Today, languages are highly valued and learning more than one language has a multitude of benefits. Parents are now doing their best to raise successful children and people are asking how to raise a bilingual child – and is it a smart thing to do. Considering the benefits that come with this, the million dollar question is how a parent should go about it. Although there is no specific way that this should be done, there are several ways that can be more effective. The most important thing is to choose a way that a parent believes is the best and be consistent with it.
Here are some tips from us on how to raise a bilingual child.
Use the rule of minority language at home and the community language outside
The best way to give children the gift of a new language is to make it a
part of their lives. One of the best ways to raise a bilingual child is to
follow the minority language at home, community language when outside. This
simply means speaking the minority language when at home and when the kids go
outside, they speak the most common language in the community. By using the
minority language at home with parents and other family members, you will be strengthening
the exposure of the child to the language.
One person, One language
One of the most popular ways of raising a bilingual child is using the one person, one language strategy. This means that each person at home speaks the same language which is different from the other person when conversing with the child. The child gets equal exposure in both languages. The most significant part of this strategy is to ensure that it is consistent and none of the persons should switch the languages they speak while conversing with the kid.
Listening to foreign music and watching the movies
Children are sponges for music, so a good way to let them absorb the language is through native language songs. You should get a large collection of music CDs and DVDs in the language you want your kid to learn. Play those CDs while you do some routine things such as cleaning up or getting ready to bed. Talk with your kids about the songs, explain them the meaning. Reading books, flashcards, and doing activities related to the culture also help.
Time and place method
In this strategy, a parent makes a rule on when each language should be used. It could be that the first language is spoken 3 days a week while the second one is spoken 4 days a week or a specific language is spoken in the morning while the other one is spoken in the evenings. Also known as the Context Method, it basically depends on who the child is with or where they are. One important advantage
Enroll your children in a
There are lots of bilingual schools in every US city and most of them are really good. Keep in mind that these schools are private so the cost of tuition fee can be really high. But, if your kid is already going to a private school, transferring to a bilingual one might not be much more expensive. And it’s definitely a better option for them. Having other kids their age learning and speaking together will help them feel comfortable with the language.
To conclude, raising a bilingual child can be a huge challenge to any parent considering that some kids can be a bit slow in grasping. As a parent, you need to be patient and persevering. A lot of effort is needed and you also need to be consistent so as not to confuse the little one. Don’t forget, the benefits of raising a bilingual child outweighs the difficulties that you might face along the way. In lots of non-English speaking countries around the world, kids are taught to be bilingual in their native language and English, so this idea is not so innovative and crazy.
I wish this had been an option when I was rearing my children. It would have been a great advantage for them. My daughter has married a fluent Russian speaker, and they are considering doing this!
These are excellent tips! My wife and I don’t speak another language fluently, although we know enough to get around. We certainly plan on encouraging our little one to speak at least one other language fluently. I’ve always wanted to speak Italian myself!