudden interest in atlases and countries starting with 'A', the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest is likely to inspire a few Australians to dust off their high school French or German dictionaries. Or at least romanticise about raising bilingual children.
But is teaching your child another language as easy as Europeans make it out to be? And more importantly, is it even worth the trouble now that English is so prevalent around the world?
According to parents like stay-at-home mum Winter, who prefers not to reveal her last name, learning languages is her family's main priority. Like many Europeans, the 43-year-old Swiss was surrounded by bilingual peers, and herself speaks English, conversational French and some Afrikaans.
“Being in Europe, you realise how important it is learning other languages. You also see how easily people can pick them up, and how much of a disadvantage it is if you only speak English,” she says.
Now with two boys of her own, aged 6 and 4, Winter remains a big believer in bilingualism. So much so, her boys have French language tutoring and are currently learning Chinese at Mandarin Stars, a bilingual playgroup.
“It's a long-term commitment,” she says. “You do need to make a decision and keep going with it.”
While it' s a challenge that Winter doesn't speak Mandarin herself, she hopes the classes will help her boys in terms of their career and cultural awareness.
“English is spoken in most places and you can get by, but you miss out on so much,” she says. “Even if you can say 'Hello' or 'How are you?' the amount of goodwill that it generates can break down a barrier.”
Although English is the dominant language in Australia, the 2006 Census reports that over 200 languages are spoken in Australian homes. Italian was the most commonly spoken, followed by Greek, Cantonese, Arabic and Mandarin. Understandably, schools are becoming more multicultural, with one Sydney high school having 69 languages represented amongst 1600 students.
And it seems the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is taking notice. Earlier this year, ACARA released a draft report outlining a revised language education curriculum. The Draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Languages conceptualised the framework that languages should be taught in Australian schools, taking into account native and non-native speakers, the importance of Indigenous languages, as well the appropriate hours of study needed. The final Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Languages is said to be released in July.
For Kathe Kirby, Executive Director of the Asia Education Foundation (AEF) at Melbourne University, the ACARA report is a step in the right direction.
“The chance to speak more than one language provides a real competitive edge for young people in their career choices,” she says. “Particularly in the 21st century where we are seeing unprecedented globalisation, mobility of people, economies and jobs, opportunities and markets.
Based on a recent AEF report, the number of non-native high students enrolled in an Asian language has declined since 2000. Across the nation, fewer than five per cent of Year 12 students are currently studying an Asian language.
With Australia's economy tied to neighbouring countries like China, Japan and South Korea, Kirby says Australians will be disadvantaged if they don't take language education more seriously. Working together with other countries to resolve global issues like climate change, refugees and security, she says, will also be more effective if future generations spoke languages other than English.
“The process of learning a second language develops your own sense of understanding of others,” she adds. “You understand that difference is normal, and that people have a range of cultural traditions; there's not one right way of doing something.”
But considering a recent factsheet by NSW Community Services on family fatigue, adding second language classes to a child's overwhelming schedule of extra-curricular activities may not be viable for some parents.
“You can't go wrong with it [language classes], unless it's putting too much burden on the family,” says Winter. “Lots of parents are working part-time or full-time, so how can they fit it in? You really have to assess your own situation.”
Though her boys look forward to Mandarin playgroup classes, Winter believes that not everyone has an interest or an aptitude for languages.
“You do have to consider what your children's flair is. Not everybody is a linguist, they may be fabulous at swimming or gymnastics,” she says. “If they're not enjoying it, I don't think there's any point in pursuing it.”
There have also been concerns that learning multiple languages may confuse a child, be too cognitively burdensome at that age, or even slow down their fluency in either languages. But Heather Winskel, a Senior Psychology Lecturer at Southern Cross University remains unconvinced.
“For some children, I suppose if they have several languages coming in at once, it can get slightly confusing and delay language a little bit. But they tend to catch up,” says Winskel. “It's not a completely clear picture, but it's generally considered advantageous to be bilingual.”
Studies have shown that being bilingual can boost cognitive abilities such as attentional and problem-solving skills, and even postpone the effects of dementia. Last year, researchers from York University in Canada found that symptoms of dementia were delayed by four years in lifelong bilinguals when compared to monolinguals.
“It's not a cure against dementia, but it does seem to be that it [bilingualism] does equip us with some protection against cognitive decline associated with ageing,” says Winskel.
And as studies have shown, when it comes to learning a language fluently, the younger the better. But before parents start enrolling their toddlers into language classes, says Dawna Leung, Director of Mandarin Stars, they need to have a plan.
“Children before the age of five have an amazing capacity to learn several languages,” she says. “But language learning is all about purpose.”
Work out what bilingualism means to your family, says Leung. If it's a priority, decide on the language you want your child to learn. Once you've found the right language school or private tutor, commit to your decision; but not at the expense of your child's wellbeing, especially if they're already doing several extra-curricular activities.
As a mother of two herself, Leung started Mandarin Stars when she struggled to find English-Mandarin playgroups for her boys. Her language immersion programs have been so engaging, children from non-Chinese backgrounds actually outnumber native speakers. With China's growing economy, she observes that parents are increasingly interested in Mandarin classes for their kids.
“Australia is such a multicultural melting pot,” she says. “If you look at our cultural identity, where we're positioned, who our biggest trading partners are, the state of our economy, the source of migration and the source of our tourism, we need to wake up to [the importance of] learning a second language.
“I'm not asking that my children become bilingual business associates in the future.” she laughs. “But for them it's about opening doors and opportunities.”
