English Language in London School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

English Language in London School - Essay Example So children who learn more than one language get confused and make mistakes with their second language - English in this case. They speak English using the tone of their first language. Most affected is their pronunciation as they get confused which way to pronounce the words. Their teachers pronounce in one way (usually the correct one) and their parents pronounce the other way (usually with their native language accent). Blake and Moorhead (1993, p. 93) excellently observes " This situation exists in England among the children of immigrants, particularly those immigrants who have a strong sense of community and want to maintain their culture even though they live in a 'foreign' environment." Research has shown that students who know two languages are more competent in acquiring the third language in comparison to students who know only one. This attribute affects their performance in school too. In fact bilingual children are better in studies. Mercer and Swann (1996, p.254) state, " mother tongue and second language teaching came closer together, influencing each others' practice in interesting ways, especially in a new emphasis on literacy and wider educational outcomes for bilingual learners of English." It has been proved by studies that those who can speak a second language have a deeper understanding of the cultures of others and they have a greater control, grasp and sense of their own identity. Remarkable results have been achieved by the research devoted to the effects of early second language acquisition. According to the website of 'Secrets d' enfance' - a bilingual school, " the learning of a second language turns the child's mind to the world and other cult ures which will enrich him throughout his life." It has been proved that those who have knowledge of second language, experience a positive development in all the activities related to studies. Students, who know more than one language score statistically higher on standardized tests, have stronger problem solving capabilities and have better overall academic performance than those who are monolingual. So benefits of speaking a second language outnumber the benefits of speaking a single language in all spheres of a student's life. c) How do parents and teachers contribute to the early language development of multilingual children The teachers play a major role in language acquisition. Besides the use of words the teachers have the option of using non-verbal communication in sending the message across - like facial expression, gestures, proximity to the listener and eye contact. They make use of accent, volume, stress and intonation patterns. Being in close proximity with pupils help in getting the feedback instantaneously. If needed they repeat instructions again and again or rephrase the words for better understanding. In the beginning the pupils might feel very conscious to speak in front of the class but the teacher creates a very warm and friendly atmosphere and make pupils know that most of their classmates are going through the same phase. The instructions directed