Read the text below and answer questions
28 and 29.
Advantages of Being Bilingual
Most children have the capacity and
facility to learn
more than one language. Researchers say
that there
are advantages to being bilingual. These
advantages
might include;
• Being able to learn new words
easily
• Playing rhyming games with words like
"cat"
and "hat"
• Breaking down words by sounds, such as
C-AT
for cat
• Being able to use information in new
ways
• Putting words into categories
•
Coming up with solutions to problems
• Good listening
skills
• Connecting with others
According to the National Center for
Educational
Statistics, more than one in 5 school-aged
children
(21%) speak a language other than English
at home.
That number of bilingual speakers is
projected to
increase in the coming years.
Children who are learning to
speak two
languages follow
patterns of learning. The sounds of the
first language
can influence how children learn and use a
second
language. It is easier to learn sounds and
words when
the languages you are learning are
similar. Over time,
the more difficult sounds and words will
be learned.
Fact: Communication disorders affect more
than 42
million Americans. Of these, 28 million
have a
hearing loss and 14 million have a speech
or
language disorder.
If a child _______ a speech or
language
problem, it
________up in both languages. However,
these
problems are not caused by learning two
languages. If
you know a child who is learning a second
language and
you have concerns about speech and
language
development, ASHA recommends contacting a
bilingual
speech-language pathologist (SLP). If you
are unable to
find a bilingual speech-language
pathologist, look for a
SLP who has knows the rules and structure
of both
languages and who has access to an
interpreter. For
more information or for a referral to a
SLP, contact
ASHA at 800-638-TALK (8255) (Spanish-
speaking
operators available)
Acessado em 25/02/2015
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/developm
ent/The-
Advantages-of-Being-Bilingual/