As a German native speaker who speaks English all day long, I find the prospect of bilingual parenting both daunting and fascinating.
I have been contacted by so many different parents over the years for advice on how to raise your children to be multilingual.
First of all, I am so happy to hear that parents are interested in teaching languages to their kids early on. I hear from so many of my students that they wished they would have begun to learn languages earlier in life, so this will make a huge difference in their life.
One thing’s for sure: Raising multilingual children is as challenging as it is rewarding.
After consulting many bilingual parents (full list below) and learning from dozens of professionals in bilingual parenting, I have collected 6 tips for you to help you start parenting your children to be multilingual.
Tip #1: Don’t Expect Them to Be Good Right Away
Your young child does not need to be good at speaking a language, if it is clear they are doing it. Taking away this pressure is what will keep language learning fun for them and keep the curiosity brewing.
Rather than correcting them and making them repeat words and phrases over and over, keep encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone. Making them aware that there are other languages out there in the world will be a huge step.
Tip #2: Exposure Matters More Than Perfection
Exposure really matters, much more than hitting some perfect system or having them “perform” languages beautifully. (The same goes for adults too, by the way.)
Exposing your child to your target language means you can get far with accessible practices like multilingual music, TV/YouTube, and storybooks.
Several generations of learners have told me that Muzzy was their first spark of love for languages. You might start with their favourite TV show in another language (Peppa Pig is a big hit apparently), or read a bilingual story together (try Tim Tim Tom for example).
There are so many different avenues and resources out there to expose your child to other languages in a playful way that they are going to enjoy.
Tip #3: Get Involved Within the Community
Could you get your kids involved in communities where other languages are spoken within the neighbourhood? Chances are, you aren’t the only person in your neighborhood or community who is trying to learn a new language, and there is hidden linguistic diversity everywhere.
You can reach out to other families you know by searching in Facebook groups or connect with your local community. Connect your child with other children who are learning to be multilingual and set up play dates where they can read books, have playtime, or watch their favorite TV shows together in the target language.
Everything is better with a buddy!
Tip #4: Have Language Time
Having specific language time is very helpful for adults, and the same goes for children. This means setting up a dedicated time of the day or of the week where you are only speaking the target language.
This could be 30 minutes after school where your child is telling you about your day, during bath time or at the dinner table.
Tip #5: Try the “One Person, One Language” Strategy
The one person, one language approach is where one person in the family speaks solely one language within the family. It’s very common when parents have two native languages, meaning each parent only speaks their first language with the child.
But even if you are NOT a native speaker of the language you want to share with your child,
Doing this strategy consistently gives the child the expectation that all of their interactions with this person is to be in a specific language, so there are no surprises and they start to develop confidence. This also helps to make sure that your children are receiving continuous exposure and interactions in different languages.
Tip #6: You Aren’t Going to Do It Wrong
No matter what, know that you aren’t doing this wrong! You know your child best and what will work most efficiently for them to learn and interact.
While some parenting experts swear by “OPOL” above all other strategies, it’s important to remember that there are plenty of right ways to do something.
The very fact that you are taking your time and energy to teach and expose your child to a new language is a beautiful thing and something they will be thankful for later in life.
Thank you for sharing the world of languages with your children! 🙏
Resources for Raising Multilingual Children
There are so many different resources that are available for parents who are raising multilingual children or have the vision to do so. Below are different Facebook groups, businesses, podcasts, and more to help you along this journey.
Facebook Groups
Podcasts and Teachers to Follow
The Future is Bilingual with Heather Koziol
Eurolinguiste with Shannon Kennedy
Juliana from The Language Mindset (@thelanguagemindset on IG)
Maritere Rodriguez Bellas: http://maritererodriguezbellas.com/
Bilingual Avenue with Marianna du Bosq
“It’s Hard Work But It’s So Worth It”
This quote is from Marianna du Bosq, who runs Bilingual Avenue and shared her expertise on my podcast. Click PLAY below to listen in.
Keep in mind that it will probably be difficult to help your child learn a new language, but it is going to be so worth it to them!
As they go through life, they will be so thankful and appreciative that you took the energy to teach them a new language at a young age.
Going through the process together as a family can be a fun and exciting experience that makes you so proud of seeing their progress. If you are currently parenting your children to be multilingual, I encourage you to keep going and try these tips out.
Are you raising a child or planning to involve languages in their life in the future? Leave me a comment below to share your story!