can monolinguals raise bilinguals?
Even if neither you nor your spouse is a native speaker of a second language, there are ways to offer your child the benefits of bilingualism.
- • One logical choice is to employ a foreign-born nanny or babysitter who will speak to your child in her native tongue. In many cities, day-care centers with bilingual employees are also available.
- • Consistency is important. Seeking out bilingual playgroups in your area can make regular practice a welcome ritual.
- • If you're really serious, once your children are old enough, you can enroll them in an immersion school, where they will be spoken to mostly (or even solely) in the chosen language. This option often works well because, at this age, children learn as much from their peers as from their parents and teachers. If the school you prefer does not have an immersion program, there are also after-school options, which typically meet about three times a week.
- • Detailed information on immersion programs, exchange programs, and bilingual playgroups and child care can be found at the Multilingual Children's Association's website. The site features tips on getting started (and guidance for latecomers to a language), a classified section for locating resources in your hometown, and a high-traffic forum where parents trade stories and advice.
Coming Soon: Bilingual expert Ayxa Calero-Breckheimer blogs on raising multilingual children. Check back on our home page for details.
