BILINGUAL PARENTING

Sometimes bilingual parenting is not a choice. If, for example, the parents or primary caretaker speak a different language than the dominant culture, the child will become bilingual by necessity. On the other hand, some parents who speak the dominant language are very interested in helping their child become bilingual.  

Bilingual can mean different things to different people. For some, it means their child will speak, listen, read, and write in two different languages with equal ease. For others, it means the child will primarily use one language, but might speak or understand a second language. If you are interested in bilingual parenting, you need to first clarify what “bilingual” will mean in your family.

Sometimes parents will introduce two languages to their baby from birth. The mom might speak one language to the child and the dad another. In this scenario, the child would learn to speak both languages simultaneously.

An alternative approach involves allowing the child to become proficient in one native language and then introducing the second language, usually after age 3. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches, and any parent considering a bilingual approach should take the time to research the pros and cons.

Many parents feel that an advantage of bilingual parenting is that young children are able to master the language much more easily and speak it with more of a “native” sound than those who learn the language as older children or adults. Many parents also point to the cultural and intellectual enrichment of speaking and understanding more than one language.

A commonly discussed disadvantage of bilingual parenting, especially when two languages are introduced from birth, is the concern that speech or reading milestones may be delayed as the child works to integrate the two languages in his/her mind. Although there is some debate, the majority of research shows that this is more myth than reality. Children may initially “mix” languages, but they quickly get over this.

It is obviously easier to raise a bilingual child if you yourself are bilingual. But even if you are not, this does not mean that your child cannot learn a second language. You can expose your child to a second language through music and videos, through bilingual friends, and (later on) through some school programs that are designed to encourage foreign language learning in preschool or elementary school.

Here are some links that may be useful to you:

• Multilingual Children’s Association
• Bilingual Parenting in a Foreign Language (aimed at parents who want to teach their children a language that is not the native language of either parent)

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