Bilingual education offers incredible advantages for children, however some parents wonder whether it’s too late to start once their child reaches elementary school (typically teaching students between the age of 5-10 in the United States). The short answer is no. In this post, we will explore the lasting benefits of bilingual education for elementary students and provide practical tips on how to support your child’s language development at this crucial stage.

Tessa International School offers bilingual programs in Spanish, French, and Mandarin from PK2 to Primary (Grade 5).

Bilingual Elementary Programs Still Lead to Native Proficiency  

While it is ideal to start language learning at a younger age, a 2018 study performed at MIT, based on data from nearly 670,000 people, shows that it is possible for people to achieve native-like proficiency in a second language only if they start learning it by the age of 10. That is to say, elementary students are still in a prime window for language acquisition!  

Benefits of Bilingual Education for Elementary Students

Cognitive Growth

Research shows greater cognitive development benefits for multilingual children than for monolingual children. With the acquisition of more than one language, multilingual children demonstrate superior flexibility in cognitive thinking, helping them navigate more complex academic content. Moreover, a study comparing six-year-olds in Canada found that bilingual students performed better than monolingual students on activities that tested their executive function, which consequently enhanced their emotional regulation.

Social-emotional Development

Being bilingual supports children in maintaining strong ties with their family, culture, and community–all of which are key parts of a child’s identity construction. Ample evidence shows that active multilingual learning provides more opportunities for positive social-emotional experiences, such as building better relationships with teachers and peers and collaborating effectively with a diverse range of people.  

Strong scientific evidence supports that bilingual education is a worthwhile investment of time.

Academic Success

The common misconception that bilingual education may confuse children has been debunked by scientific evidence. Bilingual and monolingual children reach similar language development milestones at roughly the same rate. Elementary students also frequently excel in overall academic achievement. In addition to improving their performance in STEM subjects, bilingual education delivers more advantages in literacy by enhancing their metalinguistic awareness. 

“Older children get a higher form of academic language, meaning they grasp vocabulary. […] Those benefits only persist if the child keeps having exposure to that language.”

– Dr. Deborah Gilboa, a board-certified family physician specializing in youth development

How to Support Children in Bilingualism 

If your child reaches elementary school, and you wish to begin or boost bilingualism, here are some practical tips to help you.

Create A Language-Immersive Environment

Immersing your child in the target language allows for constant exposure and the need of using another language, helping build solid bilingual proficiency. Some parents may choose to relocate to a country where the language is spoken. Another more feasible option is to enroll your child in a bilingual elementary school. Even if you have no background in another language, the everyday interactions, lessons, and activities conducted in both languages at school can support your child develop a bilingual mindset. 

Encourage Socializing with Bilingual Peers

Interactions with bilingual peers further encourage your child to use the target language in real life. Positive relationships boost your child’s confidence and encourage natural language use. 

Expose Children to Cultural Experiences

Learning about the culture associated with a second language helps your child maintain an interest in language learning and deepen their understanding. Taking part in cultural activities, such as celebrating festivals that highlight the traditions and values of the culture, not only enriches your child’s language learning experience but also promotes their cultural awareness. 

Provide Age-appropriate Opportunities to Motivate Your Child

Elementary-aged children are capable of handling more challenging tasks, so it is important to provide opportunities that push their skills while keeping them motivated and rewarded. Encourage your child to participate in academic challenges, such as writing a short story, completing a language puzzle, or taking part in a spelling bee in the target language. Incorporating their interests, whether it is sports, art, or science, into language activities will keep them more engaged.

How Tessa International School’s Elementary Program Encourages Bilingualism

At Tessa, our bilingual program is crafted to ensure students acquire oral and written proficiency in both English and their chosen target language (French, Mandarin, or Spanish). Since Grade 1, students spend an equal amount of time with their English teacher and their target language teacher. 

Our teachers are highly credentialed native speakers, providing students with the highest quality instruction. Importantly, they don’t just teach the language; they teach in the language, immersing students in authentic linguistic experiences. With teachers collaborating to streamline students’ learning, this balanced dual-language approach ensures continued growth in both languages over the long term, preparing students for academic and personal success. 

FAQs

Q. Is it too late for my child to learn another language in elementary school? 

No! Although it is ideal to start bilingual education as early as possible, experts found that people can still achieve proficiency as native speakers if they start learning another language by the age of 10. Therefore, elementary school remains within the critical period of learning a language, especially when they are immersed in a structured, language-rich environment like Tessa International School. 

Q. Do bilingual kids do better in school? 

Learning another language boosts executive functioning and enhances metalinguistic awareness, so bilingual learners’ often demonstrate strong performance in subjects like Math, Reading, and Writing. Moreover, bilingual children tend to have greater cognitive flexibility. The ability to think and reason in two languages provides elementary students with more efficiency to understand complex ideas.

Q. How does Tessa International School support a balanced language acquisition in both languages? 

Our elementary programs employ the 50/50 dual-language model, where primary students from Grade 1 to 5 spend half of the week with their English teacher, and half of the week with their target language teachers. To sustain this balance, our quality native-speaking instructors regularly collaborate to streamline students’ learning, ensuring what is taught in one language is connected and applied in the other language. This balanced approach supports long-term growth in both languages fluency, preparing our bilingual students for future success. 

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