Ask HN: What advice would you offer to parents raising bilingual children?
5 comments
During my Masters in Applied Linguistics I was really challenged in some of my assumptions about this stuff.
The answer is, do not speak anything but the non-local language. If your child tries to speak the local language to you, refuse to give in, literally just feign non-understanding, even if the child knows you speak the local language. Be completely uncompromising.
As to your concerns, don't worry, the evidence is clear, while there is a slight speedbump starting school, kids catch up very quickly. The difference is negligible when compared to the individual variance between different kids in language development.
Accent is a non-issue. Unless you never take your kid out into the local population, their local language accent will be the accent to which they've been exposed to that language. There CAN be some interference in bith directions however. In those cases, you can simply explicitly correct their pronunciation. It will be fine. It will stop being more than a very rare issue once they reach school age.
The bigger question is, what do you do when friends come over? That's something you'll need to negotiate with the child.
Edit: I realise that for a lot of people, this advice seems to be exactly what would be intuitive, however once you're steeped in Applied Linguistics literature, that's not necessarily the case anymore. I post this here to highlught that in this particular context, the intuition most people would have is correct and backed by the literature. Most people's intuitions about language learning are completely wrong-headed I'm sorry to say, but i. This particular case, it's an exception.
Also, question, do you want them to be able to read in the non-local language?
The answer is, do not speak anything but the non-local language. If your child tries to speak the local language to you, refuse to give in, literally just feign non-understanding, even if the child knows you speak the local language. Be completely uncompromising.
As to your concerns, don't worry, the evidence is clear, while there is a slight speedbump starting school, kids catch up very quickly. The difference is negligible when compared to the individual variance between different kids in language development.
Accent is a non-issue. Unless you never take your kid out into the local population, their local language accent will be the accent to which they've been exposed to that language. There CAN be some interference in bith directions however. In those cases, you can simply explicitly correct their pronunciation. It will be fine. It will stop being more than a very rare issue once they reach school age.
The bigger question is, what do you do when friends come over? That's something you'll need to negotiate with the child.
Edit: I realise that for a lot of people, this advice seems to be exactly what would be intuitive, however once you're steeped in Applied Linguistics literature, that's not necessarily the case anymore. I post this here to highlught that in this particular context, the intuition most people would have is correct and backed by the literature. Most people's intuitions about language learning are completely wrong-headed I'm sorry to say, but i. This particular case, it's an exception.
Also, question, do you want them to be able to read in the non-local language?
Just Talk always in the second language and don't accept answers in the first language. The first language they'll learn quickly at school. I've learned a second language with 12 within a half a year.. but, I was raised with melodies of 3 languages.. so .. it's important that the melodies and the words are heard and memorized, because there are studies the older the kid is starting with hearing/talking, the more problematic it is for the kid to learn a language and grammar. One poor girl started with 12 and even the best trainings didn't result in error free language handling.. she never learned her own language.
For me. Learning a third language in school was more difficult afterwards. But not for long. Then the fourth and the fifth followed. So I have a affinity to languages. Or do math with your kid because that's s problem for me hahaha
For me. Learning a third language in school was more difficult afterwards. But not for long. Then the fourth and the fifth followed. So I have a affinity to languages. Or do math with your kid because that's s problem for me hahaha
> I can only imagine how hard it is for a young kid to deal with the differences, accents, making friends, feeling confident...
What are your imagining exactly? My kids are bilingual, have no accents, plenty of friends and feel confident. How would knowing an additional language cause any difficulty there?
What are your imagining exactly? My kids are bilingual, have no accents, plenty of friends and feel confident. How would knowing an additional language cause any difficulty there?
Don't speak English at home. You should not and the kids should not either. It's very easy for kids to forget the second language once they start school. They will want to speak English only and forget everything they ever learned of the second language even if they were at one time fluent in it. If you can get them to read in both languages that will be a great way to expand their abilities in the second language. Bilingualism is a lifelong process. It is a case of, if you don't use it you lose it.
Don't even bother teaching them English. They'll learn that naturally at school, tv, internet, friends, etc.
If you grew up bilingual, what advice would you give to a parent raising a bilingual toddler?