Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/whats-all-the-fuss-a-frank-conversation-about-the-needs-of-bilingual-children/5010744/
"I don't want you ponga any mantequilla on my pan."A typical morning before school and the creative three year old invents a new way of asking you not to butter his bread. To some, the phrase is affirmation that children cannot learn two languages, that they mix the rules and words and don't learn either language very well. To the skillful teacher, substituting words is a normal step in extending language. Children will do this in every language, including English. What mother hasn't heard her toddler say, "I want the fuzzy," to describe a stuffed animal for which he has no other word. So what's the fuss about bilingual education, and why do children in the United States need to learn any languages other than English?
Well, the fact is that children already know other languages. This does not mean they don't speak English also; but if English is not the language of the home, then it is likely that they will need support in gaining skill in English, their second language.
"How did we end up with these other languages?" you ask. "Shouldn't immigrants learn English if they want to live here?"
In fact, immigrants do ...