Vocabulary development of bilingual children

For all young children it is difficult to develop a broad vocabulary. There is an incredible amount of words in the Dutch language, including many that have different forms. For bilingual children this problem is even bigger. Therefore it is important to be able to properly help bilingual children with the expansion of their vocabulary. Here are three ways of helping these children.

1. Do not talk too fast

When children hear something that they can't properly grasp, because, for example, they can't hear it properly, or they do not know the meaning of the word, they will alter it into something that does sound logical to them. Because of this they can misunderstand something completely. Therefore it is important to talk slowly in order for bilingual children to keep up with the pace. This prevents them not understanding parts of the sentence and filling in the blanks themselves. Please use plenty of intervals during conversation. But don't let the slow pace alter the pronunciation of the Dutch language. It is very important that bilingual children learn the correct pronunciation.

2. Repetition

On average children need to hear a word seven times before they really recognize it and will use it themselves. With bilingual children it is best to repeat the word even nine times. This way they too will remember the word correctly. When learning a new word one can use, for example, a picture book to show the word multiple times. Also, playing word-naming games is a good practice. It is important to let the word reappear at different times. This means not nine times spread over the day, but more like a week or two weeks.

3. Concrete context

Words are easier to remember for children when they are presented in a clear context. This can be done by bringing along an object, performing an action, or showing an image. A picture dictionary is a great tool for bilingual children. This type of dictionary contains images of common words. This enables the children to link the image to the word, which makes it easier for them to remember. After all, it is a lot easier to memorize a word when you can visualize it.

Sources: www.todio.nl