Raising your children to speak multiple languages can have many benefits. For one, learning a new language at a young age can boost cognitive development, helping them learn other things. Speaking multiple languages is also a helpful skill as they grow older, and it can give them a better appreciation for different cultures. Finally, being bilingual can help your children connect with your family’s history and perhaps other family members.
All that’s to say, raising bilingual children is an excellent idea. If you’re interested in helping your children learn a new language, below are some tips and tricks that can make it easier:
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Work the Language into Everyday Use
Using secondary language in your daily life is the best place to start. If you’re bilingual, talk to your children in both languages. Refer to things around your home by name, have discussions in both languages, buy them video games in another language, etc. If your children respond primarily in just one language, encourage them to use the other.
Often, the best way to learn a language is to be immersed in it. The more you use both languages around the home, the more your children will learn. Take every opportunity to work the language into everyday life, and soon, your children will start to do the same.
If you’re not bilingual but want your children to be, you can still find ways to incorporate the language. You can learn alongside them and practice common phrases each day. Labeling things across your home in the second language is a great way to begin and will help immerse your children in the new language.
Find Language Resources
Next, you should seek out language learning resources to help your children. There are plenty of resources available that can make learning more accessible and fun. For example, many language-learning apps are free to use and turn language learning into a game. You can also find plenty of videos and podcasts dedicated to teaching people a new language.
Another great option is translating things your children love into a new language. Let’s say they have a favorite children’s book or song you want to translate into Vietnamese. You could hire Vietnamese translation services to translate the story or song and give it to your children. This is a great way to get them to engage with the new language, as they’ll be working with something they already enjoy.
Hire a Language Tutor
A great way to help your children learn a new language, especially if you don’t speak it yourself, is to hire a tutor. A language tutor can give your children one-on-one instruction in the new language, focusing on topics that interest them the most. Since they work one-on-one with your child, they can tailor lesson plans around their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, a tutor gives your children someone to practice the language with, which is often one of the biggest challenges of learning a language.
Engage with the Community
If you have a community of people around you who speak the language, work on engaging with them to help your children learn. For example, invite extended family over and have them speak to your children in the secondary language. You can also attend nearby events hosted in the new language. Engaging with a community is a great way to not only learn a language but learn more about the culture behind it.
Take a Trip
Finally, if you can, consider taking a trip to a location where they speak the desired language. For instance, visit Paris or Montreal if you want your children to learn French. Once again, fully immersing yourself in a language is the quickest and best way to learn. In another country, your children will be surrounded by people who speak the language, street signs, restaurant menus, and more, all in the new language. This will help them not only to speak the language but also to read and write it.
Be Persistent with Language Learning
Learning multiple languages takes time. Luckily, it’s easiest to do when we are young as our brains are still developing. Whether you want your children to be bilingual because of your culture or to have an additional skill when they grow up, now is the perfect time to start focusing on teaching them a new language. Hopefully, with the tips and tricks above, your children will remain persistent in learning and develop lifelong skills.
