There’s a window. It is known as the critical period of language acquisition by neuroscientists. Parents call it “that thing I read about that made me panic-research preschools at midnight.” Anyhow, it is real – and it fades away slowly after seven years. One of the most intelligent methods of utilizing that window before it becomes narrow is Bilingual preschool Walnut Creek.

Children do not acquire a second language as adults do. They don’t translate. They do not learn the conjugations of verbs by heart. They just… absorb. Listen to sufficient Spanish, Mandarin or French in meaningful situations and the brain begins to create parallel language connections. It occurs almost unnoticed, almost without sound. Then one day your four-year-old changes the language in the middle of the sentence and you know that something extraordinary has taken possession.

The bilingual preschool in Walnut Creek is a true representation of the diversity in the area. Spanish-English programs are the most widespread. The Mandarin-English programs have increased tremendously because the East Bay families are more concerned with academic competitiveness and cultural affiliation. Other programs incorporate heritage language preservation into their philosophy – especially useful when the grandparents do not speak the language of the household default.

Bilingual programs are not created equally. There are schools where the second language is used in 70 percent or more of the daily instruction, and this is the real immersion. Others provide bilingual enrichment – perhaps an hour of formal language work a day. Both have value. They have varying results. Be aware of what model you are really signing before you sign anything.

A question that can be directly asked: “What do your teachers do about code-switching? Other programs do not encourage the use of languages in the middle of the sentence. To others, it is a natural stage of development. The latter opinion is gaining more and more support in the research – code-switching in young bilingual children is an indicator of cognitive flexibility, rather than confusion. The response of a school to that question tells a lot about the topicality of teacher training in the school.

Social aspect of bilingual preschool is underestimated. Children with language cross communication acquire empathy at an earlier age. They are taught by instinct that the same emotion may put on other words. It is a life skill and not a linguistic one.

In the case of heritage language families, in particular, bilingual preschool may have an emotional dimension other than an academic one. Being able to chat with her grandchild in their common language, that is not a little thing by a grandmother. It is its intergenerational relationship that would otherwise fester away.

Waitlists in good bilingual programs in Walnut Creek are fast. Start inquiring a full year ahead if possible. The finest places do not stand about.