Language Immersion in Turku

A bilingual child navigates creatively through the world of languages
FM Satu Rakkolainen-Sossa

Bilingualism can develop in different ways, and there are many levels of bilingualism. Broadly defined, a bilingual person is someone who has acquired two languages in their upbringing environment and masters them like a native speaker. Bilingualism can develop naturally, for example, when parents in a multilingual family speak their native languages to their children, when the environment's language differs from the home language, or when a child acquires a second language through language immersion at kindergarten, like French at L’Hexagone.

The strengths and dominance of languages often vary depending on which language is most important at a given stage of an individual's life. Maintaining and developing languages also requires effort throughout life. Bilingualism can thus be seen as a lifelong self-guided journey to exciting and challenging destinations, rather than a ready-made all-inclusive package tour.

Language does not exist or live in isolation; it is closely tied to its speakers and the world around them. Its acquisition is also influenced by numerous social factors, with interaction being one of the most significant. To support a child's language acquisition, it is essential to remember that children learn most naturally when learning is associated with a sense of security and positive experiences.

In a kindergarten like L’Hexagone, language immersion provides an excellent way for a monolingual child to dive into a new language and, over time, learn it naturally and with motivation through play, songs, and daily activities. Studies show that children learn more effectively through the immersion method than through traditional school-like language instruction.

Starting kindergarten presents many challenges for a child, such as forming social relationships. Therefore, it is crucial that new linguistic challenges are met in a safe and encouraging environment. Building a trusting and secure relationship with a speaker of another language is also of utmost importance.

The positive and encouraging attitude of parents greatly influences a child's language development, whether the child is monolingual or multilingual. Parents' interest in and positive attitude toward languages also reflects on the child. Although children acquire languages almost effortlessly compared to adults, producing the language material to be learned often requires effort, particularly in situations where the second language is not the language of the environment, such as French in Finland or Finnish in France.

To achieve functional bilingualism, children need a wide variety of linguistic stimuli, which may not always be readily available in a monolingual environment and must be created for the child. The quantity, quality, and diversity of linguistic stimuli are reflected in the language the child produces. Through music, rhymes, stories, role-playing, and games, children dive enthusiastically into the language.

Positive learning experiences are essential: feelings of success support learning, and pride in what has been learned strengthens self-esteem and self-image. Reading aloud to a child is an extremely effective way to support language development. Stories, fairy tales, and narratives often use words, expressions, and sentence structures that are rarely heard in spoken language. These enrich a child's vocabulary, develop sentence formation skills, and diversify expressive abilities.

Movies and children's programs can also provide linguistic stimuli, but it has been found that passive viewing alone does not enhance a child's language skills. A positive linguistic effect is achieved only when these programs are discussed together.

Many studies have shown that a bilingual or multilingual child can, after the early stages of language acquisition, effectively keep different languages separate. If language mixing occurs, it is often done consciously for specific purposes, such as playing with language.

The use of multiple languages by other speakers also greatly influences the child. If a speaker mixes languages, the child is more likely to do the same. If the speaker stays within one language, the child tends to follow this model. Especially in the early stages of language development, it is strongly recommended to use the one language, one person model consistently.

Later, when both languages are well established and the child understands their distinction, languages can be alternated more freely. However, even then, it is recommended that adults primarily use their native language. Routines are important for children in many aspects, particularly for a sense of security. Familiar linguistic practices are also essential for children.

In families where members use two or more languages, creative adaptations of the one language, one person model are often necessary. For example, it can be agreed that one language is used in a specific situation and another in a different one, such as always speaking French at dinner and Finnish at breakfast.

In some multilingual families, there might be a designated 'language corner,' such as a corner of the children's room table where only German is spoken. Role-playing can also be utilized; for example, a doll might be French-speaking, and the person playing with it always speaks French during play, even if they primarily speak Finnish outside of the game.

For children, the most important thing is that their relationship with their parents is natural and open so that they can talk to their parents about anything in any language. Although bilingualism does not directly affect a child's intelligence, it shapes their way of thinking and provides opportunities for creative, more open, and flexible thinking, as well as problem-solving.

A child's linguistic awareness grows, and they notice early on that the world contains different languages and that different people speak different languages. Sensitivity to languages and cultures deepens, tolerance increases, and building connections becomes easier. This is increasingly important in a globalized world.

Satu Rakkolainen-Sossa (b. 1976) is a teacher of Finnish and German. She has worked, among other roles, as a lecturer in Finnish at the Finno-Ugric Department of Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation in Finnish language studies entitled "Three languages at home: Communication in trilingual families from the perspective of Finnish" at the University of Turku.

Sources:
Abdelilah-Bauer, Barbara 2008: Zweisprachig aufwachsen. Herausforderungen und Chancen für Kinder, Eltern und Erzieher. Verlag C.H. Beck, München.
Romaine, Suzanne 1995: Bilingualism. 2nd revised edition. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.