Bilingual Education For Preschoolers - The Path To Success?

Studies have shown that the early years of brain development are of critical importance.

- Ebru Verimli

“How early is early childhood?” The answer is alarming! By the age of three, about 85 per cent of the wiring in children’s brains would have already been formed. So, the question isn’t: “is it too early to start a bilingual education?” anymore, because you can be late, but never too early!

Look at some bilingual, even multilingual families, many of which reside in Dubai: the mother is a native English speaker, father is French and grandmother is Spanish, German or Italian. The children grow up to speak two or even three languages fluently as the bilingual family structure gives them an advantage when paired with a bilingual academic life.

The advantages of a bilingual education

Being bilingual leads to greater opportunities throughout life. Dual language programmes provide children with a broader world view and the opportunity to integrate with different cultures. It also equips them with great adaptation skills.

Research has shown that bilinguals score higher on tests involving creative thinking, abstract reasoning skills and problem solving. Early reading skills tend to come more easily to bilingual children: they develop a better understanding of language usage.