Simultaneous Bilingualism Among Selected Filipino Primary Students: Development and Experiences in Academic Setting

Abstract

Children who are simultaneously bilingual are exposed to two languages from an early age and show a remarkable ability to distinguish their two languages. Individually, bilingualism means increased job competitiveness and better career prospects. Recognizing the benefits of knowing two or more languages, many parents encourage their children to begin learning other languages as early as infancy. The purpose of this study is to find out how simultaneous bilingualism developed and what experiences bilingual primary students have in academic settings at a public primary school in Angeles City. This study employed a qualitative, phenomenological research design and gathered data from 16 participants (eight parents and eight teachers) through in-depth individual interviews as well as observation and note-taking with the students. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. This study’s findings were classified into seven major themes: (1) home-based instruction, (2) exposure on ICT tools, (3) social interaction, (4) lexical challenges, (5) social isolation, (6) developing social skills, and (7) developingcomprehension skills. Based on the findings, the researchers suggest collaborating with parents, stakeholders, and teachers to develop an instructional strategy that can simultaneously promote a child’s development in two languages.