Practical advice on language development for bilingual children! Part 1 of a Q&A session with a Seoul National University doctor!

hello!

Today, to celebrate the new year, we have prepared a Q&A session with Professor Hyeji Park, who currently holds a doctorate from Seoul National University , on various methods of raising bilingual children based on early childhood education and child studies .

As you raise your child, you may have questions or concerns. I'd like to share some insights based on my own experiences. If you have any additional questions, please leave a comment ! 😊

Teacher Park Hye-ji's child is currently 5 years old, and they moved to the United States when he was about 2 years old.

1) At home which Languages and who uses it Do you use it ?  

My family uses both Korean and English. In Korea, we primarily spoke Korean, but after moving to the United States (when my child was two years old), we started using Korean as our primary language, mixing in a little English. 

For example , show an apple and say “ apple apple I naturally exposed my child to English words like, “ Do you want an apple ?” or “Hey, 00 , do you want an apple ?” Then, as my child became more familiar with English, I started speaking short sentences in both Korean and English . For example, “ Do you want an apple? ” you want an Like “apple ? ” 

I, as the primary caregiver, primarily used this approach , while my husband communicated exclusively in Korean with our child. Since he spent relatively little time with the child , he wanted to maintain a purely Korean-language environment for the time he spent with them. This division of labor helped the child naturally acquire both languages.

2) To your children each Language Since when Did you introduce yourself ?  

My child was born in Korea, and since Korean was his primary language during his early years, I initially exposed him only to Korean. I believed communication with him was paramount, so I deliberately avoided introducing him to or listening to English during that time. I didn't even play English nursery rhymes. 

Then, when my child was two years old, we moved to the United States due to my husband's work. At the time, the only English words he knew were " Hi" and " Bye . " After arriving in the U.S., he was already able to communicate to some extent in Korean, so from that point on, I slowly began exposing him to English. 

In particular, my son was fully exposed to English when he started attending daycare around 27 months of age . Initially, I was concerned because there weren't any Korean-speaking daycares in the neighborhood, but ultimately , it provided him with the opportunity to learn English in a natural environment. By introducing both languages ​​sequentially, my son had ample time to become familiar with each language. 

3) Children's each language ability how Would you like to rate it ?  

korean  

I believe my child's Korean language skills are comparable to those of other Korean children his age. During my summer vacation in Korea, my child attended a Korean kindergarten, and the teachers said he had no difficulty communicating and quickly became friends with his peers. Living in the US, I'd thought he was slow because he didn't have much opportunity to communicate in Korean, but I'm relieved to see that both languages ​​are developing so well.  

english  

English skills also seem to be similar to or slightly better than children of the same age at school. Since my child entered school early, there are some friends who are as much as a year older, but there is parent-child counseling . At the conference , I received positive feedback from my teacher that I was adapting well to school life and actively participating in class in English. I also heard that I had no trouble communicating with teachers and classmates, and that I even occasionally served as an interpreter for my Korean classmates whose English was not very good.

4) Single Language Using With children Compared at the time Children's language In development which The difference Did you find it ?  

As a bilingual child, I noticed some differences in pronunciation and grammar.  

korean  

When I go to Korea, I tend to roll my pronunciation a little compared to my Korean friends of the same age. For example, I often pronounce " teacher" as " Sean Shang-nim ." I also often see code-switching , where I mix in English when I can't think of a Korean word . Sometimes, I use grammatically awkward expressions. For example, I once said, " I hate dreaming of having three hands" instead of "I hate dreaming of having only three fingers . " I think this is a common trait among children learning two languages ​​simultaneously.  

english  

When it comes to English pronunciation, my child sometimes feels a little younger than his American peers. I think that's partly due to the fact that he started school a little earlier than his peers. Just like in Korean, he occasionally uses awkward expressions, but he doesn't have much difficulty communicating in English . For example, while my child speaks English confidently, there are times when I see areas where his grammar needs polishing.  

Overall difference  

Overall, while a bilingual environment where two languages ​​are used simultaneously can have a subtle impact on a child's pronunciation and grammar, it doesn't significantly impair their communication skills. In fact, seeing them converse across two languages ​​has given me a greater sense of positive aspects, such as developing flexibility and adaptability between languages.  

5) Children's language In development about which concrete Concerns Do you have it ?  

 My biggest concern is that my child might forget Korean. Even though he lives in the United States, I believe that Koreans should be able to read, write, and speak Korean with other Koreans.  

But realistically, it's not easy for my child to receive systematic Korean language education appropriate for his age. He currently attends a Korean language school, uses Korean at home, and teaches it myself, but I worry about how long this approach will last. As my child gets older and needs more time for academics, sports, and other activities, I worry that Korean language learning will be pushed down the priority list.  

So, right now, I'm focusing on keeping my child interested in Korean books as much as possible . Reading goes beyond language skills and can be a crucial gateway to learning about culture and identity. Going forward, I'm constantly thinking about how to maintain an environment where my child can naturally and enjoyably access Korean.  

6) Children language development At the stage Delay experienced The enemy Is there any ? If so which Was it in language ?  

At first The child In English A little bit language Delay Going through There is I thought about it , but in the end yes did not . The child english expression The ability is peers average It was a level , and English reception The ability is Real 1.4 years ahead of age went out The level is Evaluation I received it . Especially Bilingual Using different With children When compared , rather very distinguished It's convenient positive Feedback too There was .  

This experience Through Each child language Development of Speed ​​and The method It can be different Point Again Realize It's done . Especially bilingual In the environment single Language Using With children directly Rather than comparing , the child overhead Growth and environment adaptation ability Centered around Take a look That is more important Point I learned .  

this The point of view is Simply we Child's Case study Beyond , bilingual In education A wider range of Understanding Helping It also helps a lot It was done I think so .  

7) House and School / Daycare In the environment Children's language Use how Is it different ?  

I don't know the details of my child's school life, but it seems like English is the primary language spoken there. There are a lot of Korean children in the class, and there are also two or three who aren't fluent in English, so I think the kids occasionally converse in Korean. However, I've heard that the teacher is good at balancing these situations and encouraging the use of English.

We make it a rule to only speak Korean at home. However, lately, I've been seeing my child try to speak English more often, and depending on the situation, I'll respond in English or explain tasks in English. Still, I think it's safe to say that we use Korean more than 90% of the time at home.  

8) Children Language Mixed That Did you find it ? If so how much Often , some In the situation But ?

In general, there is a clear pattern of using Korean when at home or with other Koreans, and English when outside the home or with English-speaking people.  

However, there are times when I see my child mixing languages ​​in certain situations. I think this is one of those times. Lately, I've noticed my child occasionally mixing English into his descriptions of specific activities he wants to do or stories about school events.  

In these situations, I tend to accept what my child says in English verbatim, but then repeat the same message back in Korean, acting like a simultaneous interpreter. I want to help my child learn the expression in Korean without feeling embarrassed about what they've said in English. This not only helps my child naturally connect the two languages, but I also believe it allows me to anticipate the positive learning benefits of a bilingual environment.  

9) Children one In language Expressing place Difficulty To experience at the time how Are you coping ?  

I always approach things in a similar way. If my child struggles to express themselves in Korean and instead speaks English, I respond in English first, then repeat the same message in Korean, like a simultaneous interpreter. Conversely, if my child struggles to express themselves in English, I help them understand in Korean first, then repeat the message back in English.  

Additionally, if a child struggles with language expression, I try to naturally supplement it by using reading. For example, if a child struggles with Korean, I read a lot of Korean books to them. If they struggle with English, I read two Korean books and one English book to them. This way, I can provide balanced exposure to both languages ​​while helping them learn without feeling overwhelmed.  

I believe the most important thing is to create an environment where children can naturally learn both languages, without forcing them. This way, you'll gradually see your child gain confidence and become more adept at expressing things they previously struggled with.  

10) Children's bilingual In development about Expert's Advice Received The enemy Is there any ? If so which Was that advice ?  

While I haven't received specific expert advice on bilingual development, I did have my child evaluated for speech therapy. At the time, my three-year-old child was assessed as having a high receptive language level, equivalent to a four-year and three-month-old, while his expressive language (pragmatic language) was average. Based on these results, we decided not to pursue additional speech therapy.  

The reason I sought a speech therapy evaluation was because my child struggled to express himself well, and he began exhibiting stressful behaviors due to being ignored by his peers. After consulting with the daycare director, I was recommended a speech therapy evaluation, and we proceeded with the evaluation.  

The evaluation results were more positive than expected, and the speech therapist advised , "You should read a lot of books . " From then on, I read to him diligently, regardless of whether it was Korean or English. Fortunately, my child also enjoyed reading, so this method worked well.  

Additionally, when watching videos, I used a method where I showed the same video in English one day and Korean the next. I believe this daily effort played a significant role in helping my child naturally become accustomed to both languages ​​in a bilingual environment.  

You shared a really helpful story about the various challenges children can face in a bilingual environment and how we can support their language development in these situations.

The teacher's in-depth Q&A session will be divided into two parts , so please look forward to the next one! 😊