The Practical Parent’s Guide to Raising Bilingual (and Happy) Kids
Do you want to know how to raise a bilingual child? Then this guide is for you!
In the modern world, parents like you want to embark on the bilingual journey, raising your kids to speak more than one language and helping them to be proud of their multilingual experience.
Whether you’re a bilingual or monolingual parent, here you’ll find answers to all your questions, including tips to successfully raise a bilingual child and mistakes to avoid.
I also share activities for different age groups, as it is never too late to teach your kid a new language!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 7 Benefits and Advantages of Bilingualism
- Debunking 7 Myths About Bilingualism
- How To Raise a Bilingual Child in 3 Steps
- Bilingual Promoting Activities for Every Age Group
7 Benefits and Advantages of Bilingualism
The research is clear—you won’t find any cons to raising a bilingual kid.
(But you may encounter some common challenges.)
The only disadvantages you’re likely to run across in your research are actually myths that I confidently debunk in this article. Read on to find out.
The fact is, providing your child the opportunity to become bilingual is an investment not only for their education but also for their professional life, social skills, and even health.
It also has a positive impact on your family as many experts agree on the cultural benefits both for immigrant families and families with monolingual parents.
Here are 7 major benefits and advantages to being bilingual.
1. Sharpens Communication Skills
Bilingual kids are better at guessing their interlocutor’s expectations and understanding other people’s perspectives.
My own kids speak four languages and they’re able to switch to another language in the middle of a sentence if they notice that there’s someone present that might not understand what they’re saying.
Simply by virtue of their having to use different languages to communicate with others on a regular basis, they’re quicker to adapt to each social situation using the common language it requires to successfully interact.
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2. Improves Cross-Cultural Skills
Bilingual kids have a better understanding of (at least two) cultures.
They can connect with people from different environments and create a bridge. For example, they might help their grandparents understand the new country you moved to.
3. Enhances Tolerance and Empathy
Understanding different, often contrasting cultures leads to greater tolerance and empathy.
Bilingual kids easily understand that people are different, have separate beliefs, and have diverse aesthetic standards.
4. Encourages Family Cohesion
If your child learns to speak your parent’s language as a second language, it clearly brings your family together.
There’s no need to emphasize how languages improve and sustain important relationships.
5. Refines Cognitive Skills
Teaching your child another language improves their cognition and decision-making abilities.
Bilingual kids tend to be more creative, they focus easily, and are masters of multitasking.
6. Promotes Educational Success
Knowing another language gives your kid an opportunity to take high school exams on higher levels, no matter their system.
Higher-level means additional points that will make them appealing to universities and have less or no student debt.
An additional language on your resumé also gives you more job opportunities and can guarantee a higher salary.
7. Fosters Better Mental Health
Believe it or not, bilingualism helps to delay dementia and Alzheimer’s for up to five years.
There are many studies on bilingualism.
Some of its impacts are slowed memory and reasoning loss and the postponed appearance of symptoms such as anger outbursts, aggression, restlessness, and sleep disruption.
If you want to know more, check out 7 Powerful Reasons Why Bilingualism in Children Matters.
Debunking 7 Myths About Bilingualism
People often say that you’re only confusing your child by adding another language at such an early age. This myth, like many others in this list, make bilingualism seem like a risk to a child’s overall well-being. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Let’s explore these myths and debunk them, one by one.
Myth 1: Bilingual Kids Suffer Speech Delays
Bilingual kids may seem to know fewer words than their monolingual counterparts. However, their vocabulary range is comparable in size but simply divided between two languages.
The myth that bilingualism is the reason for a child’s speech delay is a dangerous myth, as it prevents some parents from seeking professional help for the child.
While “advice” from internet forums may say that it’s normal for a three-year-old to not speak simply because they’ve been raised bilingual, it’s surely not normal and parents should seek professional advice immediately.
The fact of the matter is that if a bilingual child presents a serious delay of speech, raising them in more than one language is never the cause for it.
Read more: Are Bilingual Children More Likely to Experience a Speech or Language Delay?
Myth 2: Too Many Languages Confuse Children
“Kids need to become fluent in one language first, and then learn other languages.”
Do you agree? You shouldn’t.
Being exposed to more than one language from the first day of your life is the easiest path to bilingualism. Human brains are highly flexible and can develop linguistic skills in more than one from the very beginning.
Even small babies can differentiate between two or more languages.
At the age of four, they can easily distinguish between languages and reply in any language they know, depending on what language you speak to them first.
Myth 3: Children Will Pick Up Their Parents’ Languages Automatically
Yes, it’s true that kids learn through observation and listening. But they will not automatically become fluent in the language their parents speak at home, no matter how often they listen to it.
Regular exposure is important, but meaningful interactions and the need to use the language are vital to becoming bilingual.
The community language, or the culture language, seems automatically necessary. However, if you want to establish another language as the “home language” you need to prove its necessity to your child. In order to motivate them to learn the language, they need to see, for example, that it’s the only communication tool they can use with their grandparents or other family members abroad.
Myth 4: Language Mixing (or ‘Code Switching’) is Bad
Upon returning home from school, my kids often talk about their day in Spanish while mixing in English words at certain points.
Should I be worried? No.
Language mixing is normal in bilingual development and, in fact, it just proves how resourceful bilingual kids are.
Bilingual children keep the structure of one language and instantly substitute the word they don’t remember in another language.
Today, my older one asked the younger one: ¿Me puedes pasar ese pile de libros? (“Can you pass me that pile of books?). Instead of using the Spanish word pila or montaña, she used the English word “pile,” which she knows better.
As bilingual kids grow, their vocabulary grows, and their ability to code-switch improves.
Learn more: What is Spanish? Is it a Real Language?
Myth 5: Bilingualism Delays the Child’s Success at School
You have just arrived in a new country and everybody, including the teacher, asks you to stop speaking to your kid in your mother tongue.
Has that happened to you or someone you know?
Don’t listen to the crowd on this one!
Using the minority language at home will not cause your kid to lag in school.
Instead—based on what we know of the cognitive benefits of bilingualism—your child will leap ahead of their peers by forging ahead in both linguistic worlds (at home vs at school).
What’s more, your child’s mother tongue is important for their emotional growth and well-being. It’s a safe space, and it’s important in their development.
Supporting the minority language will only bring advantages to your child’s schooling.
Myth 6: Your Kid Will Be Equally Fluent in Every Language They Know
Ages ago, when I didn’t know as much as I know now about bilingualism, I used to stress out that my daughters spoke better Spanish or English than Polish (I’m native Polish).
Now, I can relax knowing that this is typical.
Bilingual kids acquire new languages in different circumstances. Their set of vocabulary is different because their necessities in each of the languages are different.
For instance, your child may know more cooking vocabulary in your home language, like “pinch,” “char,” or “peel” because they use it at home with you, whereas they’ve never had to learn these words in the language they use at school.
In other cases, children may understand a few languages but only speak one or two of them.
Even still, they may speak with a foreign accent in your mother tongue. Or they may not spell correctly in the language.
Whatever the case may be, it’s normal for their skills to vary within each language.
The good news is that, ultimately, this provides your child the foundation they need to develop these skills later on much more easily than they would were they to start from scratch as an adult.
Myth 7: If You Don’t Start Early, It Will Be Too Late
No, it’s never too late!
If you feel like you’ve lost the opportunity to raise a bilingual child because they’re already in school—don’t fret! It’s still a great moment to start.
While babies seem to acquire languages almost without any effort, your teenager can also learn just with a bit more effort and practice. The advantage in the case of an older child is the ability to use their existing reading and writing skills to build language lessons from.
3 Steps: How To Raise a Bilingual Child
No matter how old your kid is, you can always begin now.
1. Determine Your Needs and Goals
Now, which languages do you want your child to learn?
What fluency level do you expect from them? Is it enough if they understand the other language, or do you want them to speak, write, and read it?
Who will speak to your kid in this language? Is it you, both parents, grandparents, other relatives, or friends?
Depending on this, you’ll see how much language exposure your child will have and if additional resources will be required.
You might need to establish a weekly plan to balance languages.
For example, in my house, my kids have two days for Polish, two days for Spanish, two days for English, and one day for Portuguese (we live in Portugal so they get extra exposure outside of the house!).
They can only read, play, and watch in the language assigned to this day.
2. Choose What Works Best for You and Your Child
As you will see, there are different ways of approaching the journey.
There’s no one-fits-all recipe for raising a bilingual child.What works for you may not work for another family. And it’s important that everyone in your family feels comfortable with the plan, not just your child.
3. Explore Your Language Strategy Options
Your language strategy options are really just guidelines. The fact is, you can adapt them to your specific needs.
Of the following strategies, you can also switch from one to another if you don’t get the expected results. You may also combine different elements from different strategies to create a custom strategy perfect for you and your family.
Pro tip! Don’t forget to inform people that will be involved in your child’s education. And support is essential, but prepare yourself for some resistance. The key is not to give up! You know what’s best for your child.
One Person – One Language (OPOL)
This popular strategy promotes that each parent consistently speaks a different language to the child.
The advantage of this approach is that each parent will be speaking their mother tongue or a language they know well and, as a result, will be able to convey feelings, emotions, and the richness of the vocabulary with ease.
The difficulty of this approach is that parents who don’t understand each other’s languages may find it problematic that they don’t understand what the other person is saying to their child.
The solution would be to make an effort to learn the partner’s language alongside the child or decide on a family language to use in family situations.
Minority Language at Home (ML@H)
This is an easy strategy to follow, especially when both parents speak the same language and move to another country where people speak a different language.
Imagine if you suddenly moved to Mexico with your partner and child—you would still speak English at home!
Your child would pick up Spanish at school, in the neighborhood, and during play with Spanish-speaking friends.
Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these
“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”
– Sharon K, Parent of 3
“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”
– Cindy D, Parent of 3
“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
– Erica P. Parent of 1
Time and Place
According to this strategy, you speak different languages to your child depending on the time and place. It works well when you want your kid to learn more than two languages at a time.
You can use different languages on different weekdays or speak a different language during the bedtime routine.
You can decide on a different language during family trips and shopping. Or simply use one language at home and a different one outside.
You can also have your kid do extracurricular activities in a different language.
It’s a suitable method if you want to add a new language—simply start by choosing a specific time and place.
Two Parents Two Languages (2P2L)
When both parents speak two languages, they can decide to use both of them simultaneously or combine them with the Time and Place strategy.
If you prioritize one language, you may be horrified to discover that you’re using the other less often than you’d like. So it’s important to keep the balance and establish a routine!
Bilingual-Promoting Activities For Every Age
These activities can inspire you to start raising a bilingual child when you’re ready!
- Before your child starts to speak
- Early kindergarten
- Before school starts
- Early elementary
- Nine to twelve years
Before Your Child Starts to Speak
Speak a lot.
Language exposure is very important. Speak to your child in the language you want them to learn as much as possible. Describe everything you’re doing and point to and name the objects around you.
Sing nursery rhymes.
Music and rhythm, plus a quiet night routine, will create a positive association with the language. Learn them first if you don’t know or don’t remember any nursery rhymes. Of course, you can also play the songs, but a recording will never have the same effect as the soothing voice of a parent.
Use picture books.
Start the reading routine early. Later on, you can naturally switch to fairy tales and other stories in the target language.
Early Kindergarten
Keep describing what you do and will do.
This way, your kid will associate actions with words.
Read books and ask questions.
Ask your kid to describe images. Ask simple questions and expect short answers.
Play games in the target language.
Especially games that require the use of language, spoken or written.
Before School Starts
Talk about chores.
Involve your kid in daily chores and describe what you’re doing.
Ask many questions.
Whatever your kid is doing, ask them about it. What are you doing? What are you drawing? What are you building? What colors did you use?
Play “pretend” games.
This will broaden your vocabulary. For example, you can pretend you’re shopping, going to the doctor’s office, eating at a restaurant, going to the airport, or anything you want.
Interact during screen time.
If you allow your kid some screen time, you must establish time in the target language. Remember, interaction is crucial. So, it’s good to watch cartoons and videos with your kid, ask questions about the content, and comment on what happens on screen.
Make bedtime reading a habit.
Your child likely already has preferences, so try to choose books they may be interested in and introduce new topics to enhance vocabulary.
Play “I spy with my little eye” in the target language.
It’s an excellent opportunity to learn vocabulary related to shapes, colors, materials, and objects.
Listen to audio together and discuss.
Make a playlist with songs and podcasts to listen to while commuting and traveling. Don’t change it too often to allow your child time for assimilation.
Early Elementary
Apart from continuing with the activities you’ve been doing, add others, and take advantage of your kid’s reading and writing skills.
Label the house.
Put names on the rooms’ doors, major appliances, etc. You can also add posters on the walls with basic vocabulary such as numbers, days of the week, seasons, weather, etc.
Invite your child to keep a diary in the target language.
It can be something simple, like one sentence and a picture.
Start playing games based on the alphabet.
Everybody says a word that starts with the letter…! Try all the letters.
Make your kid’s weekly schedule and hang it in a visible place.
Of course, you can also do this together. Write the schedule in the target language and use it daily.
Play board games in the target language.
Positive associations with the language will help with the learning process.
Choose a book for your child to read alone.
For greatest success, choose books that are at your child’s proficiency level in the language. Going one level simpler than what they understand is guaranteed to keep their interest and help them learn new words without getting overwhelmed.
Nine to Twelve Years
If your child’s almost a teenager, they can use the language more consciously. However, they also become more demanding in content, so you will need to make more of an effort to keep them engaged.
Work on translation skills.
If you’re studying with your kid, start asking about more specific vocabulary in the target language. For example, “And do you know how to say kidney in…?” If they don’t know, invite them to search for the translation in a dictionary or online.
Keep working on the diary.
You can add more elements like: how did you feel today? What was the weather like? What was your best moment? You can print some questions and paste them into your child’s journal.
Use songs.
Kids at this age already have a favorite singer or band. Research what kids their age listen to in your home country and have fun listening to the songs and exploring the lyrics.
Get some cool comics.
Kids love them, and it’s easier for bilingual kids to follow the plot when pictures accompany it. There are many series for boys and girls that have been published in multiple languages. My older one is in love with Sisters, and we bought the comics for her in Polish, Spanish, and English. She’s so motivated by the story that she will read it in whatever language you give her.
Find a language partner.
Sometimes having a relative speak in their native tongue might not be enough to spark an interest in a language. It’s important to help your kid find friends that speak the same language. You can look for a pen pal, or if you dare, send your kid to a summer camp abroad.
Switch all your kid’s devices to the minority language.
Yes, change the language in their smartphone, iPad, Switch, Wii, or whatever they use.
You’re On Your Way To Raising a Bilingual Kid!
Your child is so lucky to have parents who understand the importance of bilingualism in the modern world.
One day—although it may not look like this now—they will be deeply grateful for all the doors you’re opening for them, thanks to your persistence and hard work.
Remember, it’s never too late to start or get back on track. The advantages of being bilingual are numerous, and there are no drawbacks.
It’s not easy—but it’s worth every minute if you want the best for your child. Prepare your child for tomorrow and give them the best gift of all: bilingualism.
Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these
“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”
– Sharon K, Parent of 3
“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”
– Cindy D, Parent of 3
“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
– Erica P. Parent of 1
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