All issues > Volume 52(4); 2009

Review Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2009;52(4):417-421. Published online April 15, 2009.

Development and language problems in children of immigrant marriages

Jae Woo JW Lim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon, Korea

Correspondence Jae Woo JW Lim ,Email: imsoa@hanmail.net

Abstract

The number of international marriages in South Korea has drastically increased since the year 2000, and among these, the proportion of couples with a Korean husband and foreign wife accounts for more than 70%. At the same time, the number of children resulting from an international marriage has also risen dramatically; this tendency is especially evident in preschool children below 6 years of age. This review article shows some of the similarities and differences between children from international marriages and those from non-international households with respect to their growth, development and language skills.

Keywords :International marriage, Immigrant, Multicultural, Bilingualism