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This space is to help guide you and your child in Love, Happiness, & Caring, the foundation of a good childhood, with a bilingual-bicultural lens.
Language domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, & Interpreting and Creating Visuals (wordless) are intertwined. Learning a second helps you understand your first language. There are many reasons and ways to support multi-linguistic development organically, and I sincerely hope you chose to work to support your child in a multilingual endeavor.
Monolingualism can be cured :)
Is it OK to speak to my child in my native language?
Talking to your child regularly lays the foundation for her language and literacy development. If you are most comfortable with your native language, you will be better able to communicate your feelings and ideas in that language. You can use words to label objects and describe what is happening as a way of teaching new words. You can recite rhymes and poems to develop her awareness of sounds. You can take turns talking about the day, things she notices, and books that you read together.
By talking together, you teach your child about the purpose of language, while helping her express her feelings and ideas. And by speaking to your child in your native language, you also teach her about her culture and her identity.
Source: Excerpt from "Learning Two Languages" from PBS Parents
Don't bilingual children ever mix their languages up?
Like adult bilinguals, bilingual children often use words from one language when speaking the other. (This is called code-switching.) But this doesn't mean they are confused about which language they are speaking. For example, in an Italian-English bilingual home, a lot of our food vocabulary is Italian, and we use this even when we're speaking English (and when English words are available). So we'll talk about pollo instead of chicken and sugo instead of sauce. Yet in speaking to monolinguals, bilingual children are careful to use only the relevant language.
My child seems embarrassed when I speak to him in my native language. What can I do?
Help your child see that speaking another language is something to be proud of. You can share your pride in your language and your culture in a number of ways. Talk about family photos and events and special people in your lives. Tell your child about traditions and celebrate them together. Read fairy tales, myths, and other stories from your culture. Reading and talking about these stories will help your child learn new words and explore new concepts. At the same time, these stories will help your child learn about and take pride in your cultural values and traditions.
Don't children get confused when they hear two languages spoken around them?
The short answer is no. Children are incredibly sensitive to the different ways people speak. Even when they only hear one language, they learn very quickly about differences between the way men and women talk, the difference between polite and impolite ways of talking, and so on. For children, the bilingual situation is just a matter of another difference between people!
Fifty years ago educators throughout North America used to tell immigrant parents that it was better for their children's schooling if they spoke English at home. Some researchers thought that early exposure to two languages put children at a disadvantage. Newer research tells us that this is not so, and there may be advantages to being bilingual (in addition to knowing more than one language), such as more flexible thinking. The disadvantages that earlier research found were generally economic disadvantages, linked to the hardships of immigrants' lives.
Is it a problem if my child is not talking as much as other monolingual children?
Not necessarily, though you should work with your child's teacher or if your child is not yet of school age, ask at a school for a person to contact about an evaluation if you are concerned. Bilingual development sometimes results in slightly slower or delayed language development then for some typically developing monolingual children initially. This pace does not continue. With time, bilingual learners speed up in progress and typically surpass their peers in that they develop better language skills than the average monolingual speaker.
Will you work to support bilingual development? It will take work but I assure you it is worth it...
"Many Americans have long been of the opinion that bilingualism is ‘a good thing’ if it was acquired via travel (preferably to Paris) or via formal education (preferably at Harvard) but that it is a ‘bad thing’ if it was acquired from one’s immigrant parents or grandparents." —Fishman
Seek support for the challenge of raising a child. There are many excellent resources and programs. Intergenerational family support is your best option. Your doctor, child's teacher, and friends may offer support as well. A few additional ideas are noted here to further support you.
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
Growth Mindset
Understand motivation and help teach your child a growth mindset. See your child's mistakes as an opportunity for your child's growth. Be intentionally with praise: focus on children's hard work, grit, effort, strategy, process, perseverance, and growth. Learn more about Dr. Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset at BrainPickings or in her TED Talk. Read about Lev Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development or check out The Neuroscience Behind Productive Struggle to further appreciate the importance of flexible thinking for whatever goals your child has.
Happiness
Science-based practices for a meaningful life, curated by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley can be found at the Greater Good Science Center (GGIA). Visit GGIA for activities to try or repeat. You can sign up for a happiness calendar with an activity to do every mailed to you monthly or added to your digital calendar.
Correct misbehaviors without anger. The activity calendar presented is from Conscious Discipline and you could use with children any month of the year.
How to Avoid Common Mistakes When Raising a Child Bilingually
Web Resource on Multilingual Parenting
Self-care can take many forms for parents. For you that know a language other than English, I offer the reminder to make time to honor that. It is mentally and physically taxing to function when surrounded by a non-native language. Seek ways to connect to your non-dominate language outside of your home; such actions can lower your stress and show your children that you value your non-English language and cultural connections, helping them acquire the same values. Ways to honor the miracle of being multilingual:
Access internet radio hear your non-English language
Watch tv shows/movies to see and hear your non-English language
Read books in your non-English language
Video chat and talk on the phone with family and friends in your non-English language
Teacher others of your language and culture
Form support groups with other families that speak your language--local grocery stores, schools, and online forums are places to seek such connections
Find happiness yourself living bicultually so you can model it for you children. Consider supporting yourself at work with the research presented by Dr. Achor
Excellent documentary for all adults to watch. It includes an explanation of why your child should not be on social media & why you should reconsider if you use it as well.
If you do use it yourself, consider limiting the use of it. Do not allow children to have social media accounts.
Consider if an addiction to technology is cutting into time you could spend with your child and adjust accordingly.
Paper books are best. They teach concepts of print and we retain information better from them. But to access multilingual text in a non-dominate language if the culture is a challenge. Electronic-books provide this access in this gap.
Even without access to the digital resources of a library, you can check out these virtual places for books!
Books available in 45 different languages at Unite for Literacy.
International Children's Digital Library is a free online library of digitized children's books in 59 languages from various countries.
If you would like materials in Spanish, look at this website sponsored by the Colombian Ministerio de Cultura! Picture books, poems, and tongue twisters... Some music and audio... Maybe read the books as a family :) All the books are available online, as free downloads, and some you have the option to print in black and white for kids to colour.
Bilingual book lists
The tip sheet is from a great multimedia project that offers a wealth of bilingual, research-based information, activities, and advice for educators and families: Colorín Colorado.
Colorín Colorado is excellent for English/Spanish materials and suggestions, though their scope is a bit limited beyond that focus; some of their work and resources includes or is applicable to all ML families and learners.
Best wishes doing the best that you can for your child!
Let me know if I can be of further help.