The 21st century has brought with it many possibilities that weren’t so easily had before. We now can make friends online, more cheaply travel abroad, work from home for clients based abroad, migrate more easily as well as live in different countries for a time because of work or studies. Our babies are literally growing in an atmosphere that is more culturally diverse and global.
With that in mind, raising bilingual kids is becoming more and more necessary.
Some parts of the world, like Asia for example, have it a little easier because learning two languages is already part of the usual school curriculum. But what if it’s not? How do you raise a bilingual child?
Start early.
The earlier your child is exposed to more than one language, the easier they can learn it.
Exposure is key in the early years as babies learn the different words for the same thing, the proper intonation and use of such and then later on, proper grammar. Some may fear that it can confuse a baby just learning to talk. Some studies suggest that bilingual kids may talk a little later (just a few months) because they’re processing more sound differences and associations. However, since being exposed to more than one language creates more language pathways in the brain, babies raised in bilingual or multi-lingual homes are actually able to more easily shift between the languages and learn new ones when they’re older.
That said, don’t ever think it’s too late to introduce a new language. Just go for it.
Enlist the help of your “village.”
It helps a child to have bilingual parents. Or, at least, it’s beneficial to a child to grow up around people speaking different languages. These could be your yaya, relatives, neighbors. Sometimes, it can also mean enrolling your child in a multicultural play school.
What some families do is delegate a specific language for each parent/significant person. It could be the language they speak more fluently or their mother tongue. This person will then only speak said language to the child and train the child to respond in the same language. With babies, you will do a lot of naming things first. Your child will, however, transition from one-word responses to phrases and complete sentences the more they grow up exposed to the language. This is what others refer to as the OPOL (One Person, One Language) method.
To pick up a language, a child needs to be exposed to all learning sources available.
Tap all media.
Exposure can also come from watching movies, listening to songs and reading books in the languages your kids need to learn. This also makes it more fun for them since they also learn the nuances of the language. Don’t worry if they don’t immediately understand what they are hearing or reading. They will, in time, with consistent exposure. If adults all over the world are picking up Korean from all the K-dramas we are watching, what more babies and toddlers with a greater potential to learn?
Designate specific areas for a specific language.
Some families can choose one language to be spoken at home and another language spoken outside the home. In the MLAH (Minority Language at Home) method, parents can choose the minority language or mother tongue of one or both parents. For example, locally, a family may choose to speak Filipino at home and English—possibly their child’s first language—when they go out.
Set a language schedule.
Families may also opt to designate particular times of the day, week or month for speaking a certain language. Try these: Tagalog Tuesdays and Signing Sundays (for sign language!) just to practice and learn those languages better.
Consistency, frequency and practice will dictate how well a child will master more than one language. A great way to let your child practice the languages they are learning is to visit places where said language is spoken by the community. Let them mumble and stumble and actually learn from the locals the proper way of saying something. Before you know it, they will have achieved fluency. By making sure of this, you have not only given your kids an educational advantage (maybe even increased employment options in the future); you would also have strengthened their cultural ties to their family and community.