Bilingualism: Learning language with immersion
Learning languages while playing: to be immersed in a language at an early age.
Bilingualism is a term defining the natural method of learning languages which proves to be very effective throughout the world. Today nobody questions the ability of languages to open doors to a bigger world. The more languages we know, the broader our outlook on life is. Early-childhood is the most appropriate period for learning foreign languages in a playful way. Small children learn the second language as easy as the first one. In addition, the early learning of languages enhances the overall emotional and cognitive development of a child. Children who are brought up or educated in a bilingual environment are more conscious of a language as a phenomenon. They demonstrate a more flexible way of thinking and are able to put themselves in the shoes of those who may not know the language as well. People who speak several languages have brighter career prospects and greater opportunities in today’s world. Only books, films and communicating in a foreign language provide a better understanding of other cultures – how can it be otherwise?
Therefore the time spent at our kindergarten is particularly suitable for learning a new language without the usual classes that the parents of the children at our school had to take back when they were at school. A new language is learnt through immersion in a language that surrounds them all day long. The new language offered at a bilingual nursery is a working language people constantly communicate in. Our kindergarten applies the one person/one language (OPOL) approach where one teacher speaks only Lithuanian while another communicates only in German or English. Currently, Saulės gojus offers three bilingual groups: two groups communicate only in Lithuanian and English, while the third group speaks only Lithuanian and German.
The teacher speaking a language that is new for the child enhances the meaning of every expressed thought or word through gestures or signs. The new language becomes comprehensible through specific situations, and a child learns his/her new language (either the first or the second one) in a natural way. Thus immersion is a much more child-friendly way of language teaching than any other method, as it encourages the child to learn without feeling any psychological pressure. This method does not demand more from the child than he or she is able. Not surprisingly, this method is considered to be the most successful language teaching method.
Often parents voice a fear that children cannot learn their native language properly because learning a second language places too much strain on them. These fears are groundless, especially when the language learnt at a nursery is further studied at school. There is no need for a child to master one language before embarking upon another. Since children transpose their understanding of a language to their native language subconsciously, they often surpass their peers in their native language skills. These children demonstrate a more rapid mental development, which is reflected in higher grades in mathematics.
The structure of Lithuanian is different from most European languages. Therefore learning Lithuanian as a foreign language will make children use their native language in a more meaningful way. Even though children from English speaking families may not use Lithuanian in the future, the knowledge of it will definitely have a major impact on the development of their cognitive abilities.
Every child can learn languages
Learning by immersion does not require extraordinary talents. This method of learning can be used for every child, as every person possesses inherent language learning abilities. Here, it is the creating the chance for children to spend a considerable amount of time in a new language speaking environment which plays the most important role. Exposure to that language should be multifaceted and long-term. Moreover, communicating with people who speak other languages reduces the fear of differences and promotes open-mindedness.
At home
Parents do not have to know a new language or learn it at home. However, it is pivotal that they display a positive attitude towards immersion. Transferring a child taught under this method to a regular monolingual kindergarten will cause no difficulties for the child. Without further exposure to the new language, the knowledge and skills of it will wane over time. However, the time spent on learning a new language is not in vain, as the dormant language might be reactivated by renewing exposure to it. A child speaking two languages tends to be more creative and possesses more intellectual capacity of learning even more languages.
An internationally recognised method
Language immersion has been applied in different countries around the world for many years. It has been very popular in Scandinavia, Canada, Australia, Singapore and, lately, in Spain, France and Germany. In Lithuania, only Saulės gojus encourages bilingualism by following this method strictly.