4 Strategies for Raising Bilingual Kids, Even If You’re Monolingual

If you are raising young children, you may be aware of the benefits of raising them to be bilingual. Bilinguals are better at complex problem solving and critical thinking skills. Bilinguals also have an advantage in the job market for well-paying careers that demand bilingual and bicultural skill sets.

We all know that learning another language as a child is easier than struggling to conjugate verbs in the past tense form as an adult. If you are not bilingual, there are still ways to give the gift of another language to your children.

Here are 4 strategies to get you started.

1. Watch dubbed television. If your kids watch TV, chances are good that you can get dubbed DVDs or programs with closed captioning. Your children may initially resist the idea of ​​having to watch in another language. As a parent, you can negotiate with them. They can watch 15 minutes in English (or their native language) or they can watch 1 hour in Spanish. This is an easy option for most kids!

2. Care of non-native children. If you need a babysitter or babysitter, opt for a non-native English speaker, one whose native language is the one you would like your child to learn. For very young children, even early exposure to the language can have lasting effects into adulthood. This is because the neural networks of young minds are busy imprinting the sounds of whatever language surrounds the child. You are laying the foundation for a bilingual future!

3. Language camps. Language camps offer children the traditional summer camp experience, but in an immersive environment. These are a great way to get them excited about learning a foreign language. Some even offer family camps, where the whole family can attend!

4. Bilingual immersion schools. Increasingly, public school systems are offering dual language immersion schools. These programs typically offer instruction in two languages, with 50% of each school day devoted to each language. At the end of primary school, children emerge bilingual and biliterate. These are free public schools! Check to see if your school district has one in your area.

Keep in mind that if you start raising your child in a bilingual environment when they are very young babies, this may delay the onset of spoken language. This is perfectly normal as the baby’s brain works out the syntax (structure and order of words) and the sounds of each language. Rest assured, when your baby starts talking, it’s going to be wonderful!