Multilingual Early Language Transmission (MELT) - Mercator ...

3.3 Definition of Multilingual Early Language Transmission
Using the knowledge and descriptions of the definitions in the above sections we will
formulate a definition of multilingual early language transmission (MELT) in this section.
Below we will first present the definition of MELT as it is used in the project and in this
paper. In the sections after that and in the next chapters we will clarify some terms and
theoretical concepts further.
The early years (age 0-4) are an advantageous time to acquire language skills. One of the
skills young children need to acquire is to understand the adults in their environment,
whatever language(s) they speak to the child. At the same time the child learns to speak and
acquires the language(s) in its own time and in a playful, natural way.
Language acquisition can take place simultaneously in several languages (in the MELT project
the minority and the majority languages) or just only in the minority language. The
promotion and stimulation of (regional or) minority (and less widely used languages) from an
early age is crucial for (the overall development of) the child, to wit its becoming a
continuous multilingual person, particularly in an age of ever-increasing globalisation. The
MELT project explicitly stresses that it is important to learn the minority language at an early
age. Due to its high social status the majority language, will develop automatically through
primary school, television, other media etc.
Language is not merely a tool of communication but also a value. Mother tongue and father
tongue are of equal value to the child. And the minority language should gain equal value to
the majority language in the eyes of pre-school teachers, parents, other care takers and
policymakers. Early-years practitioners work within the pre-school institutions with a
conscious language policy and offer children a language rich environment. Pre-school staff
are aware of language immersion methodology in the minority language. Learning a
language relies on the development of operations: these operations are influenced and
modulated by both verbal and non-verbal interactions (led by adults) with the child’s
environment.
For their children to grow up as a balanced and long-term multilingual, bilingual, or
plurilingual person, parents need advice and guidance on how to raise their children as
balanced multilinguals, especially if only one parent speaks the minority language and the
other speaks the majority language. When parents raising their children multilingual they
must be aware of the benefits of multilingualism, they have a positive attitude, and they are
not afraid to speak the minority language to their children.
53