Second grader Ekaterina’s math test scores are higher than her classmates’. She easily memorizes facts for her social studies test, shows more creativity in art class, and thinks outside the box when her teacher assigns a difficult logic problem. Is Ekaterina a child prodigy? No, or nyet, as she might say. Ekaterina is enjoying the benefits of speaking two languages.
By the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, bilingualism is simply “the ability to speak two languages”. But when dealing with bilingualism in children, defining the phenomenon may become more difficult. How well should one speak a second language to be considered bilingual? How often must a child use the second language? How early should a child acquire a second language to be considered bilingual?
The many ways in which
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Bilingualism in children broadens their horizons by expanding their accessible social circle as well as encouraging them to think positively of other cultures. Additionally, some experience seems to point to the fact that early bilingualism can enhance a child’s ability to learn other languages as well as improving their overall language skills, both important skills in today’s world (King and Fogle).
Even with all its myriad benefits, there are some drawbacks to bilingualism in children. Grover also states that bilingual children may recognize their differences from their peers, and thus feel closed off and excluded, or even ashamed of their other language. Additionally, communication barriers created by a child’s focus on a second language not spoken at home may alienate them from parents or other relatives. Bilingual activist Sami Grover (Grover) asserts that these factors can discourage children from using either their first or second language or prevent them from learning at