{"id":36552,"date":"2019-10-25T15:56:09","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T12:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learning-mind.com\/?p=36552"},"modified":"2020-10-09T14:40:33","modified_gmt":"2020-10-09T11:40:33","slug":"bilingual-child-raising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learning-mind.com\/bilingual-child-raising\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Raise a Bilingual Child to Help Them Thrive Later in Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raising a child to be bilingual provides many lasting benefits that will impact all areas of his\/her life. Some of the benefits of bilingualism include broadening a child\u2019s perspective of the world, opening up career opportunities later in life, and having a positive impact<\/strong> on their cognitive development.<\/p>\n

The Benefits of Raising a Bilingual Child<\/h2>\n

According to experts<\/a>, being bilingual can help individuals be better in many different aspects of life. From learning new words, acquiring new reading skills, categorizing words, listening to others, problem-solving, to connecting with others.<\/p>\n

Bilingual children are more likely to have mental flexibility<\/strong> which helps with creativity and outside the box thinking<\/a>. Young children are programmed to absorb language naturally. However, that doesn\u2019t mean that raising them to be bilingual will be effortless.<\/p>\n

There are many benefits to raising bilingual children and it will help them succeed in school. Here are some tips on how you can raise a bilingual child and help them thrive.<\/p>\n

How to Raise a Bilingual Child<\/h3>\n

Early & Constant Language Exposure<\/h4>\n

Constant exposure to language<\/a> is important whether learning one or multiple languages. This is why parents are encouraged to read, talk, and sing to their children. This helps to develop their language skills as they grow. If you want your child to be bilingual, talk to them, read to them, sing to them in both languages. But start at an early age if possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor everybody trying to raise a bilingual child, whatever your background and reason, it\u2019s very important to realize that acquiring a language requires massive exposure to that language.\u201d Erica Hoff – Developmental Psychologist at Florida University<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Children learn through repetition and active engagement<\/strong>. Teach them the names of items around the house. Point to objects in books and repeat the names with them.<\/p>\n

As they get older, create engaging activities<\/a> to reinforce word use around particular subject areas. For example, to learn food-related words, you could have your child follow a recipe and cook with you.\u00a0 Using the language in daily activities helps build their vocabulary.<\/p>\n

Create a Need for the Language<\/h4>\n

According to the Linguistic Society of America, children use language to communicate with people<\/strong> around them. Having a need for language is what helps them to learn and use the language. So if you want your child to learn two languages, create a need for using both languages.<\/p>\n

For example, some parents will choose to speak one language at home. As a result, the child is forced to use this language inside the home to communicate with their family. However, they need to use the other language outside the home where that language may be prominent.<\/p>\n

There are many ways and different strategies for creating this need; find the one that works for your child.<\/p>\n

Choose a Strategy and Be Consistent<\/h4>\n

One of the most important things you can do is choose a strategy for helping your child learn both languages<\/a>. Then, stick to that plan. There are many strategies for raising a bilingual child. Do some research and commit to a strategy that makes the most sense for your family and your goals. Changing strategies or not following one at all, will be confusing for your child.<\/p>\n

Some popular strategies include the following:<\/p>\n