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Raising a Truly Bilingual Child ই֜璢訅Ӟ㮆፥ྋጱ櫕承䌌䌌

The Checkup By PERRI KLASS, M.D. July 13, 2017
PERRI KLASS, M.D. 2017年7月13日

Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

曼哈頓上城兩橋小學(Dos Puentes Elementary School)，參加一項雙語課程學習的一年級學生。

True bilingualism is a relatively rare and a beautiful thing, and by 真正的雙語能力是一種相對少見而美好的東西，這裡的「真正」指的

“true,” I mean speaking two languages with the proficiency of a 是能像講母語那樣說兩門語言——對我們這些在學校以及後來的語言
native — something most of us will only dream of as we struggle 學習中磕磕絆絆的多數人，這都是很遙遠的。
with learning languages in school and beyond.

Highly competent bilingualism is probably more common in other 高超的雙語能力可能在其它國家常見一些，因為許多在美國長大的孩

countries, since many children growing up in the United States 子不會接觸到其它語言。但在獲取雙語能力的過程中，對一個孩子的
aren’t exposed to other languages. But the steps along the road 整體語言能力是有幫助的。儘早接觸超過一種語言，也可以帶來某種
toward bilingualism can help a child’s overall facility with language. 優勢，尤其是形成這種語言的發音的能力。
And early exposure to more than one language can confer certain
advantages, especially in terms of facility with forming the sounds
in that language.

But parents should not assume that young children’s natural 但是父母不要以為，兒童天生的語言能力，不需經過艱苦的努力就能
language abilities will lead to true grown-up language skills without 轉化為真正的成人語言技能。佛羅里達大西洋大學(Florida Atlantic
a good deal of effort. Erika Hoff, a developmental psychologist who University)教授、發展心理學家艾麗卡·霍夫(Erika Hoff)說：「任何
is a professor at Florida Atlantic University and the lead author of a 人要想培養一個雙語孩子，無論你的背景和動機，都一定要認識到，
2015 review article on bilingual development, said: “For everybody 要想掌握一門語言，必須大量接觸這門語言。」
trying to raise a bilingual child, whatever your background and
reason, it’s very important to realize that acquiring a language
requires massive exposure to that language.”

Pediatricians routinely advise parents to talk as much as possible to 兒科醫生向來建議父母盡可能多地對孩子說話，朗讀、唱歌給他們

their young children, to read to them and sing to them. Part of the 聽。這樣做的一個原因是增加他們接觸語言的機會，即便是對從小隻
point is to increase their language exposure, a major concern even 使用一種語言的孩子，這都是非常重要的。要想促進語言發育，這種

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for children growing up with only one language. And in order to 接觸必須是面對面的；看著螢幕的時間對幼兒的語言學習是無效的
foster language development, the exposure has to be person-to- ——哪怕只是一種語言——不過再過一段時間，孩子可以通過螢幕播
person; screen time doesn’t count for learning language in young 放的教育節目來學習內容和詞彙。「就雙語發育而言，孩子需要接觸
children — even one language — though kids can learn content and 到這兩種語言，」霍夫說，「這在單語環境裡是很難實現的，美國就
vocabulary from educational screen time later on. “For bilingual 是這種情況。」
development, the child will need exposure to both languages,” Dr.
Hoff said, “and that’s really difficult in a monolingual environment,
which is what the U.S. is.”

Pediatricians advise non-English-speaking parents to read aloud 兒科醫生建議非英語父母用自己的母語朗讀、唱歌給孩子聽，給他們

and sing and tell stories and speak with their children in their 講故事，對他們說話，這樣孩子就可以得到豐富而複雜的語言接觸機
native languages, so the children get that rich and complex 會，同時還有細緻的內容和信息，這樣的效果要比使用一種你不能自
language exposure, along with sophisticated content and 如使用的語言好得多。
information, rather than the more limited exposure you get from
someone speaking a language in which the speaker is not entirely
comfortable.

Parents come up with all kinds of strategies to try to promote this 父母為了促進這種語言接觸可謂絞盡腦汁。有的家庭決定兩人分別對
kind of exposure. Some families decide that each parent will speak a 孩子講兩種不同的語言。不過霍夫說，即便父母都是兩種語言同時使
different language to the child. But the child will be able to sort out 用，孩子也是能應付的。「沒有任何研究能證明，孩子需要說話人持
the two languages even if both parents speak them both, Dr. Hoff 續使用一種語言，否則就會搞混。」不過另一方面，這樣的規則也許
said. “There is certainly no research to suggest that children need to 有助於確保非英語的語言得到使用。
have languages lined up with speakers or they get confused.” On the
other hand, that rule could be a way of making sure that the non-
English language is used.

If a child grows up with caretakers who speak a foreign language — 如果一個孩子成長期間有一個說外語的看護人——比如一個寄住的中

perhaps a Chinese au pair or a French nanny — the child may see 國互惠生，或一個法國保姆——對孩子將來學習相應語言是有益處
some benefits down the road in studying that language. But if a 的。但是如果你的孩子兒時會和表親、祖父母說第二語言——比如韓
child grows up speaking that second language — Korean, say — with 語，去上強調這門語言及文化的「週六班」(Saturday School)，聽
cousins and grandparents, attending a “Saturday School” that 使用這門語言的音樂甚至讀它的書，到韓國去走走，那麼孩子最後會
emphasizes the language and the culture, listening to music and 對這門語言具有穩固很多的理解。
even reading books in that language, and visits Korea along the
way, that child will end up with a much stronger sense of the
language.

It does take longer to acquire two languages than one, Dr. Hoff said, 霍夫說，比起習得一種語言，習得兩種花費的時間的確更長，而這又
and that, again, comes back to the exposure. 是關乎跟語言的接觸。

“A child who is learning two languages will have a smaller 「正在學習兩種語言的孩子掌握的每一門語言的詞彙量，少於只學習

vocabulary in each than a child who is only learning one; there are 一種語言的孩子；一天只有那麼多個小時，而你在聽的要麼是英語，
only so many hours in the day, and you’re either hearing English or 要麼是西班牙語。」霍夫說。不過她說孩子們會適應得不錯。他們或
Spanish,” Dr. Hoff said. The children will be fine, though, she said. 許會把兩種語言混合起來，但這並不意味著他們感到困惑。「成人雙
They may mix the languages, but that doesn’t indicate confusion. 語者就總是混用語言；這其實是語言能力的標誌，」她說。
“Adult bilinguals mix their languages all the time; it’s a sign of
language ability,” she said.

Dr. Hoff works in South Florida, where there is a very educated and 在霍夫的工作地南佛羅里達州，一些教育程度很高又很富有的人會在
affluent population raising children in Spanish and English. “The 養育子女過程中同時使用西班牙語和英語。「孩子起初是雙語嬰兒，
children start out as baby bilinguals, but the older they get, the 但隨著年紀漸長，他們的英語水平會日益超過西班牙語，」她說。
more English overtakes Spanish,” she said. “The ones who are 「即便成為優秀的成人雙語者，他們的英語水平還是會比西班牙語高
successful bilinguals as adults are still much better in English than 得多——他們沒去過用西班牙語授課的學校，沒讀過西班牙語書籍，
they are in Spanish — they didn’t go to school in Spanish, they don’t 如果你真的去評估他們的詞彙量，或者他們懂得的語法，或者他們敘
read books in Spanish, and when you actually measure the size of 述時的連貫性，會發現他們對西班牙語不像對英語那麼精通。」
their vocabularies, or the grammar they understand, or the
coherence of the narrative they produce, they are not as proficient
as they are in English.”

Gigliana Melzi, a developmental psychologist and associate 發育心理學家、紐約大學(New York University)應用心理學副教授吉

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professor of applied psychology at New York University who studies 格利亞納·梅齊(Gigliana Melzi)，致力於研究說西班牙語和英語的拉
language in Spanish- and English-speaking Latino families, agreed. 美裔家庭的語言問題，她對霍夫的觀點表示贊同。「家長需要留意，
“Parents will need to be mindful about introducing the child to 引導孩子習得那門語言的讀寫能力，」她說。「他們需要多想想，用
literacy in that language,” she said. “They will need to be thoughtful 什麼辦法鼓勵孩子保有那種語言技能。」
about ways they will encourage the child to maintain the language.”

It’s also important, she said, to watch the individual child and make 她說，還有一點很重要，要觀察孩子的情況，確保孩子不會因為父母
sure the child is not overloaded with demands because of parental 的期望和雄心而負擔過重；三門語言外加一種樂器和一項充分參與的
expectations and ambitions; maybe three languages on top of a 運動，或許會讓孩子不堪負荷。
musical instrument and a serious sport is just too much.

The languages you learn as a child are important, but so are the 小時候學的語言很重要，但你在生命中晚些時候學的那些也很重要。
languages you learn later in life. “We all know people who make 「我們都知道有些人用英語做出偉大的貢獻，從事偉大的科學研究，
great contributions and do great science in English and are not 但其母語卻不是英語，」霍夫說。「人類的大腦是不可思議的，人類
native speakers,” Dr. Hoff said. “The human brain is amazing, and 習得語言的能力是不可思議的。」
the human capacity to acquire language is amazing.”

So what should parents do if they want to give their children a 那麼，如果家長想要推動孩子成為雙語者，該怎麼做呢？「找一個說

bilingual boost? “Find a native speaker and have that native speaker 母語的人，讓這個人與你的孩子進行好玩有趣的對話，孩子會學到些
have fun, interesting conversations with your child, and your child 東西，」霍夫說。「這並不會把你的孩子變成完美平衡的雙語者，但
will learn something,” Dr. Hoff said. “Don’t expect it will turn your 也沒關係。」不論你做什麼都是有好處的。
child into a perfect balanced bilingual, but that’s O.K.” Whatever
you do is an advantage.

Dr. Melzi said that often, a child who has been fluent in two 梅齊說，通常情況下，精通兩種語言的學齡前兒童如果去上用英語授
languages in the preschool years goes to school where English is 課的學校，就會開始用英語描繪在學校裡發生的事情。
spoken, and starts using English to describe what happens there.

“There is a push worldwide where English becomes like the lingua 「全世界都有一種趨勢，英語好像成了通用語，因此孩子早早接觸其
franca, so it’s important that the child be exposed to the other 他語言是很重要的，接觸其他語言的年紀越小，你聽上去就會越像母
language early, and the younger you are, the more nativelike you’re 語使用者，」她說。另一方面，年紀大一些的孩子學習起來會更容
going to sound,” she said. On the other hand, older children may 易：「年紀越小，就越是有領先優勢，」她說。「年紀越大，學習效
learn more easily: “The younger you are, the more head start you 率就越高，你可以把自己的第一語言當作自助工具。」
have,” she said. “The older you are, the more efficient learner you
are, you have a first language you can use as a bootstrap.”

So true bilingualism may be rare, but parents shouldn’t be 所以，真正的雙語能力或許頗為稀缺，但家長不該為此而氣餒，因為

discouraged on that account, since all the skills that children 孩子一路上習得的所有技能都非常有價值，梅齊說。「一切都是值得
acquire along the way are very valuable, Dr. Melzi said. “It’s worth 的，但要付出大量努力。」
it, but it’s a lot of work.”

Copyright © 2017 The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.
翻譯：經雷、李瓊
點擊查看本文英文版。

Copyright © 2017 The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.

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