Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Foreign Language as Second Language in Kindergarten Children


Foreign Language As Second Language In Kindergarten Children

A foreign-language study for kindergarten students in several Asian countries is occurred for a long time particularly in Thailand. Since St. Pere Emile Colombet extended the Roman-Catholic Sect into Bangkok Thailand and established a Christ College in Thailand called St.Gabriel Foundation Network, a foreign-language study especially English language for children in Kindergarten came into fashion and their parents gave more significance to this second language for their child although it is more expensive than other public kindergartens. (Martin De Tu) Nevertheless, schools in controlled by St. Gabriel Foundation Network also branch out and almost all alumni are renowned persons and gain national reputation from public such as members of Privy Councilor, Prime Minister, Ministers, Ambassadors, director-general, millionaires.(www.assumption.ac.th) From this success, nowadays most of kindergartens in Thailand about 50% add English language as a basic requirement into their curricular, and some schools also add a Mandarin language as fundamental requirement.(Bhichit Ratthagul)However, a few education intellectuals disagree with boards of school administration about adding second language being basic requirement in public kindergartens because there are numerous reasons; studying several language in the same time destroys an elementary pronunciation system and a basic hearing system in children, it is not necessary condition for kindergarten students, and it pressures children to become stress and leads them into Generalized Anxiety Disorder.(Surajit Jamornman)

Pertaining to studying every language, learners will get an access to four basic skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They are able to handle language proficiency when they take a lot of time to practice such a skills. For example, if learners want to understand what speakers talk, they have to often practice a listening skill like a reading and writing skill. With respect to speaking skill, they should practice speaking all the time and speak it clearly. It is not difficult if they study only one language. On the other hand, if they have to study more one language, it is difficult to practice and handle it while they study in a kindergarten level because children in this level are improving his language skill into order. Their teachers have to take heed of them in that time because if they did not get good advice from their teachers, they are unable to put their language skill into order and this problem have an adverse impact on them when they reach into mature. Moreover, if they study two languages or more two languages, they have to be taken care from teachers and their parents every step about systematizing their language skill into order; otherwise, they will face a serious problem such as the destruction of their pronunciation system and their basic hearing system. (Srisak Jamornman)Therefore, studying second language is disadvantage if starting to study in kindergarten is without taking care closely from teachers every step to study.

A language study is a main purpose that it is able to apply to communicate with other people around you properly and correctly. Regarding to children in kindergarten level, they are essential for communication with a few people such as their parents and relations, their neighbor, their classmates, and their teachers. A language used by them is only their mother tongues that enough. (Srisak Jamornman) As a result, studying foreign language as a second language is not necessary condition about children in kindergarten level. Furthermore, children in this level should spend time devise their imagination and begin to learn their likely stuffs by themselves rather than take time to study stuffs which their parent impose on them. Additionally, pressuring children to study whatever their parents want is forcing them to undergo tension. (Pawith Thongroth)Nonetheless, studying second language is probably suitable for children who are fond of language because it is able to supplement between what they want to do and what they should do.

Mourning extremely pressure on children in every approach including compelling them to study second language destroys their development and they have propensity for undergoing stress since they are merely children. (Udompong Punnakan) Stress makes a rippling effect on them in term of the child development such as a brain system, a blood-circulatory system, and a respiratory system. According to an illness report from Siriraj Hospital and Mahidol university, Thailand, children suffered from tension when they are young are faced with other inflections such as heart attack, hypertension three times as easy as children who did not undergo tension. Studying second language has to practice a lot and do it for a long time. For children in this level, paying attention in only one activity is difficult and unusual, and if they are exceedingly forced to do that, not only they undergo tension but they also may insist and continuously hate to do such an activity like study second language. Accordingly, their parents should make a suitable decision that children are appreciative to study second language whether or not. If they did not want to study, parents should not force them to do.(Srisak)

In conclusion, whereas studying foreign language as second language in kindergarten level is beneficial, parents should make a good decision that it is suitable for children whether or not because if it is inappropriate for children, studying second language becomes serious penalty for them in numerous aspects mentioned above. Parents want children to be happy or want them to be in trouble depending on their parent decision.

Work Cited

Aril 2010, www.assumption.ac.th
April 2010, www.city.bangkok.go.th
April 2010, www.si.mahidol.ac.th
Thongroth, Prawith “Thailand Looks Out For Degree” Chulalongkorn University Press, 2008 Bangkok, Thailand
Jamornman, Srisak “Thailand Seen Dire Need Of Educational Strategies” Srinakarin University, 2005 Bangkok, Thailand
Punnakan, Udompong “Dangerous Situation in Child” Siriraj Hospital and Mahidol University, 2006 Bangkok, Thailand

No comments:

Post a Comment