How to raise multilingual children

Introduction

Raising multilingual children is easier than you might think. Every day, parents around the world are helping their kids learn another language—and it's not just because they want them to be able to converse with the natives in their new home. In fact, researchers have found that having multiple languages helps kids develop cognitive skills and make them more "global thinkers" later in life. So whether your child is bilingual from birth or only learning a second language now (or both), there are lots of ways you can make this happen!

Talk to your baby when they're in the womb.

• Talk to your baby when they're in the womb. If you are having a conversation with your unborn child and they hear it, they will be able to pick up on words and phrases that you say while they are still in their mother's womb.
• Talk to them in their native language. While it may seem like an obvious choice, many parents think that talking to their baby in English or another language would be best for them because this will help them learn more easily later on when learning other languages. However, studies have shown that babies can hear you talking even if you whisper! So why not talk about something funny or tell a story about how fun things were at nursery? The more often we talk with our children from birth onward (even when no one else is listening), the better chance there is of enhancing linguistic skills later in life!

Dedicate a day of the week to each language.

If you want your child to learn two or more languages, it is crucial that you don't try to do this all at once. Instead of trying to learn Spanish and French in one week (or even months), dedicate an entire day each week to each language.

Don't worry too much about grammar or vocabulary. If your child has trouble with those things during the first few weeks when they are learning a new language, they'll forget them soon enough! For example, if your daughter is starting middle school and wants to take French as her second language class but struggles with remembering what verb tenses look like in French verbs, focus on helping her understand how these tenses work by having them read books together with their mother reading aloud. At the same time, she tries out different ways of pronouncing words: "s'était couché" vs. "s'était couché."

Another way this approach can work well is by ensuring both parents speak one language at home so that both sets of grandparents can help out when needed (though usually grandparents prefer speaking English). This allows everyone involved in raising multilingual children from infancy through adulthood.

Learn the language yourself.

The best way to learn another language is by doing, so it's important that you take advantage of your time in the target country.

• Learn the language yourself. If you don't already know how to speak a particular language, this will be easiest for you—and it's definitely worth trying! You can listen to music and watch movies in that specific language, read books or newspapers written in that dialect, and even try speaking some phrases out loud if they're simple enough (like saying, "How are you?"). In general, though: learn as much about the culture as possible before going abroad; otherwise, it may seem like something unfamiliar when really everything around us is new!
• Read books written in another tongue at least once every day; try not just reading them but also listening so that way over time, we'll build up our vocabulary and improve our pronunciation skills too! This should ideally be done alongside other activities such as cooking meals from scratch using ingredients from ethnic cuisines specific to cuisine types found globally throughout different regions throughout countries worldwide, including Europe/Asia, Africa America, Pacific Ocean Oceanic Oceana, Pacific Oceans, Caribbean Sea Gulf Of Mexico Gulf Stream Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Oceanic Oceans.

Don’t translate everything for them.

One of the parents' most common mistakes is translating everything for their children. This can be a frustrating experience for both you and your child, who may feel like they're being punished for not being able to speak another language well enough.

If you're worried about your child's progress, ask an expert at a language school or center for advice on how to help them learn a new language.

Don’t try to overcompensate.

You shouldn’t try to overcompensate for the language you don’t speak. This can lead to frustration and even conflict, as your child feels like they are being judged for speaking less than perfectly.

You shouldn't worry about what other people think of your child's accent or language skills. While it may be tempting, try not to compare your child with other children who speak better English than they do—or worse yet, have perfect grammar! Instead, focus on building their self-esteem by praising them when they do something well (like saying "thank you").

Accept that your children will speak with an accent in their second language.

• Accept that your children will speak with an accent in their second language.
• Be patient and encouraging as they use the new language, even if you don't understand what they're saying.
• If kids aren't accepting of this new way of speaking or acting, try to find out why and how to help them overcome their concerns.

Don’t make it sound like a lesson.

You know you've got one when it happens. You're reading something that should be in English, and your child says something in Spanish. They might even repeat the same thing, or worse yet—they use a phrase that sounds like English but isn't exactly right (like "I don't want to eat my vegetables today").

What do you do? Do nothing! Don't correct every mistake or give them a lesson by making them repeat the sentence after you until they get it right.

Instead of correcting their pronunciation or translation as though they were testing them on some skill test, try saying something like: "You're right! That's what I was saying too!" Or even better: "That's really interesting!" This will encourage them to keep talking about whatever topic comes up and not feel self-conscious about their language skillset.

Read to your children in every language.

Reading to your children in every language is a great way to help them learn how words work. You can read in the language you're learning and then point out words that are similar or different from what they've just heard. Or, if you're reading something for fun and want to stick with the same language for all of your books, try reading aloud in that language yourself before going on to another one!

If your child is already bilingual (or even trilingual), then it's even easier—you can use these books as opportunities for playtime by mixing up languages with each other! For example: if an animal book has been translated into Spanish but would make sense in English too if phrased differently or used differently (like "Dinosauros"), then try using an English word like dinosaur instead of dino; this will help build vocabulary while also giving kids practice speaking their own native tongue at home—and maybe even setting up some new phrases along the way."

Give lots of praise and encouragement, but don’t make a big deal about it.

If you want your child to become bilingual, the first step is to make sure that they feel loved and supported. You can encourage them by praising their efforts and giving them positive feedback for their progress every day. Don't make a big deal out of it! If your child struggles with one language at first but then picks it up quickly, later on, don't be upset if they take longer than other students in class or haven't mastered every new word right away.

Raising multilingual kids isn't as hard as you might think!

It's easier than you think and not that difficult.

So why do so many people think it's impossible? We're all familiar with the stereotypes: bilingual parents raising children who speak only one language or monolingual parents raising children who speak two languages fluently. The media seems to agree with this view, too—in articles about immigrants in Europe and the United States, we read about how these new arrivals struggle with their children's inability to communicate in their native tongue and threaten them by withholding food when they don't understand what they're telling their parents. But these are just stories—sketches of real-life situations that don't reflect reality!

Talk to your kids in two languages.

You can start to teach your children a second language as soon as they are born. The first thing to do is talk to them in both languages, even if they don't understand what you're saying. If you're speaking English and they respond with gibberish, don't get upset—they just need practice saying words!

By the time a child reaches the age of four or five years old, they may be able to speak his second language well enough that it doesn't interfere with using their native tongue in everyday situations (like at school). But even if this isn't true yet for your child, make sure that you keep talking in two languages until they can do so comfortably on his own.

Once your child has developed an ear for both languages and feels comfortable speaking them without any effort at all (which should take about one year), then it's time for us adults who speak only one language—you know: us parents—to start dropping hints about switching over into our new lingo too!

Use everyday items to help them learn new words.

• Use everyday items to help them learn new words.
• Use toys that encourage language and creative play.
• Read books in different languages together.
• Expose them to multiple languages on TV and online (such as YouTube). Be a role model for language learning!

Play with toys that encourage language and creative play.

Here are some toys that encourage language and creative play:

• You can also use books to teach your child another language. Books can be read in two languages simultaneously, or you can use them to help your child learn how to write in both languages.
• Each toy set comes with various parts, which encourages creativity and imagination as children build things from scratch or make up their own stories about what happens next when they play with these items together (or apart).

Read books in different languages together.

Reading books together can be a great way to help your child develop fluency in two languages. The first step is to read the book in English, then read it in another language. Next, you should reread the book—this time, reading it only in your second language!

Make up your own story using words from both languages, or have them play games based on the story they just read together (in English).

Expose them to multiple languages on TV and online.

If you want to raise multilingual children, the best way is to expose them to multiple languages in their daily lives.

• Watch TV shows and movies in the target language. Your child will pick up on words and phrases while watching cartoons or animated films that are not English-friendly.
• Watch videos on YouTube in the target language. Your child will start learning new words while they're watching a video that has no audio translation at all!

Be a role model for language learning.

You are a good example. When you speak, read or write in the language you want your children to learn, they will see that it's also important and worthwhile for them.

You should also make sure that when you're with them, you speak in a way that is similar to how they would talk if they were learning English or French—for example:

• Use more contractions (e.g., "I don't" instead of "Je ne") because young children tend not to use them until later on; however, if this isn't possible then try substituting other words instead (e.g., "We don't have time"). Be aware, though: some parents feel uncomfortable about using contractions, so again be careful when doing this!

Get a babysitter who speaks the other language.

You should get a babysitter who is a native speaker of another language. This will help your child learn pronunciation and give them feedback on their pronunciation, which is vital for learning a second language. If possible, you should also find a babysitter who can help your child with homework in their target language. It may be easier for them to do their homework when they are not trying so hard at something else (such as playing with the dog).

You should check out this list of websites that match babysitters with families in different cities across America:

• Babysitting Network
• Babysittingworldwide

Let them speak as much of their second language as possible.

Let them speak as much of their second language as possible.

Correct them sparingly, and don't focus on grammar. Just let them speak! If they are talking about something interesting in Spanish, then let that be their focus for those few minutes; don't change the subject to English or ask them to repeat themselves because you want to hear more in Spanish (which will only make it harder for them). Be patient with your child when they are trying to use a new word or phrase—don't get frustrated if she doesn't use it all the time immediately after hearing it! Also, remember that while every child has different needs at different ages, some everyday things may help encourage multilingualism:

Travel together as a family to a place where the second language is spoken if you can.

When you travel, it's good to take your family with you. This way, they can see what the language looks like in person and learn how to speak it. You'll also be able to experience some of the culture and history of that country while traveling there together.

Try visiting family members who speak another language so that both sets of grandparents can help teach their grandchildren about their traditions and customs. If they don't live nearby but would still like this opportunity but don't speak English fluently, consider hiring an interpreter or help translate texts into different languages before sending them off!

With these tips, you can help your children learn a second or even third language at an early age.

• Talk about it.
• Talk about your language.
• Use picture books to help your child learn a new language or introduce them to the idea of languages in general. You could also try reading stories together with them or playing games like "the tower of Babel" using different languages (German, French, and English) as building blocks!

Conclusion

If you want to raise a multilingual child, it's easy. All you need is dedication and willingness—and some help from your friends and family! Just remember that when it comes to raising children with more than one language, there isn't one right way. The best way is to make sure your kids feel comfortable using their second language wherever possible, whether at home or in public. This will help them feel more confident overall, both socially and academically.