Gables Montessori Blog

RISING A MULTILINGUAL KID

Raising a multilingual child is a rewarding experience but may be also a challenging one. Making the decision responds to a necessity if parents belong to different cultures or also to a simple desire to open up more chances of success to their children. The most important thing to have in mind is that kids “acquire” language, don’t “learn” it, absorbing it from the environment, so the best we can do is to improve conditions and help the child in the process. Of course you can find many obstacles along the way, for example to discover that your partner is not supportive enough because of the feeling of being left out or maybe you are unwilling to speak and exchange words with your child in another language after a long day at work. But they are only little stones along the way, you need to internalize that talking to your child in your mother tongue is something that your child will benefit from. The success is related to many factors. Researchers say that a child needs to be exposed to a language 30% of the day to actively speak it. That means that daily tasks should be developed under this parameter, creating all the time the need in the child to communicate his necessities in the second language. The first five years are crucial. The family must discuss a few issues for example, who should speak what language to the baby or how many members of the extended family are going to contribute to the process. The ideal time to start is even before your baby is born, the younger the child the brain gets used to the words of each language. You must (not ask for opinion) declare your intentions about the education of your child and left the explanations behind. But at the same time you must look for and get the support of others like you to share tips and advices. This kind of network also gives your child the opportunity to speak, to hire and interact with other children in the minority language. Another thing to do is to get relevant materials for your child such as books, music, toys and movies in the second language, these resources should be fun and attractive. Do not despair if your kid begins the school and forget words and phrases, your work isn’t lost, just became a little slower, the task of rising a multilingual person never ends, set your goals, be flexible, remember that  you are investing in the future of your family.

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