SPEECH and language pathologist Sonia Bestulic can list several advantages attributed to the ability to speak more than one language.
There is the enhanced ability to problem solve and multi-task; enhanced memory, reasoning and verbal skills; greater career opportunities and a tendency to be more open minded and sensitive to others.
It has also been said that the ability to speak another language can delay the onset of dementia by a few years.
Although bilingualism is a way of life in St George, where Mandarin, Cantonese and Macedonian are spoken everywhere, there are lots of myths and confusion about language development and the process of acquiring a second or third language.
Ms Bestulic, from Talking Heads Speech Pathology, Kogarah, is shedding light on language through a community seminar, The Bilingual Child.
She has first-hand experience in becoming multilingual. Although born in Australia, Ms Bestulic's first language was Italian. Her mum is from Sicily and her father from a part of Croatia bordering Italy, hence the common language at home was Italian.
While she understood some of her father's native Croatian, she did not learn to speak it — a process referred to as receptive bilingualism.
She does not remember any problems when starting school.
"It was a natural transition — it was normal to speak Italian at home and English at school," she said.
With her own three children. Ms Bestulic has chosen to speak English at home because it is the common language between herself and her husband, who comes from a Greek background.
The two sets of grandparents speak to the children in Italian and Greek.
"Kids quickly learn what language code to use when with their grandparents," Ms Bestulic said.
While her own children have built-in language support through family, Ms Bestulic said kids from families where only one language was spoken needed a more formalised support structure, such as playgroups and classes.
The seminar is designed for parents, early-childhood educators, teachers, medical practitioners and allied health professionals.
Topics covered include stages of speech and language development, acquiring a second language, bilingualism myths, how to teach your child to be bilingual, speech pathology assessment and therapy for the bilingual child, English as a second language versus language delay/disorder and when to refer to a professional.
The Bilingual Child seminar is on Wednesday, August 20, at Kogarah Library and Cultural Centre.
Registrations: 9553 1400 or sonia@talkingheads.net.au
Do you think it is important for children to speak more than one language?
