Can signing be used in a bilingual environment?
TOP Signing can provide the common denominator between different languages and can therefore make it easier for you to teach your child more than one verbal language. While your baby may begin to mix words from different languages together they generally learn to sort it out and become fluent in more than one language. Think of a child that comes from a home where French is the main language spoken, in the child care centre English is the common language, and now we have added Sign language. As the carer says and signs ‘drink’ and mum says and signs ‘boisson’ the child can visualise the link – ahhh sign(drink) = drink/boisson (spoken) To add to this arguement, we have gone to many centres, where there are many, many different languages being used. Sign language was added, to became the common demoniator on helping children learn to understand English better, communicate and cut down on the frustration that was so evident thru biting, hitting and tantrums. It was very successful.
