Language Strategies – Best Methods for Raising Bilingual Kids

 

Language Strategies – Best Methods for Raising Bilingual Kids Learning another language is not something that happens by accident. However, it is not rocket science either. In order to teach young children more than one language, you will need some serious planning. What is the best language learning strategy for raising bilingual children? What methods work well in your family? To help you decide which language strategy is best for your kid, we are going to discuss 4 language strategies, their advantages and disadvantages, and some useful advice for each method.  Learning another language is not something that just happens by accident, but it is also not rocket science. Let's see what we need to do. Strategy 1: One Parent, One Language (OPOL) One Parent, One Language (OPOL) refers to a PERSON who is committed to teaching the language as part of the mamaestra program. Parents who are trying to raise simultaneous bilingual children often employ this language strategy. The OPOL approach involves one parent/person consistently speaking one language to the child and the other parent always speaking the other language. Mothers might only speak English to their children, while fathers might exclusively speak Spanish.   It would be ideal for families in which each parent speaks a second language fluently, or if one parent is learning it with the child (for non-Spanish speakers).   What language should I and my partner speak to my kids? The answer is that the language should be the language that you speak fluently or your mother language. Teaching your strongest language to your kids would help you to transfer the language much easier, and also, your kids can learn the best language skills from you. You will give your child plenty of exposure to both target languages at the same time. Teaching them a second language from birth using the OPOL method, it will reduce confusion or avoid them from refusing to speak a minority language. It may be difficult for your kids to have a conversation with both parents unless you and/or your partner can understand and speak each other's language. You or your partner may not always have time to speak to and teach your child. Let's say you decide to speak Spanish consistently to your child while your husband speaks English. The majority of your time is spent at home with your children. Your husband works full-time and is rarely at home to play with your child. It is possible that your kids will learn Spanish more quickly if you adopt OPOL consistently. As the child goes to school, he/she will be surrounded by the majority language, if you live in an English-speaking environment. The issue is solved. Solution As a result of the cons I mentioned above, kids will naturally start paying less attention to the less-used language, which will result in less conversation and connection with their father. Alternatively, you can use one or more of the following methods below to create a need for your child to use this language in order to improve this situation. In addition, organize a day (weekend) where dad catches up on the language at home. Strategy 2: Minority Language At Home (MLAH) A MLAH method involves everyone in the family speaking the minority language at home and using the majority or community language at school and daycare.   In families that have moved abroad or whose parents speak the mother tongue, this is very common to keep the language and culture within the family. It is also a highly effective and fail-safe family language system. Studies have shown that this method is highly effective. Due to the fact that your child is surrounded by the family language, he or she can learn it quickly.  For immigrants, this is an excellent way to preserve their culture, language, and identity. For kids, it is easier to figure out when, where, and what language to speak. Non-Spanish speaking families cannot use this method, as both parents might not have the same level. While it could be frustrating, it is not stable in the long run. It might lead the kids to feel that this language is not good for public speaking if the parents only speak it at home. Children's identification with minority languages may be affected. There is a possibility that the child will not catch up to his monolingual peers in the majority language. The limited knowledge of the language they have to deal with all day might cause them to feel nervous and have a difficult time. Solutions The MLAH is an effective and useful way to teach your children languages. The advantages and disadvantages of every language strategy, however, should be understood by us, as parents, so we can devise some solutions to address the problem.  You should not only pass on your language to your children, but also your pride in your language and culture to avoid them having negative feelings about speaking their family language in public.  Create fun activities related to your country, language, unique culture, and much more to engage your curious kids in learning your native language. As a result, not just a language, but a stronger connection and relationship is built between you and your children. As a result, the child will not regard the home language as inferior. Nonetheless, it is vital to find nanny's playdates or other types of communities where your child can immerse himself in the community language so he will catch up faster with his monolingual peers and start school more smoothly. Strategy 3: Time and Place (T&P) & Outside Resouce Families A Time and Place (T&P) language strategy involves separating and choosing certain languages used with the child either by time or by place (or both) or assigning a time and a place with special resources to explore the language at home.  Examples of T&P strategy based on the TIME factors: Use only one language in the morning, and another language in the evening Mamaestra encourages per activity, diapers change, clothing change, meal times, etc. Divide the languages into two groups: weekdays and social weekends. Speak one language calendar for example on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and the rest of the week is for another language (one day, one language) Use different languages during alternating weeks or months like immersion programs abroad. Special minority language afternoon activities.  Examples of T&P strategy based on the PLACE factors: Speak one language at home and another in the kitchen or every mealtime with family. Mamaestra Corner, a fully decorated tent with all our materials, music, and toys. Speak one language at home and another at school or the playground. Speak one language in general and another language in a private place in the house which is designated for that specific language. Examples of T&P strategy based on the Outside Resource Family: The planning is easy to adapt for families and the material is easy to follow. Based on the topics they are studying, families can integrate more resources. For families who do not speak Spanish, it is a great choice. It organizes the way native families approach the language. Schedule a time and place that is convenient and comfortable for you to speak a certain language. Changing languages in different places and at different times can help your kids practice more and gain confidence. The whole family learns together. Using this language method teaches youngsters where and when to speak each language by setting a specific schedule before. Cons and Solutions One language may have a limited amount of exposure. When deciding when and where to use each language, parents should be cautious and thorough. This will help to lessen the limited exposure to one language. Parents need to be very consistent with the schedule that they have planned so that their kids won’t be confused. Parents need to be very creative and fun to create excitement for the next class. School-aged youngsters find it difficult to conform to a strict routine. Strategy 4: Natural Mixing Languages Method Natural Mixing Languages Strategy: What is it? Essentially, the parents speak to their children in both languages frequently without making any plans. Families who don't like strict schedules or whose kids don't like those strategies should try this method. Introducing your kids to languages naturally can be achieved by using Natural Mixing Languages.    The most important thing here is to enrich language experiences through play, music, reading books, having fun conversations, and exploring new things about the culture, people, and country. Children will learn faster if they receive more practice and exposure. It all happens naturally without any planning or schedule You and your children will experience less stress and nervousness. This method is ideal for a family where one parent is overworked and has little time to teach the child. If the father is extremely busy, the mother can still use this strategy to teach the children multiple languages. Cons A child may prefer one language over the other, and as a result, one becomes their native language while the other languishes. Solution The two main keys to teaching new languages to bilingual or multilingual children are exposure and need. Natural Mixing Languages may cause your kids to prefer speaking one language (it could be the majority language) to the minority language right from the start. During the time you talk to them, if you feel that one language has less exposure than another or your kids keep talking in just one language that they feel more comfortable speaking in than another, it is now the time you should increase the quality input to your kids by finding more situations where you can speak the minority language to them.  Here are some activities you can do with your kids.  Grandparents or relatives can be contacted via video calls Talk about the videos you watched in your minority language afterward Use your minority language in a board game Get to know your minority language better by learning new songs and reading new books Teaching and playing with bilingual educational resources Make some fun language games and activities for kids to enjoy while learning two or more languages. Create a social circle with your kids. All those activities need to be done together with your children. You should talk and discuss what you are doing with them, listen to their feelings, and encourage them to express themselves in the target language. This is the best way to engage them with the minority language. Language acquisition will be faster when they feel relaxed and excited. There hasn't been a single method or strategy that has been deemed the best for raising bilingual children. Obviously, every strategy has its own advantages and disadvantages, and we should consider these carefully before deciding which one suits our family and supports our children's bilingual language development. In order to successfully raise bilingual children, you will need to invest a lot of time, effort, and patience in making sure they are exposed to both languages. We understand that raising a bilingual child is not easy and we are here to support you and your children.        Mamaestra Course