The Multilingual Parent Marathon.
Hello my Fluent readers!
Welcome to my blog - where I share with you my stories about multilingual parenting.
I know, I know, Language learning day in and day out… not the sprint you signed up for? Well me neither. I thought I would share this list of things to focus on doing to make it clear in my head what activities I can do to get the results I am hoping to achieve. Might I add, only compare notes if you feel that it would be good for you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed (a little out of breath, shall we say?) skip this one. Otherwise please enjoy:
Talk to your child in the language they understand best and help them build upon their existing knowledge of it. This is English in our family and our child reads at a higher level in English than any of his other languages.
Make sure you are using language appropriate to your child's age and level of understanding. Fortunately my French is on the same level as my kids… so this is pretty easy… not sure what its going to look like in the future when he gets way better than me.
Find books, movies, websites, and other learning materials that support a connection between two or more languages. I love this part of language learning because I get to take a break and just enjoy the languages. Multilingual books for kids ARE my obsession.
Play multilingual word games with your child in order to teach new words in multiple languages. Gamification works wonders with kids. I am always trying to make things into games.
Encourage your child to communicate in all of their languages; recognize different expressions and dialects. We love when our little one speaks Moroccan. It’s a real language - it deserves to be in books. It’s so beautiful.
Remember that cultural understanding is just as important as language learning - provide opportunities for them to explore the cultures associated with each language. This can be really challenging from far away. As a rule I outsource moroccan heritage learning to daddy and friends.
Take advantage of technology - apps, videos, tools, and websites can be used to reinforce multilingual skills. #takeabreak in being the active teacher now and then. Outsource, Outsource, Outsource.
Connect with other families who speak multiple languages so that children can engage in conversations with native speakers. There is magic in the big kid who speaks the language you are targeting to learn.
Don’t forget the most important thing. Pat yourself on the back - really a congratulations is in order… this is persistent consistent work is often undervalued and its really important. It’s a marathon. So thank you.
I hope you enjoy this list I put together. Feel free to comment if you want to add or share about your favourites.
-Hannah Burkhardt
