How can I raise my children to be bilingual?
How can I raise my children to be bilingual?
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This question often arises in households where the home language (HL) is different from the public/school language, and parents are concerned their children won’t learn or that they will lose the home language.
The first step...
The first step...
... to raising children to be bilingual is to use the home language at home! This language choice should start from the moment your baby is born.
Language is a strong and enduring bond between children and their caretakers, and their cultural heritage. It is important to make the HL central to home life from the beginning; from infancy into adulthood.
Designating contexts in which only the HL is used is vital to children’s home language development and maintenance.
Developing a network of families and friends who speak your home languages can help provide a wider arena for home language interaction.
A successful strategy that many bilingual families choose is to exclusively use the HL when at home. In households where there is more than one home language, caretakers often use the one-language one-parent method where each household member uses their native language with the children.
Reinforce and expand home language(s) by
Reinforce and expand home language(s) by
reading to your children in the HL,
listening to songs in the HL, and when screen time is allowed, watching programs and videos in the HL.
Many libraries have at least a few children’s books and CDs in languages other than English.
You can also find books, CDs, and DVDs, in a variety languages online at sites such as https://www.internationalchildbook.com/collections
and https://www.languagelizard.com/ .
But don’t worry if you only have children’s books in English. Just ignore the words on the page and make up your own stories. Talk about what’s happening in the pictures, ask lots of questions connected to your child’s everyday lives, and have fun cuddling together and sharing your home language.
FAQ
FAQ
"I didn’t start using my home language with my child from birth, is it too late?"
"I didn’t start using my home language with my child from birth, is it too late?"
It’s never too late to share your home language with your children! If the language has been actively used at home but not to them directly, chances are they already have a passive knowledge of the language, including vocabulary, grammar, sounds. You can introduce and incorporate the HL into routines such as meal times, bath time, and games. Start slow and stay consistent with the language and the routine. For example, if you routinely ask your children to set/clear the table, wash the dishes, etc., make these requests in the HL. Also try responding to their requests and comments in the HL.
Cultural celebrations and events are also a good opportunity to use the HL.
"How can I maintain the home language once my child starts school? "
"How can I maintain the home language once my child starts school? "
Another common concern is how to maintain the home language once children start school and start using the public/school language at home instead of the HL. As noted before, one of the best ways to maintain the home language is to make a distinction between home language domain and public language domain. Set boundaries for which language you will use as a family. For example:
When at home, everyone is expected to use the home language.
When in public, they may choose to use the public language (for example, English).
As children get older, it may become more difficult to maintain the Home Language-Public Language boundaries, especially since school work and interactions with friends will mostly be in English. To acknowledge these changes in your children’s lives, you may want to establish certain times for home-language-only activities, such as meal times, game night, and watching programs in the home language only. You can also continue to read to young children in the home language as a special time together. If you have family and/or friends in your home country, schedule weekly calls with them to provide another opportunity for your children to use the HL and to strengthen cultural ties.
"How can I help my child learn to read and write in the home language?"
"How can I help my child learn to read and write in the home language?"
Look for books and other media in the HL. The sites mentioned above also offer bilingual books and dictionaries which you and your children can use to develop and support literacy in the HL as they get older.
”At home, we do ‘language tutoring trade.’ My kids help me with my English homework, and I have them read to me aloud in Spanish.”
”At home, we do ‘language tutoring trade.’ My kids help me with my English homework, and I have them read to me aloud in Spanish.”
– Leticia, from Argentina
– Leticia, from Argentina
The more HL your children are exposed to the better! Many communities offer home language weekend classes for children and adults that work on both spoken and written language skills. These classes have the additional benefit of providing opportunities to connect with other children from the same language communities. It’s important for children to feel there are others of their age who share the same language and cultural background.
Look for other venues in which the HL can be used, for example, text and email using the HL to communicate with your children and young adults.
“Our mosque has language classes in Urdu so that our children can learn to read and write in our language.”
“Our mosque has language classes in Urdu so that our children can learn to read and write in our language.”
– Nasira, from Pakistan
– Nasira, from Pakistan
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