This article is written by Sandra, founder of Pepe and Tete language school.
For me, growing bilingual and being able to speak and understand more than one language is such a powerful skill.
I grew up monolingual, and I became bilingual many years later when I moved to England to improve my English and ended up staying here. However, now that I’m a mum, we decided that our kids would grow up bilingual, which I think is one of the best gifts we can give them.
It’s not an easy journey, but it’s completely worth it when you see them interacting in more than one language and visiting different countries. As it’s not an easy journey, I’ve put together some useful tips to help you navigate your journey if you are thinking about bringing up your children bilingual.
Some advantages of being Bilingual
There are many advantages of being bilingual, but for me, five of the most important ones are:
- Multicultural: it is very enriching to be able to experience different cultures, not only by travelling to the countries where the language is spoken, but also by talking to your family members and listening to different stories, etc.
- Family cohesion: thanks to speaking more than one language, you can connect better with all the members of your family, so the relationships are more special.
- Cognitive advantages: It’s proven that bilinguals are more creative; they tend to be better able to focus and multitask.
- Educational success: bilingual children are more likely to go into higher education, and by speaking more than one language, they are more successful when looking for a job.
- Health advantages: research shows that bilinguals have less risk of suffering dementia.
Why bilingualism benefits children: Starting early
Infants have an advantage as their brains develop very rapidly, and they acquire language in a seemingly effortless and natural way, whereas a teenager might require more effort and active practising; therefore, the earlier you start, the easier it is for them.
I can see this with my kids, who are only four and six and already complete bilinguals. However, I have always talked to them in Spanish, so they have been very exposed to the language.
Whilst it is best to start at an early age, remember that it can be done, however old you are, and it’s an extremely useful skill to be able to speak more than one language.
Finding the right strategy that works for your family
There are different strategies you can follow to start your bilingual journey:
OPOL- One person, one language. We use this at home. My husband speaks English to our children, and I speak Spanish to them. I always use Spanish with them, even if we are in front of people who don’t speak it, and they normally respond to me in Spanish too.
Minority language at home. This is where both parents speak the same language at home. This method has been proven to be the most successful in keeping the minority language at home.
Time and place. When time is the deciding factor, parents can:
- Use one language during the day and another in the evening.
- Split the languages between weekdays and weekends.
- Speak different languages during alternating weeks, fortnights or months.
Myths about bilingualism
Myths and misconceptions about bilingualism and its impact can have an impact and affect or influence people, causing them to stop speaking the minority language to their children. Below are some of them:
Language delay
This is probably the most common myth I hear all the time, which is not true. Bilingualism doesn’t cause speech delay. If your child has been diagnosed with a speech delay, be assured that it’s not because of listening to two languages.
Confusion hearing more than one language
Children can identify very well who is speaking each language, and they can differentiate between the languages they are listening to. From a very young age, my two sons would perfectly reply to their dad in English and to me in Spanish, so there is no confusion at all. In fact, listening to two different languages all the time since birth is the easiest way to create bilingual success.
Children will learn their parents’ language automatically:
It is indeed easier to learn when they are young, but they don’t learn by chance. They need to be exposed to the language as much as possible and ideally in different situations.
Bilinguals should not mix their languages:
This is also quite a common myth that people believe. However, it’s a normal evolution in bilingual development. Normally, when you use both languages in a sentence, the structure of the sentence is still correct.
To be bilingual, you have to speak both languages perfectly well
This is a very unfortunate myth, as it puts a lot of pressure on parents when they think that if their children don’t speak their language perfectly, they are not bilingual. There are varying types of bilinguals; some can just listen to the language but never reply, others just use some words. It’s not very common to have children who speak two languages at the same level.
You can’t be bilingual after childhood
As mentioned before, it’s much easier when you are a young child, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn a language when they’re older. I know many people, including myself, who have learnt a second language as an adult. It’s never too late, and learning a second language is a rewarding experience.
Head to my website to find out about Spanish lessons for students of all ages.
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