A lot of people in the world are bilingual. People in Africa and Asia often speak their
community language and additionally an official language like English or French. It is
not a big surprise when calling in mind that according to Prof. Dr. Martin Haspelmath
of the Max-Planck-Institut für evolutionäre Anthropologie, Leipzig there are about
6500-7000 languages in the world and according to www.welt-in-zahlen.de 193
countries. That makes an average of 35 languages per country.
Despite the fact that bilingualism is widespread, there are a lot of negative
opinions in the mind of people. People say for example “Your kid is going to get all
these languages mixed up.”, “when will she (or he) use that (language)” (both cf.
Bosemark, 2006b, my italics) or that bilingual children are overstrained and that they
start later to talk than their monolingual peers (cf. Leist-Villis, 2008).
Within this research-paper I will deal with bilingualism in childhood. More
precisely I will answer the research question “What are the reasons for parents to
raise their child bilingually”. First I will define the term bilingualism. For that I quote a
few definitions of bilingualism from experts and afterwards I will define the one I will
work with. Afterwards I will introduce some successful methods applied by parents
and I will point out the advantages and disadvantages of the methods I found in
literature. I will continue explaining the research I have done on the topic followed by
the analysis of my data. Concluding I will answer the research question and give a
prospective view on possible future research.
Bilingualism is a huge topic and to look on it more deeply I decided to consider
families who raised their children English-German or German-English. To get in
contact with families bringing up their children in that way, I wrote articles in internet
communities and designed a questionnaire that I sent to several families raising their
child/ren bilingually who answered my requests. In addition to the internet and my
questionnaire I considered books that deal with the topic.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. What is bilingualism
1.1. Definition of bilingualism
1.2. Types of bilingualism
1.2.1. Simultaneous bilingualism
1.2.2. Successive bilingualism
2. Raising a bilingual child
2.1. Methods
2.1.1. One Person One Language (OPOL)
2.1.2. Minority Language at Home (ML@H)
2.1.3. Artificial bilingualism
2.2. Advantages and Disadvantages
2.2.1. Mixing and code-switching
2.2.2. Language delay
2.2.3. Interference
2.2.4. Semilingualism
3. Explanation of research
3.1. Data collection
3.2. The questionnaire
4. Analysis
4.1. Analysis of questionnaires
4.2. Reasons for parents
Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This research paper explores the motivations of parents behind the decision to raise their children bilingually, specifically focusing on German-English language combinations. It examines common pedagogical methods, potential challenges associated with bilingual upbringing, and analyzes empirical data gathered from families to identify the primary drivers for this educational choice.
- Definitions and theoretical frameworks of childhood bilingualism
- Methodological approaches such as OPOL and Minority Language at Home
- Common linguistic phenomena: code-switching, mixing, and interference
- Empirical analysis of parental motivations and decision-making processes
- Benefits and long-term advantages perceived by parents
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.1. One-Person-One-Language (OPOL)
Maurice Grammont, a French linguist, introduced the term une personne; une langue 1902 in his book Observations sur le langage des enfants. The idea behind his term is “that by strictly separating the two languages from the beginning the child would subsequently learn both languages easily without too much confusion or mixing of languages.” (Barron-Hauwaert 2004, 1). OPOL is usually applied by parents who have two different native languages. They start talking consistently to their child in their native language from the child’s birth. “The speaker establishes contact with the appropriate listener before (the child’s) beginning to speak” (Cunningham-Andersson, Andersson 1999, 31, my italics). The child will then be able to connect one language with one parent (e.g. English with the father and German with the mother). This will later help the child to distinguish the two vocabulary and grammar systems it is acquiring.
The advantage of a constant reference person can become challenging for the parent. When, for example, the mother is speaking the minority language with the child she has to do it in all circumstances when the child is with her. For example in the supermarket or when friends are visiting her. Talking in a foreign language to a child in public can be accompanied with shame by the mother or disrespect by people in the community. The person speaking the minority language to the child has to be aware of such occurrences and has to build a high sense of self-assurence.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides an overview of the prevalence of bilingualism and defines the research scope regarding the motivations of parents.
1. What is bilingualism: Explores theoretical definitions and differentiates between societal and individual bilingualism.
2. Raising a bilingual child: Discusses various methods, advantages, and potential challenges like code-switching or language delay.
3. Explanation of research: Outlines the data collection process and the structure of the questionnaire used for the study.
4. Analysis: Presents the evaluation of the gathered data and explores the specific reasons parents cite for choosing a bilingual upbringing.
Conclusion: Summarizes the findings and suggests potential areas for further long-term research on the topic.
Keywords
Bilingualism, Childhood, OPOL, Minority Language at Home, Language Acquisition, Code-switching, Semilingualism, Parental Motivation, Language Delay, English-German, Questionnaire, Linguistic Configuration, Simultaneous Bilingualism, Successive Bilingualism, Interference
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The paper examines why parents decide to raise their children bilingually, focusing on the motivations and methods used within German-English speaking families.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The study covers theoretical definitions of bilingualism, established educational strategies, common linguistic challenges in children, and an analysis of parental motivations.
What is the primary research question?
The central question is: "What are the reasons for parents to raise their child bilingually?"
What scientific methodology was applied?
The author conducted a qualitative research project by designing and distributing a 16-question survey to bilingual families, followed by an empirical analysis of the collected data.
What topics are discussed in the main section?
The main section details definitions, types of bilingualism, specific methods like OPOL, as well as advantages and potential disadvantages such as interference and semilingualism.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is best defined by terms such as childhood bilingualism, OPOL, linguistic interference, and parental motivation.
What is the "One-Person-One-Language" (OPOL) approach?
It is a method where each parent consistently speaks their own native language to the child from birth to help the child distinguish between the two language systems.
Why might parents choose to raise their child bilingually despite the extra effort?
Parents often seek to provide cognitive advantages, better future career opportunities, cultural connection, or the ability to communicate with international family members.
What did the author find regarding language delay?
The research concludes that there is no scientific evidence suggesting that learning two or more languages causes delays or disorders in language acquisition.
What is "Semilingualism" as discussed in the paper?
It refers to a scenario where a child struggles to master either language effectively, though the author notes that this concept is widely contested in modern research.
- Quote paper
- Andrea Sander (Author), 2009, Bilingualism in Childhood, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/124518
