In our increasingly globalized society, your child can gain a significant advantage from learning a second language. However, if you and your spouse don’t already speak another language, raising a bilingual kid can be a daunting proposition.
You can raise a child who is fluent in a second language even if you are monolingual. To learn a second language your child needs to receive daily exposure and practice. Learning programs and media can be a great supplement, but exposure is vital if you want your child to gain fluency.
Raising a bilingual kid will have challenges and requires dedication. If you are prepared for the commitment, keep reading for the best tips, methods, and approaches for teaching your child a language you do not speak.
When Should You Start Teaching a Second Language?
The short answer to when you should start teaching your child a second language is as soon as possible. There’s a reason most of us do not retain any of the second language we study in high school.
As you get older your brain’s ability to learn another language decreases drastically. Starting early will give your child a better chance of gaining true comprehension and fluency in their second language.
Will Starting Early Make It Harder for My Child to Learn Their Native Language?
You may think your child needs to learn their first language before attempting to gain a second, but learning two languages at the same time does not create a problem for children. You can actually start your child with a second language as soon as they begin learning the first.
Introducing a second language at the same time as the first works in the same way you would introduce their first language. At first, you will simply be making your child aware that there are two words for various objects. This will help familiarize your kid with the sounds and ideas of the second language.
Be aware that when you begin teaching your kid two languages at a time, they may show some confusion, such as using words from both languages in the same sentence. This confusion will work itself out naturally! Children are remarkably good at distinguishing between languages.
Starting your kid early with a second language will not hurt their ability to learn the first. It will, however, allow them to take advantage of a time when their brain more easily soaks up language acquisition.
If I Don’t Start Early, Have I Ruined My Child’s Chances of Learning a Second Language?
Although it is recommended to start your child as soon as possible, don’t give up if you did not immediately start your child on a second language! Research shows that if you want to become fluent in a second language, you need to begin learning the language sometime before the age of 10.
Therefore, if you don’t start your child at 6 months, know that you have around 9 more years to get them started without greatly hurting their chances of achieving fluency.
Ways to Achieve Second Language Exposure for Your Child
You probably know from experience that school language programs rarely succeed in teaching another language fluently. So if lessons are not the answer how do you go about teaching your kid to be bilingual?
Well, how do we learn our first language? Our first language is acquired through immersion and communication with people who speak that language. The best way to learn a second language is the same way. Your child needs to be around and talk with people who speak that language.
Wait! The whole point of this article is teaching your kid a language you do not know, so how are you supposed to provide the exposure and practice your child needs to learn a second language?
There is no getting around the fact that continuous exposure is the best way to learn a language, and herein lies the challenge for monolingual parents trying to raise a bilingual child. Luckily there are several different options and methods for giving your child this needed exposure even when you do not speak the language.
Hire a Bilingual Caretaker
If you do not speak a second language, hiring someone who does and will be around your kid for large portions of time is the next best thing. The caretaker does not need to offer your child formal lessons. Simply speaking to them in the second language will create a productive learning environment.
For example, if you want your child to learn Spanish, hiring a babysitter who speaks Spanish and requesting that they only speak in Spanish with your child will provide invaluable practice and exposure.
The ease with which you can find a bilingual caretaker will depend largely on where you live and what language you want your child to learn. In the United States finding a Spanish-speaking babysitter will likely prove much easier than finding someone who speaks Russian.
If you do decide to hire a bilingual caretaker as a way to help your child learn another language, you may want to check their language ability as part of the hiring process. Ensure that they can speak the second language as well as a native speaker and that they do not have an obscure dialect that will not prove useful for your child.
Find Playmates who Speak that Language
Even parents who only teach their kids one language have had the experience of their children coming home and using words they learned from their friends. Kids are going to talk and learn from each other, and you can use this to your advantage to teach your child a second language.
If you can find families in your area who speak the desired language set up play dates and encourage your child to speak with these friends in the other language.
A couple of playdates will not make your child fluent, but it will give them an excellent chance to practice their language skills in a real communication setting. Having someone in their life with whom they communicate in the second language is vital to fluency, even if that person is another child.
Find Other Parents and Groups with the Same Language Goal
In today’s world, the benefits of learning a second language for children have been well-established. You are not the only one seeking to teach their child another language. Finding other parents and social groups also striving to raise bilingual children can be an enormous resource.
Finding a social group with speakers of the second language will give your child a long-term source of language exposure. Thanks to our ability to connect online, finding other families with similar language goals is easier than ever.
If you want to raise a kid who speaks a second language, look into joining online forums and communities with the same goal. They can give you tips and lead you to people in your area who can help your child practice.
Bilingual Education
Once your child reaches an age where they are going to school, you can seek to place them in a bilingual education system to increase their chances of retaining the second language into adulthood.
Bilingual education will give your child the necessary daily exposure and practice, but they do come at a cost, as they tend to cost a lot of money. Most bilingual schools are private, which means you will need to pay for tuition, and a bilingual school may be difficult to find depending on where you live.
If a bilingual education is an option for you both monetarily and physically, then consider planning to enroll your child. You should begin exposure to the target language before sending them to school.
There are also bilingual daycares that can provide early language education before your child is school-age.
Learn the Language Yourself
While the title of this article may be “How to Teach Your Child a Language You Don’t Speak”, learning to speak at least some of the language you want your child to learn will prove incredibly helpful in raising a bilingual child.
Remember that language acquisition relies not just on how much you learn but how much you retain. Learning enough of the second language so that your child can practice new words and establish basic communication with you is a powerful reinforcement.
There are a lot of things your child can learn without any knowledge on your part such as playing the piano or learning to play a sport. However, the essence of language is communication. You cannot truly learn to speak another language without other people.
Since you are one of the people your child communicates with the most, being able to use their second language will greatly encourage your child to use it.
Yes, this will require effort on your part, but raising a bilingual child is a commitment that will require dedication from you regardless. Besides learning a second language can prove beneficial anyway in expanding your communication and working your brain. You will be helping both yourself and your child.
How Much Second Language Exposure Does My Child Need?
As we have said practice and exposure are vital for gaining fluency in a second language. Once you locate a source of exposure for your child, remember that to do any lasting good it must be in large doses.
One hour a week with a native speaker will simply not provide anywhere near the level of practice and immersion language learning requires. Some form of daily exposure is necessary to reach fluency.
For this reason, things such as a bilingual caregiver, learning the language yourself, or a bilingual education will probably prove more effective than having a few friends who speak the language. Unless, of course, your child interacts with those friends daily.
Giving your child enough time and space to use their second language is the biggest hurdle for parents trying to teach their child a language they do not speak. Parents in this situation should make use of extra resources and supplements to give their children varied and extensive language exposure.
Supplemental Methods to Teach A Child a Second Language
While daily exposure and practice are the way children best learn a language, there are other methods you should use to supplement your child’s language learning.
Because language learning relies heavily on not only what you learn but what you can remember providing multiple learning methods will help your child retain more. Learning 100 new words a day does little good if your kid forgets 99 of them because they never use them. Reinforcement is key, and these supplements can help with that.
Media in the Second Language
By far the most effective language-learning resource for children is media in the second language. Music, movies, books, and television shows in another language have proven helpful in teaching a child another language.
Of course, thanks to the internet there are a ton of media options in just about any language, so how do you know what will help your child learn the language? Here are some of the best types of media to help your child truly learn another language.
Fairy Tales
Whether it is through a book, a YouTube video, or a television show, fairy tales are one of the absolute best sources to teach your child another language.
Why fairy tales? No matter what language you speak, stories are a natural part of human communication. Human beings are hard-wired to understand stories. This means that even if they do not understand the words, children can still follow along with basic fairy tales and they will being to pick up the words.
While fairy tales are the best example, this same principle applies to other simple stories. If your child can understand the basic story without the need for words, they will better decipher what the words mean.
Music
Listening to music in a second language can also prove effective in helping teach another language. Similar to the simple story plots of fairy tales, the rhythm of music gives children something to grasp while they are still learning the words.
Children’s songs are often the best thing to start your child with when listening to music in their second language. These songs often have a simple vocabulary and sometimes even use associated hand movements that can provide additional help in teaching.
Movies/Television Shows
Watching movies and television shows in their second language can provide children with a good deal of exposure. It is often easy to find alternate language versions of popular English children’s shows. You can take advantage of a show your child already enjoys by having them watch it in their second language.
How to Make Second-Language Media Effective
Like with everything else we have mentioned, the key to making second language media effective is large doses. One Spanish movie a week will not teach your kid fluent Spanish nor will the three Spanish words taught in an English episode of Dora the Explorer.
To be effective your child needs to be consuming a lot of second-language media. Combining the different forms is the best way to achieve the level of exposure needed. Watch videos, read fairy tales, and listen to music in the second language.
For your child to become fluent in a second language from videos and television shows alone would require several hours of watching a day. This amount of television can have other detrimental effects on your child, which is why it should be a supplement and not the main language acquisition method.
Remember that communicating with actual people is the best way to learn a language, but second language media can certainly be a useful tool.
Language Learning Courses
Once your child is old enough to read and has hopefully learned a good deal of vocabulary and basic phrases in their second language, an official language course can provide much-needed structure to what they already know.
While schools offer programs in various languages, these often do not start early enough to be truly effective and their teaching methods are simply not effective for gaining competency. If you are counting on the school system to teach your child a second language, they probably need to be enrolled in a private institution that specializes in your child’s second language.
Luckily you do not have to rely on the school system to give your child an education in their second language. Here are some great programs that can give your child a strong foundation to go with what they learn from exposure.
Language Learning Designed for Children
These apps and programs are designed specifically for children, which means they teach words your kids will likely use and focus on activity and creativity to keep your child engaged.
- Little Pim: With this program, your child will be guided by Little Pim the Panda in learning a variety of basic words and phrases. The program is available in 12 different languages. It is suited for children under the age of 6 as it focuses on learning vocabulary. It costs around $5 a month or $50 for an annual subscription.
- Muzzy BBC: Available in 7 different languages, Muzzy BBC features a video series and activity that will teach your child while also being engaging. They have different programs for toddlers through teens. They have different rates depending on the length of your subscription.
- Gus on the Go: Gus on the Go is a free app available in 30 different languages! With Gus on the Go, your child will be guided by a friendly owl through various stories to learn a language. Gus on the Go uses the simple plots of fairy tales to teach children a new language, which has been proven to be effective.
Language Programs for More Advanced Kids
This does not refer to how smart your kid is, but rather how far along they are with their second language. If your child already possesses a strong vocabulary, then these programs can help further their learning.
FluentU
FluentU takes the concept of using second language media and does the hard work for you. This program provides real videos in 10 different languages with subtitles and explanations of what is being said. This program is designed for both adults and kids so make sure you pick videos that will be appropriate for your child. Because it uses real videos this program can help your child progress past simple vocabulary to more complex phrases. This program costs $20 to $30 a month.
Pimsleur
With over 50 languages, there is a good chance Pimsleur will have the language you want your child to learn. This program uses 30-minute daily lessons to provide a well-rounded knowledge of a language, which includes reading and writing. The price of this program varies depending on the language. The downside to Pimsleur is that it can be boring, so it is probably best for an older child who will not be as easily distracted. Despite this flaw, Pimsleur uses a scientific combination of teaching methods, which guarantees results.
Picking a Language for Your Child to Learn
If you are monolingual, selecting a second language for your kid to learn may not be as straightforward as a bilingual person teaching their child their second language. How do you decide what language your child should learn?
Do You Have to Teach Your Kid a Language that is Common in Your Area?
Thanks to the internet, it is easier than ever to find resources for teaching your child many different languages. That being said it can be easier to teach your child a language that is common in your area because it will be easier to find speakers with whom they can interact.
Of course, if you want your child to learn a particular language or you live in a strictly monolingual area, you can do it. Just be prepared to focus on locating online resources and communities.
Are There Benefits to Learning a Second Language Besides Communication?
If I live somewhere like the United States, is there any real benefit to teaching my child another language? In other words, if my child does not need another language to communicate is it worth the effort of teaching them?
First of all, remember that our world is becoming increasingly globalized. Even if it seems like your kid will receive no practical benefit from learning a second language, this skill is increasingly sellable on the job market. No matter where you live a second language will likely give your child an advantage as an adult.
Besides being better adapted to our changing world, bilingualism has also been proven to help children in other ways. Bilingual children tend to do better in school. Learning two languages is just good for your brain and thinking ability. Your kid is sure to see benefits even if they do not require their second language to get through life.
Are Some Languages Harder to Learn than Others?
What if I pick a language that is too hard and my kid can’t learn it? Some languages are indeed harder to learn than others, but this has more to do with the person learning it than the language itself.
Language Groups
Languages are divided into groups and families which are interconnected. The image of a tree is usually employed to show the connections between different languages. Languages that are closer to each other on the tree have more similarities such as alphabet and grammar.
Learning a second language tends to get more difficult the farther away on the tree you get from your native language. This is because you will have to learn different grammatical forms and concepts, different pronunciation styles, and maybe even a different alphabet.
Therefore it can sometimes be easier to learn a second language if you select one that has a lot in common with your native language. For instance, French, Spanish, and Italian are all part of a group known as Romance languages. They have many similarities because they each descend from Latin.
English is a Germanic language. Its closest relatives in the major languages are Dutch and German. Surprisingly it may be easier for your English-speaking kid to pick up on these languages rather than Spanish or French.
Language groups begin to impact difficulty more the farther away you get from your native language. The jump from English to Spanish may be farther than from English to Dutch, but it is still remarkably less than going from English to Hindi, which has an entirely different alphabet.
Other Things that Impact the Difficulty of a Language
Of course, the available programs will also have a great effect on the ease with which your child can learn a language. There are more learning resources available for Spanish than for Dutch.
The connection between languages is not restricted to their family groups. For instance, English and French are similar because England and France have had close ties for much of history. Do a little research, and you may find that languages you did not expect are connected.
Don’t Worry Too Much about Language Difficulty
Much of this difficulty with language learning is mitigated anyway if you start at an early age. A native English speaker will find Dutch easier because it adheres to many of the ingrained language rules they have learned with English. If you start early enough your child will not be as attached to the rules of their native language, which will help keep other languages from being so alien.
Conclusion
You can raise a bilingual or even multilingual child even if you don’t know the language! Take advantage of the resources out there, and remember that your child needs to spend a large amount of time with their second language. You will soon be amazed by what comes out of your child’s mouth!
