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"Being bilingual is a skill. To do it well, children need lots of practice, which parents can help provide."
From Colorín Colorado, Learning Two Languages. Reprinted with permission from Learning More Than One Language (2008). Available from the Web site of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: http://asha.org/public/speech/development/learn.htn.
BENEFITS OF BEING BILINGUAL
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If we only speak to our child in English, will he lose his ability to speak in native language?
Yes. You will therefore need to decide if you want your child to maintain his skills in your native language. Consider your long-term goals and your family situation. If extended family members don't speak English, it will be important for your child to maintain his native language so he can communicate with people closest to him. Also consider how your child might feel about losing his native language and a sense of his cultural identity when he gets older.
But will speaking to my child in my native language make it harder for him to learn English when he goes to school?
Before children start school, they may be exposed to English on TV, in the playground, and in the print they see on cereal boxes and street signs. Children will learn a lot about English from the environment around them. If your child has also had some formal exposure to English, such as going to a playgroup in which English is the primary language spoken, then school can provide additional opportunities for him to learn the language. You may even be surprised by how quickly he picks up the language as he plays and learns alongside other English-speaking children. If your child has had no formal exposure to English, he will use what he knows about his native language to learn English.
My child insists on talking to me in English. How can I help her maintain her native language?
It requires time, persistence, and creativity. Some parents speak to their child only in their native language, even if their child responds in English. Other parents send their children to afterschool programs to learn more about their native language. You can also create routines to help your child maintain her native language — from outings with family members to watching movies and reading books in your native language.
My husband speaks to our daughter in English. I want to speak to her in my native language. Won't she get confused?
Learning even just one language is a complex process, but young children have the potential to learn more than one language. It is also important to be a good language model and not mix up languages. That is, when talking with your child in English, don't mix in phrases and sentences from your native language. However, don't be surprised if your child uses words from both languages in one sentence. This is not a sign of confusion, but her current way of communicating what she wants to say.
Is it OK to read books to my child in my native language?
Making a habit of reading together is important, no matter what language you read in. Reading to your child daily will increase her vocabulary, knowledge of the world, and understanding of story structure. If you are most comfortable with your native language, read to your child in that language. Then, you will be better able to read and talk about the stories as you read together. By discussing stories with your child, you will help her develop language skills and better understand stories.
Should my child learn to read in English or our native language?
Learning to read will be an easier task if your child is taught in the language she knows best. That way, she will not have to concentrate on learning to read and learning a new language at the same time. By learning to read in her stronger language, she will build the skills she needs to read in another language. The skills learned in one language will translate to the other language.
From Colorín Colorado, FAQs. Excerpt from "Learning Two Languages." Reprinted with permission from PBS Parents.
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