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Bilingualism, the Ivy Experience

At Ivy Academy and Ivy Bilingual, the schools which I co-founded, our classrooms often feel like a microcosm of the United Nations. We have students of 31 nationalities, yet no single country is represented by more than 20 percent of the student population (the largest contingent is from the United States with 19.5 percent). As a result, children start out at our schools speaking all different kinds of languages. So how can we best help these children with different backgrounds end up being proficient in both English and Chinese?

When speaking to parents about bilingualism, we often encounter preconceptions about a bilingual child. For example, several families expressed concerns that their children would be confused by learning multiple languages and would, as a result, encounter speech problems. This is a misconception that may have stemmed from flawed studies concerning immigrant children in the United States who were studying English as a second language and who were under significantly more stress than their monolingual counterparts. There is no credible scientific evidence showing that using two or more languages causes a delay in language acquisition.

Another common preconception is that children should start learning a second language only after they have achieved basic mastery of the first language, known as successive bilingualism.  The development of bilingualism can follow several other paths, such as simultaneous bilingualism where children learn two languages at the same time, and receptive bilingualism, where children understand a language but do not speak it. Therefore, rather than the path that children took to bilingualism, we believe the key factors are the age at which they are exposed to both languages, and the type and extent of the exposure to the languages.

There are many benefits to bilingualism. Research has shown that bilingual children have enhanced cognitive and retention abilities when compared with monolingual children. In society, they have greater self-esteem and possess a deeper level of multiculturalism; they tend to be more tolerant and sensitive when language, culture and race are at issue.  Socio-economically they demonstrate higher educational achievement, have greater employment opportunities as adults, and earn higher incomes.

In Beijing, schools have used several approaches to bilingualism. The most common approach used in bilingual schools is to clearly delineate Chinese and English classes, with the mornings taught in English and afternoons taught in Chinese. A few schools adopt a more draconian approach by allowing students to speak only in the language that is being taught. 

There are several reasons for supporting this approach. The advantage most often cited is that it is more consistent for children in terms of creating a two-language pattern. Also, it forces children to practice their second language. 

While we think consistency is important, we do not recommend this approach for pre-school age children, because children often come to us with no language ability in either English or Chinese (and sometimes both). The “sink or swim” approach often creates an uncomfortable environment for a child and causes negative feeling towards the school and the second language. Young children do not learn well when being forced to do things, in this case speaking a certain language. As every early childhood educator knows, children learn best when they are in a secure, supportive environment.

I believe that the reasons driving the popularity of this approach involve economics and challenges in execution. Foreign teachers are significantly more expensive than Chinese teachers and so  schools try to cut costs by using an English teacher across multiple classrooms. It is also difficult to coordinate activities involving English and Chinese teachers because of language and cultural barriers. So schools avoid these issues completely by separating the two groups of teachers.

At Ivy Bilingual Pre-school, we try to create a natural language learning environment. In every classroom our Chinese and English teachers work with the children all day speaking their respective languages to children. But the children are free to respond in any language. Our children learn languages through authentic (real life) projects, such as bread-baking.  As is typical with Multiple Intelligences based teaching programmes, we allow our children to explore and solve problems using different intelligences. In the bread baking project, students use their language skills by reading and following recipes.  The children would also need to communicate with one another when involved in cooperative tasks such as mixing ingredients, beating eggs, and measuring 15 minutes of baking time. Throughout the process, English and Chinese teachers carefully guide the children in the use of both languages. The children pick up new languages in a natural environment and have fun in the process.

What can parents do at home to help children become accomplished bilinguals?  Several rules of thumb will help. First and foremost, allow your children to hear both languages being spoken, and create regular opportunities for your child to be able to use all the languages that they hear. If you and your spouse speak different languages, you could have your spouse consistently speak one language, while you speak in another. Or, you could choose to all speak a minority language at home, with another language spoken in the community or in school. Whatever you choose, it is important to be consistent in the pattern.

Do not force children into bilingualism if it makes them unhappy. If your child’s bilingualism is really important to you, try to discourage their use of another language by asking them to repeat what they said in the preferred language, or by gently suggesting the appropriate words in the preferred language. Try not to make language an issue or punish the children for not using the preferred language.

Finally, make use of resources such as books by reading to your children in both languages. Audiotapes and CDs are also good tools, with all pre-school teachers knowing that singing is a great way to learn a new language. Videos and DVDs are also effective in providing additional exposure for your children, especially if you or your spouse cannot speak the second language.

Bilingualism has many advantages, but it is always important to remember that every child is different and he or she will develop at their own pace. Don’t worry if your child is not picking up a new language as fast as the next child, and instead focus on the successes in other areas. As with most learning processes, it is a long term commitment and not a race.