5 Tips for Raising Bilingual Kids

Are you bilingual or even trilingual yourself? Do you want to raise your kid with a second language and aren’t quite sure how to go about it? You’ve come to the right place! Raising bilingual kids appears to be tricky but can be made easier with a few tips and tricks.

Introducing a second language to your child can start as early as their time in the womb and the lifelong benefits that it can provide for your child are unbeatable. Here are 5 simple tips on how to help boost your child’s language skills on their path to becoming bilingual.

You might also like:

• SUMMERLICIOUS: THE ONE VEGAN LIP BALM I CAN’T GET OVER
• LITTLE CAESARS AND IMPOSSIBLE FOODS TEAM UP TO RELEASE VEGAN SAUSAGE PIZZA
• MILKADAMIA’S VEGAN CREAMERS WILL PERK UP YOUR SUMMER BEVERAGES MANY FOLDS
• EDINBURGH SET TO DEBUT 100% VEGAN GROCERY STORE THIS SUMMER
• A VEGAN-EXCLUSIVE MEMBERSHIP CLUB IS SET TO OPEN IN EAST LONDON

5 Tips for Raising Bilingual Kids

Talk, talk, talk!

The most important aspect of language learning? Having conversation! As this is the best way to learn a new language or to practice current language skills, it is essential to get your child talking in their target second language on a daily basis.

Speak it at home with English

Combine your child’s new target language with English in normal conversation. I often speak Franglish (French and English) and when I was growing up, my grandmother spoke to me in Portenglish (Portuguese and English). Hearing sentences with a mix of two languages (one familiar, one not so much) is a good way to trigger their brain to normalize the second language more.

Read and watch cartoons in the language

Thanks to the wonderful world of the internet and Netflix, you can watch your favorite shows in a wide range of languages, including kids shows! I used to watch Spongebob in French when I first was learning the language. Check out either Amazon or your local library to get simple books in your child’s target language as well for bedtime reading.

Find classes for Weekends

If your child has been practicing their target language at home for a while, investing in proper lessons or a tutor might be a smart move. Take a look at what courses your local community center offers as far as languages go.

Find a Native Speaker if you aren’t one yourself

Even if you are near fluent yourself in a language, nothing can ever compare to practicing and learning a language from a native speaker. Whether it’s a family member, a neighbor, or the super-sweet librarian, getting your child to speak in their target language with a native speaker is the best way to help boost fluency!

Are you raising bilingual kids? What tips do you have for other parents wanting to do the same? Let me know in the comments below.