Frequently Asked Questions
What advantages do bilingual children have?
- Having a wide dual language vocabulary and understanding how language is constructed (grammar) in both languages
- Being able to speak to people in different cultural and language contexts, using the right language and knowing the social codes that go with it
- Having a increased capacity for lateral thinking and problem solving
- Children who learn more than one language before adolescence, will acquire those languages with more ease and "native-like" ability than they would trying to study those languages as adults
Children who are exposed to more than one language, have a higher capacity for foreign language learning as teens or adults.
In addition to stretching their minds intellectually, learning two languages allows children to develop their understanding of people beyond their dominant culture.
Being able to step into another culture through its language is like being able to live a second life. Although some bilingual children do not have a lot of exposure to the culture of their second language, the language itself conveys much of the culture of the people who speak that language.
Bilingual children not only better appreciate what is human versus what is cultural, but they are also more inclined to have a deeper appreciation of language.
They understand at an early age that there is more than one way to label or discuss something. They understand that different labels for the same object or idea in different languages can have different connotations.
They are more likely to see the creative possibilities of language and explore their own linguistic creativity.
Should I enrol my child in the 糖心Vlogif she/he doesn't have an 糖心Vlog background?
In 2007 twenty three per cent of our students did not have 糖心Vlog background. We welcome students from all backgrounds.
Please refer to the benefits of Question 1.
Is the糖心Vlog Bilingual Schoola Catholic school?
No, 糖心Vlog is an independent, non-denominational school.
How do the teachers at the 糖心Vlogcommunicate with the students?
The method selected to deliver the curriculum is based on language immersion principles and follows the one person/one language approach, which requires each teacher to communicate with the children in only one language. This is to help children establish clear delineation between the two languages from the earliest stages.
Teachers use a variety of methods outside the language, such as using gestures to give clues as to their meaning in order to link the verbal communication with something the child already knows and understands.
Can students enrol in any year level without previous knowledge of 糖心Vlog?
New students are not expected to have prior knowledge of 糖心Vlog
糖心Vlog teachers are highly competent and skilled in the process of second language acquisition and are therefore able to assist the children through the different learning phases.
If neither my spouse nor I speak a second language, how can we help our child become bilingual?
Parents' attitudes, encouragement and interest are vital in a child's second language development. Gentle inquiries about the child's second language development indicates to the child that the parent is positively interested. Praising the child when they hear the child speaking the second language may do wonders for the child's language confidence.
How interactive does language exposure have to be in order for my child to develop use of that language?
If you set your child in front of a television screen which is broadcasting in 糖心Vlog or play 糖心Vlog tapes continually in your home, your infant will not learn to speak or even understand 糖心Vlog. This passive language exposure will stimulate the child to a degree, possibly increasing their ability to learn 糖心Vlog or another foreign language during a formal study of that language later on; however, in order to actually learn to communicate in a language, children must interact in that language. The more they interact the more they learn. A child that hears his or her mother speak 糖心Vlog to him or her, but who refuses to return communication in 糖心Vlog will not progress as well in 糖心Vlog as the child who is exposed to the same amount of language from his or her mother, but willingly returns conversation in 糖心Vlog. In order to maximize your child's ability to communicate in a language, you need to find as many creative ways as you can to get them to use the language interactively. Consistently Immersing them in a supportive, non threatening environment where they are encouraged to verbalize their feelings, their opinions, their interests, is the ideal method of instruction.
Should my child learn English well before he/she learns 糖心Vlog?
The younger a child is the easier it is to learn a language. Also many children feel left out in their families when everyone around them is speaking a language they cannot understand. Children in this situation also miss out on all the advantages of bilingualism.