As the world becomes more globalized, speaking more than one language can be very useful. Having the ability to speak more than one language can provide people with some unique economic and intellectual advantages.
Bilingualism can also be helpful for children with mixed cultural heritage, as it allows them to connect with the different cultures of their parents. Parents who wish to have bilingual children must begin at an early age to teach their children the various languages they want while encouraging them to be open to learning other languages.
Here are some efforts parents can make to facilitate bilingualism in their children.
Increase the language quantity
The quantity of language input children receive from their childhood can have a long-lasting impact on their vocabulary and grammatical development. The better the input, the higher the probability they acquire language proficiency. It has been observed that children who hear a lot of words will most likely have better vocabulary command than children who do not.
So it is advised that parents keep on exposing their children to two or more languages.
Make use of songs
Children love music; parents should utilize this tool to make their children understand first their heritage language and, subsequently, other languages.
Parents should sing and dance to music in their heritage language and other languages, often to their children; this will help them remember essential words from these languages.
Community service
Parents should be on the lookout for schools, child care centers, and playgroups with a lot of diversity and varied heritage. Also, bilingual programs that can be helpful to their children should be considered.
Parents can also set up playtime for their children with other children who speak the same heritage language and a different language from their child.
Lastly, parents should orchestrate visits to speakers of their heritage language and different languages. Touring cities, regions, or communities where a language is widely spoken can increase a child’s interest in the culture and capacity to discuss the speech.
Get professional support
Raising a bilingual child – particularly in a monolingual household can be challenging. So it is advised that parents get professional help to take their child’s second-language learning to the next level.
A professional language tutor can help a child learn or at least be familiar with the basics of another language of interest in a fun and satisfying way. The success rate of this method has been noted to be relatively high over the years, so parents who want their children to learn a second language should use it.
Promote immersion
Parents should utilize every chance they get to promote immersion and expose their children to a second language. For instance, parents should make it a duty to take their children to cultural events and shows to assist them in learning a second language early. When they do not have much time, parents can use the media, like listening to music and watching movies in another language. Doing this can stimulate and expose their child to new vocabulary words, speech structures, and pronunciations.
