Revealing the Role of Electronic Media in Shaping Multilingual Children

Abstract

Natural bilingual children are those whose languages are acquired through their parents and community. However, this paper aims to analyse how bilinguals are shaped early within their life as children through the help of electronic media. This method aims to reveal the role of electronic media in shaping bilingual children using Piaget’s cognitive development theory. This study applied the qualitative method, and the data were taken from a series of interviews of three subjects who were all avid media consumers as a child. The results showed that parents exposed their children to these media because it can help their children pass the time or simply do not have the time to play with their children. Children later processed the media through their cognitive ability, which in turn affects their behaviour and language development. Children mostly imitate the shows they watched either from behaviour or language. Lastly, this study also found that children who have the most exposure to foreign media have a better chance of becoming bilingual.