Questions
oneWhat if my child is falling behind from other peers, meaning what if my child is developing later than it is shown in the major stages?
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two
What kind of resources can I get to assist my child’s language acquisition?
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ThreeWould it be a good idea to speak bilingually within our household?
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answers
one
There is absolutely no need to be anxious about this. Every child develops in a different pace. Some may be faster than others and some may be slower. Many parents do think that slow development initiates a problem. We understand that concern, too. However, the time period shown in the ‘Major Stages’ page is just an average statistical value. The true important factor in your child’s language acquisition will be the amount of time and effort you put in for your child. It is not the speed of development. There is no need to race for this. It’s not a competition. Seize and enjoy the time of your child’s step by step progression day by day.
two
There are numerous resources for you and your child to access to! You could go to the library and get books of various genres and levels of literacy or you could just buy them online. If your child enjoys visual sources, you could also get films and videos from online, relatives or close friends. Listening to tapes and the radio is another effective way to develop in the phonological aspect. You can also have a look at the 'Useful Sources' page. It has some information about books and mobile apps you can easily purchase for! This page will be updated more in the future.
three
Many families informed that the two parents originate from a different background and therefore their native languages differ. Thus, the minor conflict was that they both wished their child or children to acquire both languages of their natives. This is not a selfish greed the parents are having. It is rather a significant aspect they should consider about for their children’s lifestyle and education. One solution to this is having a distinctive audience while speaking a certain language. An example would be the one-parent-one-language approach. However, this may cause a separation within a family’s conversation or even confusion to the child. So another solution will be having a distinctive audience, as well as a distinguishing period of time. Let’s say that a child is born from a family of a Korean mother and a German father, and is living in Australia. The method will be to allow the child to speak only in Korean to their mother and only in German to the father. If the family members are all together, they should speak the language that they can all use together. And he/she will be speaking English at school and with his/her friends. There is a possibility that such technique will be overwhelming for the child. Hence, it will be the best to choose the most suitable method and for the parents to put much effort to help their children.