• Published by Aurel Saragih  

Parents, have you ever heard that if children are taught two languages at once (for example English and Indonesian) then children can have speech delays.? Is it actually true? It's definitely wrong, Parents! Speech delay is a condition where children experience delays in aspects of language and communication so they only need stimulation from their environment. Teaching two languages is not one of the contributing factors, you know. Then what are the benefits that can be obtained if we teach children two languages as early as possible and how?

Rich in vocabulary

Teaching two languages to children can't just be from a cellphone and letting children watch YouTube for hours. Parents also need to be involved in everything that their children are exploring either on Youtube or through books. Parents can invite their children to sing in English and then mention the meaning of the words being sung in Indonesian so that their children can immediately get the meaning.

Not only from songs, parents can also use assistance such as flashcards to make children know new vocabulary. For example, when teaching English from fruits, also give the meaning of the word. The involvement of parents will make the child actively learn the existing words and direct the correct use of foreign words when the child is speaking.

Develop communication skills in children

When children learn two languages in the first five years of life, children get the opportunity to develop their communication skills. The grammatical differences in Indonesian and foreign languages make children develop their ability to use the right words according to their equivalents. This makes the child will be much faster in communicating.

Children's communication skills such as the ability to be able to ask questions, arrange sentences to be coherent, and also use appropriate vocabulary will be more developed when taught as early as possible.

Develop critical thinking skills

Language skills affect the child's learning process. When a child has foreign language skills, he will also process foreign language information in a different way from other children. He will also absorb information from other languages more quickly when he is reading, hearing, or maybe seeing new information. Children will also compare the information they have through a foreign language. Of course this is very good for children's critical thinking skills when they have advanced to the next stage of development.

Parents, don't be afraid to teach two language skills to your children. Children have the ability to absorb information very quickly and sometimes it exceeds our expectations.

Reference :

Glusman, M., Pabalan, L., & Weisleder, A. (2021). Pediatrician and parent beliefs and practices about bilingual language development.

Written by Sarah Aurelia, M.Psi of the BehaviorPals Centre

Bilingual in children, bilingual, language development in children

Children 4 Years - 6 Years / 4 Tahun - 6 Tahun / Cognitive Development / Tumbuh Kembang Kognitif / Education / Pendidikan / The Benefits of Teaching Two Languages to Children as Early as Possible

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