* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LINGUIST List logo Eastern Michigan University Wayne State University *
* People & Organizations * Jobs * Calls & Conferences * Publications * Language Resources * Text & Computer Tools * Teaching & Learning * Mailing Lists * Search *
* *
 

Ask-A-Linguist - Message details
Subject: Age of bilingualism
Question:
If a child is in school following a French Immersion program that has started in kindergarten, will that child be bilingual after grade 8? This would mean that the only exposure that the child has in the second language would be during school. The child does not function or hear the second language outside of school. Would the child be able to become bilingual after 9 years of French Immersion at school?

Thank you

Reply:
If you WANT your child to be truly bilingual, why limit yourself to what is offered in
school? Get a French-speaking babysitter or au pair, if you can afford it; look into
exchange programs where the [older] child goes to a French-speaking country for
the summer, get a French channel on your cable TV, rent French movies, subscribe
to a French magazine, download French podcasts, get French books out of the
library. Use your imagination.

Reply From: Susan Fischer    click here to access email
Date: Oct-27-2009
Other Replies:
  1. Re: Age of bilingualism Robert A Papen    (Oct-27-2009)
Back to Most Recent Questions
Page Updated: 29-Nov-2009

Please report any bad links or misclassified data

LINGUIST Homepage | Read LINGUIST | Contact us

NSF Logo

While the LINGUIST List makes every effort to ensure the linguistic relevance of sites listed
on its pages, it cannot vouch for their contents.