What do many educators recommend, according to the passage?
South Africa has twelve official languages, and many learners move between two or three of them during a single day. They may speak isiZulu at home, English in class and Afrikaans or Sesotho with friends. Some people worry that this mixture confuses young children. Researchers who study language learning disagree. They report that children who grow up with more than one language often become more skilled at switching attention between tasks and may find it easier to learn a further language later. The researchers add that the benefits depend on the child receiving enough support in each language, especially in the early school years. When a child is taught only in a language that is not spoken at home, understanding of new ideas can fall behind, because the child is learning the words and the subject at the same time. For this reason, many educators recommend teaching the first years of school in the home language while English is introduced gradually.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Teaching the first years in the home language and introducing English gradually
- Step 1: Many educators recommend the home language first, with English introduced gradually.
Answer
Teaching the first years in the home language and introducing English gradually.
Why not the others: Teaching only in English from the first day: this is the approach the passage warns about. Removing English from the school curriculum: English is introduced gradually. Teaching only in the language chosen by the teacher: the home language is recommended.
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