Evening to Address Bilingual Development in Children
CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's Speech Pathology Department will host an evening of tips for parents trying to raise their children bilingual Thursday, February 7, at 7 p.m.
"It is important for families who have just moved to America to adjust their children to the culture and language and American, English speaking families to provide their children with different cultural views to adapt with international changes in our area," says Rubin Diaz, Ph.D., Cincinnati Children's speech pathologist and a native of Columbia, South America.
During the event, Dr. Diaz will discuss definitions and terminology related to bilingualism, common issues and strategies for raising a bilingual child, recent findings in language and brain development, and possible speech-language difficulties related to bilingualism.
Three representatives from Cincinnati Public Schools will also be in attendance to discuss a new bilingual school in Roselawn that is planned to open in August 2002. The citywide French and Spanish immersion magnet school is part of the district's preschool through 12th-grade Foreign Language Program, which develops proficiency in seven languages and serves English as a Second Language to students.
According to the National Association for Bilingual Education, over four million children face the challenge of learning math, science, and other academic subjects while they are learning English. In fact, in many school districts, limited English proficient youngsters make up over 50% of the student body.
The growing interdependence within the international economy and the increasing need for bilingual skills in the job market support bilingualism as a sound investment in our nation's future.
Contact Information
Amy Caruso, (amy.caruso@chmcc.org), 513-636-5637
