It might seem overwhelming thinking about how to raise a child
bilingually. You may be in a household where one spouse knows a different
native language than you, or you may be in a household where you both speak the
same native language but live in a country where another language is the
majority. Can I teach my child a language if I have a full-time job? What if my
child doesn’t want to learn? How can I balance this? What if their native
language suffers? What if they fall behind? These are all natural concerns for
parents and rightfully so! You want the best for your child no matter what. So,
I’m writing this post to give you some tips on how to approach raising a
bilingual child! I base a lot of my recommendations from my own experience as a
dual language teacher, a child who was raised bilingually and from two excellent
books titled “7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child” by Naomi Steiner and "The Bilingual Edge" by Kendall
Here are MY 6 main tips for raising a bilingual child:
1.
Define your goals as a bilingual parent/household
2. Create a
Bilingual Action Plan (from the book “7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child” by
Naomi Steiner)
3. Integrate the second language within the technology
already being used in their household (such as iPad apps, YouTube videos,
online books). For example,
these are some great YouTube channels in Spanish to utilize in your home:
c.
Kidsmmersion
4. Read, Read,
Read
a.
A strong foundation in a child’s native
language is a great predictor of their success in their second language
acquisition.
5. Write, Write,
Write (in a meaningful context)
a.
Give children the opportunity to use the
Spanish vocabulary they are learning in a meaningful context (grocery lists,
labels around the house, words around the community, etc).
6. Use the
target language in context (make it fun!)
a.
Whenever possible, create opportunities
for students to use the target language in a meaningful way and most
importantly – make it fun! Language learning should be engaging, exciting and
interactive!
The most important tip I have for language learning is to make it
“comprehensible” which means, to make sure you are doing everything you can for
your child to understand. This is mostly done through using as many visuals
(images, videos, songs, poems) as possible! Remember that language learning is
a long journey and any small stride is a success! Another important aspect of
language learning is for it to be “interactive” – give your child opportunities
to interact with other children who are being raised bilingually (playdates,
outings, etc) and provide them activities where they will be interacting in a
meaningful way with the target language. Therefore, it is crucial for you to
give your children opportunities to produce the language orally and to interact
with other children who are bilingual or being raised bilingually.
Here are some recommended books that are great reads for parents wanting
to or already are raising their children bilingually:
1.
The Bilingual Edge by Kendall King and Alison Mackey
2.
7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child by Naomi Steiner
3.
Raising a Bilingual Child by Barbara Zurer Pearson and Living
Language
