How to Raise a Bilingual Child

Children are like sponges and they absorb a wealth of information around them, therefore it will be effortless for them to become bilingual in no time. According to experts, the best time to start raising your bilingual child would be from birth to three years, because at that point the child would be learning language skills and would be more flexible. Learning a language is not based on structure for children but it is more or less based on daily conversations in real life. The best way to raise a bilingual child would literally be to talk to them. Here are some tips on raising a bilingual child:

Be Well Informed

If is important to use online resources and books to broaden your perspective on ideas pertaining to raising bilingual children.

Ignore People Who Offer No Support

You will also encounter educated people who might have no faith in your skills to raise your child in a bilingual manner. In fact, they might warn you that the child would confuse the two languages. Do not let these comments hinder your goal.




Ensure That Your Focus On Learning Two Languages is Strong

Always remember that the reason why you are raising a bilingual child is because you can expose him or her to two different languages and that the need to do so is organic.

Formulate a Strategy

It is important to create a game plan. For instance you can adopt the ‘one person one language’ approach or the ‘minority language at home’ approach and stick to the strategy.

Adopt Short Goals

It is important for you, as a parent, to seize every day as learning two languages is a long-term process that inches slowly towards the goal. Take small steps and be as consistent as possible.

Take the Consensus of Your Family

It is important to ensure that you have familial support is materialising bilingual skills in your child. Discuss this with your spouse and then go for it.

Be Realistic

A few parents might just consider adding on to the two languages to making the child learn as many as four simultaneously. This is possible, but for this, you have to give ample exposure to grasp the language skills.

Build a Support Network

If you are raising a bilingual child, then arrange for play dates with kids that speak a similar language. Books, movies and toys that speak the minority language are a great way to engage the child. Raising multi or bilingual children is not an easy task and rquries a lot of patience. There might be ups and downs, so just focus on the successes and praise each individual linguistic achievement of your little one!