Baby Yogurt Gerber Two Girls Sitting Together on the School Bus

Bilingual Infant: How to Teach Your Babe 2 Languages


This past twelvemonth, my husband and I welcomed a new addition to our family. While we were awaiting his inflow, nosotros discussed whether or non we'd raise him to be a bilingual infant and speak multiple languages. For this article, I'll telephone call the footling guy our "Niggling Linguist".

First things first: Is it benign to enhance a kid with multiple languages? There are arguments on both sides of the fence. Notwithstanding, according to the majority of scientific studies, teaching your child two languages is beneficial. The benefits of being a bilingual child include:

  • The ability to communicate with extended family
  • Open-mindedness and acceptance
  • Future job opportunities
  • Being a "language friendly learner". They'll detect it easier to learn more than languages after in life.
  • A more diverse cultural upbringing (with literature, films, perspectives, music, games, civilisation, and so on.)
  • An increased power to focus
  • Neuroplasticity
  • Delayed onset of Alzheimer's disease in comparison to monolinguals

Are at that place any reasons non to have a bilingual baby? The greatest argument against introducing multiple languages at a young age seems to exist that pedagogy a child more than than ane language volition misfile them or crusade delays in their learning. But recent inquiry is proving this wrong.

Growing upwardly, I often heard my father complaining the fact that his begetter had never taught him and his brothers Croation (his native language). This had huge touch on on me – and is one of the reasons I'm now learning Croatian.

After hearing my father's story, I swore to myself that I never wanted my children to experience the mode my male parent felt. I never wanted them to experience that I had shorted them in some way by non sharing my languages and cultural heritage. If afterwards on in life they choose not to learn several languages, so that's their determination to brand. Only the to the lowest degree I tin can practice is offer them the languages I speak.

Hither's How to Teach Your Infant Two Languages (or more!)

When it comes to successfully bringing up a bilingual baby, at that place's no 1 size fits all approach. Information technology's all about finding what works best for your situation and your kid.

There are iv methods for raising bilingual kids that seem to be the most widespread, so we'll focus on them and how they tin support your child'due south bilingual development.

Ane Person One Language (OPOL)

The One Person, One Language method is where each parent consistently speaks a different language to the child. This could mean that the female parent speaks her native Portuguese with her children, while her partner speaks to them in English.

This method is also effective when the two languages used by the parents are different to the principal language used exterior the home. In other words, it'south withal okay even if neither parents' language is the majority linguistic communication where the family lives. In the example I used, with a Portuguese speaking mother and an English speaking partner, the family could live in Nippon, and thus, the kid would acquire a third language through school.

The One Person, One Linguistic communication arroyo is often regarded every bit the best method for pedagogy a child two languages because it is believed that information technology results in less mixing. It too ensures that your baby has regular exposure to both languages.

That said, information technology requires a lot of dedication from the parents to avoid mixing languages.

Minority Language at Habitation (ML@H)

While children need back up in every language they speak, many parents notice that a minority linguistic communication needs extra support. When this is the example, many families adopt the Minority Language at Dwelling house approach.

This ways that the minority linguistic communication is used at home by both parents with the children.

For example, both parents speak French at home (whether it is the native language of both parents or not) while living in Germany (where the child learns to speak German outside of the domicile).

Time and Place (T&P)

The Time and Place method is commonly used in bilingual schools. This could mean that during the forenoon, everyone speaks one linguistic communication and in the afternoons everyone speaks another linguistic communication. Alternatively, information technology could mean that Tuesdays and Thursdays are for the bulk language, while Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are spent with the local minority linguistic communication.

Families can adjust this approach as it suits them, and it could even mean a seasonal arroyo. Perhaps the bulk language is used most of the time, while the minority language is used over the weekends or during summer to coincide with a family unit holiday to the state where the language is spoken.

Mixed Language Policy (MLP)

With the Mixed Language Policy, parents use the language that is appropriate to the situation. For example, the bulk linguistic communication may be used to help with schoolhouse projects while the minority language may be used to talk over personal topics.

Teaching a Kid Iii or More Languages

All the methods I've shared so far tin be used to teach two or more languages. There's one more than method for families interested in going across bilingualism and pedagogy their children more than 2 languages.

Two Parents, 2 Languages (2P2L)

The 2 Parents, Two Languages approach is for parents who are bilingual themselves. This may mean, for example, that the female parent speaks to her child in English and German while the begetter speaks to the children in Mandarin and Cantonese.

Combining Methods for Teaching Bilingualism to Children

Each of the methods I've outlined can be combined with one another depending on what is most appropriate for the situation.

Regardless of which method you choose, your child will need as much consistent input and support every bit possible in each language.

If you need help getting started, nosotros put together a few resource to assist support your child'due south language learning:

  • Spanish resource for kids
  • French resource for kids

Our Arroyo to Bringing Up a Bilingual Baby

At home, my husband and I already talk to one another in both French and English. With a babe in the business firm, it has only become a matter of mixing the 2 less ofttimes.

Outside our home, my family unit speaks English while my married man'southward only speaks French. As such, the conclusion to teach Little Linguist both French and English language was easy. For him to be able to communicate with his family, he'd need to know both.

All the same, nosotros decided we wanted to exercise more than to give him every leg up, and so we fabricated the determination to speak to him in Mandarin Chinese, too.

Nosotros are currently using the OPOL method, where my husband speaks to him in French and I speak to him in Chinese. Since we alive in the United states, we aren't too worried about his English for now. We're also certain he'll selection it upwardly from my parents and afterwards on in school.

Of course, every bit fourth dimension goes by, we'll probably need to adjust our methods based on what language support Petty Linguist needs as he gets older. I'thou sure our strategies will constantly evolve as he grows.

What about you? Accept y'all decided to teach your baby two languages or more? What methods are yous using to support their language evolution?

author headshot

Shannon Kennedy

Language Encourager, Fluent in Months

Shannon is Caput Coach for the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge. She is currently based in Southern California where she performs every bit a professional musician. Her passions are cooking, reading, traveling and sharing her adventures in language learning.

Speaks: English, French, Mandarin, Russian, Croation, Japanese

View all posts by Shannon Kennedy

Baby Yogurt Gerber Two Girls Sitting Together on the School Bus

Source: https://www.fluentin3months.com/bilingual-baby/

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