Importance of Multilingualism in Early Childhood Development
The journey of getting to know what your kid wants without them saying a word to watching them speak a language is one of the most blissful feelings any parent can experience. Kids learn to communicate through their mother tongue language from a very early age, which is closely tied to their cognitive and social development.
In today’s rapidly growing globalized world, knowing the importance of multilingualism is very beneficial. There are numerous benefits to being exposed to different languages from an early age. Let’s get going and explore the importance of multilingualism in the early years and how it can positively impact a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Mother Tongue language, or the first language a kid speaks, is the one the kid learns from their parents or primary caregivers from birth. One of the importance of mother tongue speech is communicating and expressing oneself using the most familiar words. It is easier to share their thoughts and emotions in their mother tongue language. Teaching your kids different languages is equally essential to catalyze their development.
If you are a parent to a toddler and wondering about the importance of multilingualism, you are at the right place. Let’s explore multilingualism’s importance to kids.
Cognitive Development
Multiple studies have shown that learning multiple languages early can improve cognitive abilities, including memory, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. Kids who learn a different language other than their mother tongue language tend to have greater flexibility in their thinking and are good at multitasking. That’s not it. They also have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading and writing skills in both languages.
Cultural Awareness
While kids learn multiple languages, they get exposure to different cultures and ways of thinking – which broadens their perspective. Often we focus a lot on speaking and learning English as a language. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most accepted languages worldwide and understanding English opens up a lot of doors to great opportunities. But, we should also not forget the importance of mother tongue speech. The importance of mother tongue speech keeps us grounded and in touch with our roots.
Social and Emotional Development
Multilingual kids also show better and more confident social communication, adding to their emotional development. They can communicate with a broader range of people and those from different cultural backgrounds and will be more open to new thoughts. This will lead to greater empathy and understanding, which will help kids to develop strong relationship bonds with others. It will help them create bonds and open up new avenues of things while ground up.
Improved Career Opportunities
In today’s rapidly growing economy, multilingualism is important to kids as it gives them a competitive edge. It will work as an advantage for them in the job market. Globalization plays a vital role in the rapidly growing economy and employers are increasingly searching for individuals who can speak multiple languages. Being fluent in various languages can open a range of career opportunities.
The importance of multilingualism is greater today than ever. After getting to know the multiple benefits of it, the question which comes to our mind is how to raise a multilingual child. Here are some tips to help get you started:
Start Early:
Introducing your kids to multiple languages as early as possible is always better. Also, it is essential to tell them the importance of multilingualism – so that they push themselves out of the comfort of their mother tongue speech. It will be easier for your kids to learn and become fluent in those languages. As soon as your kids start to understand what you are saying in their mother tongue, language is a checkpoint for you. Start introducing them to different languages as they have already begun to understand a language.
Be Consistent:
Consistency is the tip you’ll find in almost all the How-to-learn blogs. It’s vital when learning a language too. You will have to continuously speak each language at home and provide regular exposure to each language, maybe using books, music, YouTube video, or any other media. Try to talk to your little one in as many possible languages.
Create a Language-Rich Environment:
Help your child by providing a language-rich environment wherein they consume different language books, music, and other interactive materials. Multilingualism’s importance in kids is not just a one-day concept; you need to work every day in the best possible ways to make your child multilingual. Many apps will help you and your child to take a grip on a particular language through games and quizzes. Try them out with your child and engage him in different activities where they can play and learn foreign languages.
Play Games:
To make learning different languages fun, the most interactive way is to play games with your kids. Playing games is the most fun activity every kid loves, and as a parent, you can take it to advantage by helping them choose games that will help them gain skills in a new language. This can make language learning fun and engaging for your child.
In conclusion, there is much importance of multilingualism, and exposing children to multiple languages from an early age can positively impact their cognitive, social, and emotional development. While teaching your kid or helping them pick a new language, you will also gain much knowledge of different languages. You can also find good teachers to help your kids gain fluency in a particular language. It will not only help in their social and emotional development but also help them land an excellent job once they are of age. They will have the edge over others and stand out from the crowd in the globalized world. As a parent, you should be aware of the importance of multilingualism in kids and start as early as possible.
At Eurokids we understand the importance of early childhood education, introduction to multiple languages, inclusion and diversity. We teach them to respect the mother tongue’s speech and yet understand the importance of multilingualism. We provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to learn and grow with good behaviour maintaining discipline at school and home.
Contact us today or visit the nearest Eurokids centre to learn more about our preschool admissions and how we can support your child’s growth and development.
