How to make the most of talking time with your baby
Talking to a baby and with a baby is very important, and bilingual children benefit from engaging with each of their languages on a regular basis.
Track your child’s input in each language with the Language Exposure Wheel
At some point every parent of a bilingual child wonders if there is a special tip to boost one of the languages. There is one very special ingredient that we can all work on.
Living with multiple languages: choosing a strategy for your family
You have met families who swear by the One Parent One Language (OPOL) strategy, and others who only speak the minority language at home, others who speak a specific language only some of the time, and you are now wondering who is doing it right.
Non native speakers can raise bilingual children
Did you know that many of the world’s English language users are not native speakers of English? For so many years language learners have strived to become “like a native speaker”, with flawless grammar and pronunciation.
When will my child start speaking?
Children who develop two languages normally follow patterns of development similar to children who develop one single language. They coo, babble and form early sounds and simple words at first.
Why do you want to raise a bilingual child?
For many parents the first stumbling block is at the very start… is bilingualism a good idea? Is it common? Will my child grow up to feel different from everyone else?
The many benefits of bilingualism
With an ever-growing bilingual population, it is important to be aware of the benefits that bilingualism can bring. This can be helpful for parents, teachers and anyone responsible for advising and supporting those who raise and educate children who speak more than one language.
A language plan for families with a new baby – Step 2
Think about the main carers in your child’s life. What language does each one speak? How often? For what purpose? Is each carer going to address the child in one language, or in more than one? Which language(s) will be used when the main carers are together?
A language plan for families with a new baby – Step 1
Many articles you find around the internet will tell you that there are two or three successful techniques for achieving success when raising children through multiple languages or trying to keep up skills in a minority language.
A key ingredient for language success: language input
Every family’s multilingual journey is unique, and there is no secret formula for success. However, there are some key conditions that can impact children’s linguistic development.