Research and results of determining the level of bilinguality of young children

Abstract

An important problem is that there is no bilingual (Kazakh and Mongolian) training for pre-school children with different languages and cultures in Mongolia, and the solution of how to implement it is not clear. The root of the problem is that children need to learn their native language and culture, and on the other hand, language is one of the main tools for further education after entering school. In addition to learning a child's mother tongue, mastering a second language is important not only for their development and education, but also for the implementation of the principle of inclusive education. The purpose of this article is to identify the state of understanding and speaking ability of 4-5 year old bilingual (Kazakh, Mongolian) children and determine the level of development. In the survey, American scientists Wayne P. Hresco, D. Kim Reid, and Donald D. Hammill used the TELD-3 (Test of Early Language Development) method and the individual interview method. 120 4-5-year-old bilingual children attending kindergartens in Ulaanbaatar city and 30 children from kindergartens in Bayan-Olgii province were included in the survey. The results of the research show that there is a need for in-depth study of how the use of Kazakh and Mongolian languages is different depending on the region where the children live. The statistical indicators of the research test revealed that the variables of children's comprehension and speaking ability are directly related to the language of the environment, the language of instruction, and the environment of the home language.