By Himani Nischal
What is Bilingual education?
Bilingual education refers to teaching the same subject in two languages or it can also mean teaching different languages as subjects.
Why is bilingual education so important?
In a diverse country like India, all of us speak so many different languages yet what unites us is our ability to understand each other. In India most of the people are bilingual and many of us are even multilingual. This ability to speak different languages also helps children develop their cognitive skills.
It is important to expose children to different languages at a young age so that they can become comfortable with languages as they grow older.
Some of the Top Gurgaon schools integrate languages curriculum. This makes children comfortable with learning different languages from a v young age.
How is bilingual education superior?
It is believed that children who are bilingual have a better chance of succeeding in life. These children also have an easier time learning in school and in making friends. Bilingualism is seen as a valuable asset for the future.
Bilingual education is important for students to be able to have access to a wider world. Learning a second language can help students integrate better with the environment and also develop a greater understanding of their own culture.
Here are a few more benefits of bilingual education in life skills :
- Boost confidence: When children are able to switch from one language to another with ease, it boosts their confidence and enhances pride.
- Strong sense of identity: Learning our own language gives us a strong sense of identity and belonging.
- More tolerant: Speaking different languages makes us more tolerant towards other cultures and religions.
How to impart bilingual education to children?
Learning begins the moment the child is born and we can expose them to two languages at home by speaking both languages at home.
We can also enroll our child in a bilingual school where they will learn two different languages. Finally, we can expose children to different languages through reading and listening. Children learn more when they hear people speak the language around them.
Children are growing up in a world where learning a second language is becoming more and more important. If we look at some of the best schools in Gurgaon, language days are being celebrated so that children can understand the importance of learning languages. In order to be fluent in both languages, children need to be exposed to both languages from a very young age, not only at school but also at home.