August is Learning at Home month here at Ohdeedoh, and we have been thinking about the various approaches to raising a bilingual child. There have been volumes written on the subject, and all of the experts agree that there needs to be a consensus and commitment among parents and caregivers to devise a plan and stick to it.
In some households one parent only speaks the foreign language and the other speaks English. If both parents speak the same language then they might declare their home an English-free zone and expose the child to English outside of the home. Regardless of the linguistic approach and teaching philosophy, families can use a number of objects and strategies to promote second language acquisition.
- Beef up your media library. Books, music and DVDs are all incredibly effective teaching tools.
- Use flashcards, either store-bought or homemade, and alphabet blocks. Uncle Goose makes beautiful wooden blocks in over a dozen different languages.
- Borrow a page from bilingual classrooms and label everyday objects in both languages.
- Ask capable friends and family to participate in your efforts by only addressing your child in the foreign language.
What else are you doing to raise a bilingual child?
(Image by Flickr member Sistak, licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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My boyfriend is Norwegian, I am German and we do not speak each others languages. We speak English so our kid will probably be trilingual.
He speaks only Norwegian with him, I only German and the kid might pick up the English we use with each other.
We try to be very strict with this.
Dad is the one with the Norwegian
Mom is the one with the German
Between them they speak English.
Great joy.
I'm German, my husband is American. We both speak German with our son, but usually English with each other. I sometimes speak English with my son when we're out with other kids/families, simply because I think it's important that another mom can understand that I'm telling him not to hit etc. :)
Both my husband and I are from Sri Lanka and speak Sinhala. But we mostly speak to each other in English or 'Singlish'. But since our daughter was born we at least wanted her to speak/understand Sinhala, so we speak it to her after 6pm! Its a struggle but we try. She can understand a lot more than she can speak, and sometime she responds to our Sinhala in English.
My kids are 2 and 3yrs old Mexican/Filipino. Their grandparents speak to them in Tagalog and Spanish and surprisely the kids are understanding and respond. at home we subscribe to a filipino channel and my kids love watching the kids shows and programs which are not in english. Since my kids love Dora the Explorer I have them watch it in the Spanish channels instead of regular English programs hoping they can easily pick up and understand and they DO! we've also bought learning DVDs in both languages. But of course we try our best to remember to speak to them in Tagalog and spanish.
Oh, a post worth a thousand words! Commitment is sure the defining one for this subject...
We do one parent/one language, except at the table we all speak French.
For French in the toddler age group, we like the Lauri Prado/Alain Schneider Comptines series of music, and Tchoupi (look on YouTube) videos. We like the Camille and Juliette series of books, and the Tchoupi Apprend a Lire series. Also, the child picture dictionaries are nice.
My best tip is finding other children who speak the second language 100% of the time. Other kids make something cool like no one else. We stop in our tracks and introduce ourselves when we hear a family speaking in French now.
It's a challenge when you live in a country that speaks one parent's language (English) because the other language is such a paltry part of the everyday. I spend a lot of time upping the amount of French in our lives to gain some balance beyond our house, and it gets a little weird. Twice a week, I'm hanging out with French people for playtime, but I myself am not French and the cultural differences are pretty apparent.
I dreamed of a bilingual child avoiding the struggle for fluency I've faced, but I was naive about the degree of sincere, active effort that would be required - from traveling every single year to France, to hunting down other families, to struggling through reading French kids books to her when she picks one (Madeleine is my bane), to speaking in French at the table when I'm really tired. The longer she's with us, the deeper our commitment has needed to become. Let's not even get into my husband wanting her to speak his other two languages!
For Merete - we know a family that is French-Yugoslav and their 5 and 9 year olds speak both languages fluently and English between them, it's astonishing to see. I think you're on solid ground if neither of you speak English, because neither parent's language naturally 'wins'! Best of luck to you!
Thanks for these postings! We're expecting our first and hoping to raise a bilingual (french-english) child.
Anyone have strategies/experiences on using caregivers to help facilitate fluency? Do you make it a priority to hire an (1-2x per week) babysitter who doesn't speak English, or does that not really matter?
And how much time do you think it's important to spend with non-English speaking family? For example, are twice yearly 1-2 week trips to France enough, or should we be thinking of parking the kid in France for the summer to really build fluency?
Finally, any great reading recommendations for raising bilingual kids?
I have done a LOT of reading on this subject since I had my son and I believe that the two most important things that you need are:
commitment - you have to be prepared to work at it if you want your child to be bilingual
need - if your child has no *need* to speak the second language there is a high percentage that they won't.
I am English, my husband Japanese and we live in Japan so Japanese is the community language. English was my sons first language, the one that developed first, since he is with me all day and I speak minimal Japanese it was bound to happen. Since he started kindergarten (Japanese) we have tried to shift the language to only English at home with the exception of daddy reading books in Japanese. As Japanese is the community language we don't worry about that too much, the need is already there, as soon as we step out of the door.
We don't really watch TV, we do have tonnes of books in both languages, we talk to my mom on ichat (video call on the computer) 4 times a week and usually another friend or relative once a week - they all speak English.
The other thing that I think is important is to find a network of friends with the same commitment. We have a bilingual playgroup where all the children are being raised bilingually (or trilingual in some cases). We meet up a couple of times a month and have playdates, parties, picnics, camping trips. The families all have at least one native English speaking parent but we come from all over so it is not just a language exchange it is also a cultural one.
I don't have children yet, but I think it is very important to introduce young children to different languages. I'm from Montreal (French) and have been exposed to English all my life, it was easier to learn it for that reason. I am currently in Brussels and meeting people from all over Europe has made me realise how insufficiently we are exposed to other languages in North America. I meet people who speak 4 languages fluently and dabble in 3 more. This opens doors!
Oh, such a timely post. I speak Spanish, first generation Colombian raised in the US since I was a toddler. My parents only allowed us to speak Spanish in the house bc they didn't want us to pick up on their accent and bad grammer in English and because they wanted us to know Spanish. I never realized how hard they worked for us to keep our native tongue until I had my daughter.
My husband is American and only speaks English. I'm the one who will have to really work on getting my daughter to speak Spanish. My aunt just visited us from Spain and I realized how little Spanish my 2.5 yr old can speak. She understands but doesn't speak it.
I fully agree with Jojoebi that if the need isn't there they wont speak it. It's why I believe my daughter still says "agua" but stopped saying "tenedor". All our American friends know agua is water so they'll pass her water when she asks for it but no one knows tenedor is fork so she says what will get the response she needs.
It's been inspiring to read your posts and to know I'm not the only one in this boat. I will persevere because I will feel like I failed my daughter if I don't pass on a language I know. And I've read of all the benefits a second language will do for developing the brain, let alone a future career.
My wife and I found that being consistent was the most important thing for our two children in learning two languages. When they were little my she spoke to them in French and I spoke to them in English. It was the best way for them to understand that it was two different languages and to not mix them up. Now, they are 6 and 5 and although their French is better (we live in Quebec) they can jump back and forth from one to the other. Learning two languages (or more!) opens so many doors.
Ansela: Wow, your post sounds very hateful on many accounts.
And you have no right to tell someone how they should identify.
And really, come on, my being trilingual has most certainly given me an edge when applying for jobs.
Ansela's comment is overly defensive and completely out of bounds - neither the poster nor anyone in the comments is advocating not learning the main language of the country in which they live - be that English, Japanese, etc. Raising your child bilingually doesn't fragment culture nor does it make the child schizophrenic.
American culture isn't that fragile. Paranoia and xenophobia will hurt a culture a lot more than teaching children multiple languages.
Understanding the structure and vocabulary of multiple languages helps an English speaker understand their own language far better. English is a fabulous blend of both Germanic and Romance languages - it's not a cultural monolith and it's not like everyone in America speaks - or has ever spoken - the "same" English in any case.
But I wanted to comment on the original post b/c I think it's a great one - we're expecting twin boys in a few weeks. My husband is Dutch and I'm American - he'll be speaking to them solely in Dutch and we've got tons of Dutch books, CDs, etc. to help them along. We'll see how well I learn Dutch along with them!
So excited to see you cover a topic near and dear to my heart.
I will add, as others have, that one of the most important strategies to immerse your children in a minority language is for it to be in fun and playful ways. Playgroups are a must! They need to find friends with which they can identify with that speaks his/her language.
Also, find or start a storytime in your target language.
If you have family nearby that speak the language, have them spend as much time as possible with them. Grandparents are ideal!
I have many more tips on the site I co-publish for parents raising bilingual children: http://SpanglishBaby.com
AnSela...so sorry you feel this way. There are a couple books out there you should read about brain development in utero and the first years of childhood. The brain develops even further when learning music, particularly the piano, at a young age....by 4. The brain extends it's ability to learn spacial relationships. A second language does exactly the same thing.
One book you should read is "What's Going on In There". There are also extensive experts in the field who all have come to the same conclusion in their research. I've gotten a good amount of info from NPR and the NYC Times. Many articles have been written on the subject.
All I know from my experience as a former professional athlete who traveled the world over, a successful art director in advertising and film and the creator of an organic childrens line is that knowing a second language has given me many more options and opportunities.
Beside the financial rewards of say being the one to land a large client who has it's own clients world wide and needed a company who was bi-lingual and bi-cultural, I've met many amazing people because I knew another language. And I wish I knew a third so I could continue to meet more.
But if you think America doesn't deserve people like me then you are entitled to your opinion. And, yeah, I consider Spanish to be more important than English which is why I'm so literate in English and have been asked to be a contributing writer to a number of blogs..... blogs in English.
Regarding the post:
I have a friend who actually is trilingual (fluent in Arabic, Swedish, and English), and she is an example to my husband and I who try to raise a bilingual cute little girl. English is also spoken in our home, but if she doesn't catch it yet, she will later in school. Our friend told us from her own experience that speaking so many languages does take time, even for a child (hence the mixing up of all languages, which I personally find funny and tremendously smart). Once she started preschool she learned how to separate them. She did say though that it wasn't easy at first, because of the communication between her and the other kids, but it only took a few months and it was all balanced out.
So, what we learned from this is that it takes persistence, time, and patience. We do our best by using skype, short clips, music, books, and talking to broaden the oh-so-valuable speaking skills that broaden our horizons so well....
----------------------------------------
Regarding Ansela's post:
...you know, I lived in the States for 7 whole years. I know how and why some 'unitedstatians'--as my husband calls them, since to the rest of the world America is the continent spanning from Canada to Chile--think the way they think about speaking the world's language, being "the number one", etc. I know where your fears are coming from.
Cheer up. You know, learning a language broadens your horizons. It shows your interest in others and makes it easier to communicate. You are able to straighten out misunderstandings, which is VERY important, esp. in a country that is going through cultural changes like the US. It lets you read new forms of poetry and even improve the knowledge you have of your own language: my husband can beat most Americans at spelling because he knows Spanish and many of the most complicated English words are of Latin origin. Think words like pulmonary and agitation, poroscopy and Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, which translated to everyday English would be lung-related, stirring, pore-analysis, and lung-ultra-microscopic-quartz-volcano-cone-related-disease respectively.
Historically, there is no country with one specific language in the long run. Native Americans had a large variety of languages, which were supplanted by English. Latin disappeared into Spanish, Italian, Romanian, French, Portuguese, etc. The linguistic world moves relentlessly.
>"Unfortunately that unity is being attacked by people that for their own selfish reasons wish to destroy this country by making it bi-lingual."
I am sorry, but even without 'foreigners' the next generations will speak a different kind of English. Bilingual doesn't mean fractured. Witness many European countries with a long history of multi-lingualism. Closer to home for you, witness the Islands of Hawa'ii.
If a country is divided, this division has little to do with language or with a conspiracy by the language speakers. It has everything to do with ignorance. Think about it, you don't hurt people you know, but it's easy to hurt 'aliens'. In fact, the best thing the USA can do to prevent xenophobia (xeno=species, phobia=fear) is to expose children to different languages and different cultures as early as possible. Traveling, despite your close-mindedness, is a great pedagogical tool to increase empathy.
Great post, my nephew who is entering high school is trying to decide if to continue in Spanish as a foreign language or if he should start to study Chinese because as he said to me when I recently returned from a trip to China – they are big in business aren’t they?….
As an American who is bilingual (not Spanish), I wish I had learned to speak a 3rd or even 4th language. My work takes me all over the world and trust me that there are many places where English is NOT the "world's universal language" as Ansela thinks. Even if I’m traveling to a country that has people who speak some English and menus in English (usually amusing and scary) I try to at least be polite in the local language. People really appreciate the effort as I struggle to say good morning or thank you.
Mommamayi makes an important point, knowing a second language can offer many options and opportunities. I’m glad that even if some adults are still xenophobic, younger people like my nephew are realizing that the world has become smaller and that not everyone wants to speak English with us.
I'm sure this post will get flagged before he or she has time to read it, but you, Ansela, are an ass. Seriously, your post is beyond offensive, particularly toward Spanish speakers--I'm guessing you're from Arizona.
People who only speak English have a major disadvantage here in Europe. Where I live, for instance, most companies require a minimum of three, spoken languages in order to be considered as a candidate. Furthermore, if you only speak one language, it makes it very difficult to advance your career. So yes, I would say that raising a child who speaks one of those "rarely used" foreign languages does indeed give him or her an advantage in life.
I could easily go through and pick apart your post (as you did for mammamayi), but I do not have as much time on my hands as you clearly do.
Ansela, in Germany you would be called a major racist.
Tell us again, please, who exactly do you think you are?
I do not know where to begin, but "destroy this country by making it bi-lingual." ??
Come on! Your online personality is a hoax, right?
Nobody in their right mind would say something like that and mean it.
Either you are dumb f***ed stupid or just plain irrational.
I agree with posts above - regarding Ansela - she picked and throws to bits the posts above hers. You are a racist Ansela and I don;t even know where to begin with you. Multiple languages are a huge benefit for any human being, if they are used in small doses or if they are used a lot. I speak three languages fluently, have switched cultures east and west easily and love hte challenges that multicultural/multiethnical settings pose. I know americans that have never left their own village and can not operate ever out of their comfort zone - that is a life I do not wish to have and it would be death for a lot of people. But if you would like to live the life of an ignorant, feeling supremacist bcs you speak the language that "most" of the world speaks (your words not mine) then go ahead - live that life and do us all a favor, no one here needs your opinions - live happy in Arizona and spend money that you could spend learning a new trade in fortifying the borders - bcs ze germans are coming... ooopps the mexicans in your case.
Returning to the real topic of this post, my husband is english and I am albanian by decent, so the language at home is english. Our son is 2years old and speaks fluent english, up to two months ago he went to daycare full time between 1-2years old and the language there is english - so he was fluent at that. Between months 4-12, my parents helped take care of him and they spoke exclusively in albanian to him, so after his second birthday we went to albania for 2 months and he speaks albanian fluently now - just concerned if he can switch between the languages easily once he goes to daycare. So now I am committed to speak to him in albanian so he can gain a second language. Hoping that next summer we can go to France for three months to visit his uncle and maybe gain french - he has friends that are french speaking.
CONNY _ I LOVE YOU - I couldn't have said it better myself.
I'm American and my husband although born in the US, grew up in Singapore and was raised by a Swiss mother. He knows some German and I know very little. We want to introduce German to our children but being neither of us speak it on a daily basis, it will be tough. My goal is to get some books, cds, movies, etc in German and also enroll my son in a German class. I will also be taking a German class. At this point I think that's the best we can do until we all become more fluent.
@theslickmom: Does your husband speak German or Swiss German? I'm only bringing this up because Swiss German (a dialect), is very different from German. In my experience, children of Swiss parents who grew up outside of a German-speaking country tend speak a bit of dialect, but have very poor German skills. If you're trying to teach your child proper German, but your husband only speaks Swiss German (an unwritten dialect with very different grammar from High German), your child is going to be "es bitzeli" confused.
There is a interesting website about raising a bilingual child that could enlight about the advantages that bilingualism can give and about methods and strategies to make it happen in your child, with other families experiences: http://www.bilingualforfun.com/
Ugh, this is one hot topic... And wow, such hatred in some.
I'm from Finland where we have two official languages. At least along the coast, where most of the Swedish-speaking Finns are located, marriages between the language groups are getting more common as time passes. Even as I grew up, there were many bilingual classmates and those of us who knew only one language from home picked up the other official language rather fast. Language lessons began in 3rd or 5th grade. This might be a bit different depending on what school you're talking about but in general people start learning at a fairly young age.
My sister and I were taken care of during daytime by a Finnish-speaking lady, who taught us the language before we went to kindergarden, but others heard it for the first time years later.
Nowadays it seems like language-oriented kindergardens are fairly popular (you speak the other official language there, not your first one).
Switzerland has four official languages and while they don't have exactly the same type of "mixing" we have, but rather clearer areas where only one language is spoken, I doubt that "inter-language" marriages are uncommon these days. Would be interesting to hear more from the Swiss! My aunt is married to a Swiss, who had to learn "proper" German in school, but they speak Basler German amongst themselves and he makes an effort to clean it up while speaking to the rest of us. I still know my fair share of his dialect though, and oh my when his mom opens her mouth... It's *thick* :)
As for myself, I now speak Swedish, Finnish, English (with my husband), German (also with my husband if he's tired; he's American but lived there for many years) and Danish (have lived in Denmark for years). I also understand quite a bit of Norwegian, some French and Italian as well as speak the latter two on a rudimentary level. I like languages, learn them rather effortlessly and think they give me an edge that not everyone has, just like someone said earlier in the comments. I'd love to learn more French and Italian as well as some other languages too before I die; Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Icelandic, Latin (we even have daily news in Latin in Finland), Japanese, to name a few.
Nowadays, it's not uncommon to meet Finns who master the four languages I mentioned first on my own list. How is this bad? Who is threatened by it? Employers love having better opportunities while doing business and what not, when their people can communicate well with the rest of the continent. Just one example.
It's strongly recommended that parents speak their own first / strongest (if bilingual themselves) language only with their child. This means I'll speak Swedish whereas my husband will speak English. If his first language would have been German, I guess we would have started using that instead of English a lot more to avoid the trilingual situation. My mom is bilingual and she chose to speak Swedish, my dad's mother tongue, and we were angry with her for this while growing up, still struggling a bit with Finnish, but now I'm very happy that my mother tongue is as strong as it is (living in Denmark has messed it up quite a bit with Danish being so close to Swedish).
Stop hating so much and focus on giving what is yours to give instead. If there's nothing else then at least you can give some love. God knows this world needs more of that.
I'm Brazilian (now naturalized American) and my husband is American. Before our daughter was born we decided we would both speak to her in Portuguese only. It was a commitment from my husband since he didn't know much Portuguese at the time but has been learning as our daughter (now 3) is learning. They have about the same vocabulary and we only speak to her in Portuguese.
We also had a Portuguese speaking nanny, as I wanted to keep the house English free for her as much as possible. She got her English interactions outside of the home - at Gymboree classes, playground, playing with the neighbors.
She turned 3 last month and just started preschool. She speaks Portuguese very well, has a huge vocabulary for her age and is picking up English very fast, had no communication problems with the teachers at preschool. She knows enough of the basics to understand what she is being told to do and will now grow her vocabulary in English.
We are very strict with the Portuguese only rule, but it has been working so far. The real challenge starts now that she's in school though, we'll see in a year or two if she is able to keep up with both languages.
I read 2 very good books on the subject that I recommend to all families trying to raise their kids in more than 1 language: Raising a Bilingual Child and The Bilingual Edge.
The hater above should read The Bilingual Edge, but I suspect her opinion is rooted on prejudice and politics, not on real scientific facts about advantages of being bilingual.