Bilingual Nannies in Miami
Are you a Nanny who speaks Russian, Spanish, Chinese, or French? Or, if you are a parent, more than likely, you want the best for your child, correct? There is an interesting growing trend in the US within families who want their children to learn a second language as early as an age as possible. How do they attain this desire? One way is by hiring a Nanny who speaks to their child in a foreign language. This very trend has recently been featured in a New York Times article as growing amongst New York parents who are hiring bilingual babysitters and nannies to help their children learn a second language. The thought is that this effectively kills two birds. In doing so someone is able to look after their child while they work, and also giving them the immersion into a foreign language. In New York City, that desire is increasingly translating into a desire for nannies who can do double-duty as both childcare providers and language/ education teachers. The idea is that the children will grow up learning to speak English from their parents and learning to speak the second language from their childcare provider.
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Studies have proven the benefits of bilingualism on children’s cognitive development. In Carey Myles’ book Raising Bilingual Children (Mars Publishing, 2003), Carey Myles says “Bilingualism has been linked to a variety of positive cognitive benefits, including early reading, improved problem-solving skills, and higher scores on the SATs, including the math section.” Myles also claims that bilingual children have been shown to demonstrate “better listening perception” and that they “recognize earlier than monolingual children do that language is symbolic… and…are more skilled at interpreting and manipulating grammar to communicate clearly.”
It appears that today parents are increasingly aspiring to having their kids exposed to culture and languages, yet for some, bilingualism is not just an aspiration but may be a necessity . In many families where English is not the “mother tongue” for one or both of the parents, the challenge is more about how to teach children English, which they’ll need in school, as well as the native language, which is primarily spoken at home and represents their cultural heritage and identity. Bilingualism can strengthen family ties by allowing relatives who may not speak English (family members like grandparents) to communicate comfortably in the native language with the children. Sociologically speaking, children who master two languages also have increased opportunities for employment once they leave school.
So how do you teach a child a foreign language without hindering their English language skills? According to Kathleen Marcos of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics, “Experimental studies have shown that no long-term delay in native English language development occurs in children participating in second language classes, even in full immersion programs. In fact, children enrolled in foreign language programs statistically score higher on standardized tests conducted in English.”
Another common concern is that the child may develop a functional ability to communicate in both languages without achieving fluency in either one. Studies have also shown that balanced exposure to both languages can help children achieve fluency in each. In fact, as previously mentioned, learning a foreign language can enhance children’s performance on standardized English language testing.
Other advantages, according to The American Speech Language Hearing Association may include:
- Being able to learn and acquire new words easily
- Being able to use information in new ways
- Playing rhyming games with words like “cat” and “hat”
- Putting words into categories
- Connecting with others easily
- Good listening skills
Food for thought! 🙂
References:
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/bilingual-nannies-the-wave-of-the-future-2391242
http://www.asha.org/about/news/tipsheets/bilingual.htm
Elite Nannies On Call has been Rated top Miami Nanny Agency by CBS-4Miami- Miami nannies, nannies in Miami available for Live In, Live Out, Part Time, Short term, and On Call. We also have a special needs Autism division.
Rated Best Nanny Agency in Miami by CBS Miami http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/04/06/best-babysitting-and-nanny-agencies-in-miami/
