Do Bilingual Books Confuse Children’s Language? Is It True?
Casal dels Infants – Some parents are concerned about giving their children bilingual books, fearing that it might confuse them in choosing which language to use. However, dr. Mesty Ariotedjo, Sp.A, MPH, CEO & Founder of Tentang Anak, refutes this notion. According to her, introducing children to multiple languages is actually highly beneficial, especially during the golden period of language development.
According to dr. Mesty, the golden period for language development occurs during the first three years of a child’s life. At this stage, a child’s brain has an extraordinary ability to absorb various types of information, including languages. Therefore, it is essential for parents to take advantage of this period to introduce multiple languages to their children.
“Continue Reading: Spanking Children Can Harm Their Psychological Health”
Parents can introduce children to languages other than their mother tongue, such as English, Mandarin, or Japanese, in various ways, one of which is by providing bilingual reading books. Dr. Mesty explains that when children start babbling, it is a sign that their language development is progressing well. In such conditions, bilingual books can be an effective tool to introduce more vocabulary and phrases in both languages.
However, dr. Mesty also emphasizes that the introduction of languages should align with a child’s developmental progress. If a child shows signs of delayed language development, such as not babbling by six months of age, parents are advised to focus on teaching one language first. This is important to ensure that the child has a solid foundation before being introduced to additional languages.
In conclusion, providing bilingual books to children is not something that will cause confusion in choosing a language. On the contrary, when introduced at the right time and in accordance with a child’s development, bilingual books can support better language development. Parents just need to pay attention to their child’s developmental stage and teach languages according to their needs.
“Read More: Why Did Thailand Legalize Gambling and Casinos?”
