How to Teach Your Child a Language You Don’t Speak
Raising bilingual children is easy if you are fluent in a second language. From parents, only English women, this requires more conscientious work, although this is not impossible.
In an increasingly global society, foreign languages are critical to success at work. According to NBC News , in 2010, 240,000 different positions listed language as a required skill. By 2015, that number had nearly tripled, with every profession from salesperson to flight attendant requiring at least basic knowledge of one foreign language.
The point is, as Scientific American says , if your child wants to learn to speak fluently, he needs to start learning long before looking for a job: the mind’s ability to understand foreign grammar drops at the age of 10. Yet this is rare for US schools. for students to start learning a second language before age 12 . So how can parents – regardless of where they live or income – introduce their children to learning a foreign language now?
Consider the caretaker does not speak English
Martha Abbott, executive director of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages, says monolingual parents can “explore the possibility that non-English speaking guardians can introduce children to a new language in a very natural way.” In other words, find a bilingual nanny. For those who can afford it, this is a great option, especially if you can supplement your nanny training with a daycare or language immersion preschool. “Young children can imitate what they hear, so this early exposure to a different language is extremely valuable,” Abbott explains, recommending that parents also form play groups with other children learning the same language. Of course, for low- or middle-class families, and those who don’t live on a major metro, trendy schools and home instructors are not suitable. Fortunately, there are several other good approaches.
Go to the library
As American culture becomes a culture of diversity and global readiness, your library may have expanded its multilingual offerings since your last trip. Language teacher and parent Christine Espinar recommends starting with books that focus on teaching concepts such as the alphabet, numbers, letters, and animals. “You can choose bilingual books in which the word appears in both English and the target language,” explains Espinar. Famous fairy tales like the Brothers Grimm and Cinderella were originally written in German or French, so check if the library has versions in the original language. Reading them will be less confusing since your child is likely already familiar with the story. If your library does not have material in a foreign language, ask the librarian to request books from another system through a free interlibrary loan.
Play video and music
Also search YouTube for translated episodes of popular shows such as Puppy Friends and Peppa Pig . The latter is currently available in 21 different languages, with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, Peppa, and George speaking everything from Mandarin Chinese to Dutch andCroatian .
If video isn’t for you, try music. Maria Stein-Marrison, director of the bilingual educational institution Manitou School in Cold Spring, NY, says: “Young children love music and singing and happily sing along to tunes in other languages, especially if they have associated movements.” Something like“Itsy Bitsy Spider” in Spanish , she recommends, is perfect, adding that “early childhood songs have simple vocabulary, effective rhythmic patterns and catchy melodies — and are great for learning a new language.”
Do what you can
Whichever method you choose, Espinar says, “Input consistency is important, so do [your chosen] actions every day.” But don’t berate yourself if you miss a week or two, as Abbott explains: “Any introduction of young children to a different language is valuable.” At the moment, all your child needs is exposure. She doesn’t need to speak fluently by age 10 to say anything else as an adult; she just needs to pick up sounds and syntax in her brain. And if she doesn’t like your chosen language, don’t force it. Learning should be fun. Let your child choose the one he likes to listen to. After all, if she doesn’t like one language, there are 7,096 other languages to choose from.