How do children become bilingual? Is there a sensitive period for second-language development? Discuss bilingual development in middle childhood

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Children can become bilingual in two ways: 1. by acquiring both languages at the same time in early childhood or 2. by learning a second language after mastering the first. Children of bilingual parents who teach them both languages in infancy and early childhood separate the language systems early on and attain early language milestones according to a typical timetable. When school-age children acquire a second language after they already speak a first language, they generally take five to seven years to attain speaking and writing skills on par with those of native-speaking agemates.
As with first-language development, a sensitive period for second-language development exists. Mastery must begin sometime in childhood for most second-language learners to attain full proficiency. But a precise age cutoff for a decline in second-language learning has not been established. Rather, a continuous age-related decrease from childhood to adulthood occurs.