12 Tips for Raising Bilingual Kids

1. Introduce the second language at birth or as soon as possible.

2. If both parents speak the second language, they should speak it consistently at home.


3. If one parent speaks the language, he/she should speak it exclusively.


4. Be patient. Some bilingual kids take longer to begin speaking, but soon catch up.


5. Be confident. Research shows benefits and no deficits associated with exposing kids to two or more languages.


6. Be positive. Kids’ feelings about the second language will be shaped by the parents’ attitudes.


7. Be creative. Read books, watch videos, set up pen-pal relationships in the second language.


8. Enlist grandparents or other family members who can insist kids speak the second language with them.


9.Connect your child with other kids who speak the second language – in playgroups, after-school programs or bilingual schools.


10. Use the Bay Area’s diversity. Visit neighborhoods, eat at restaurants or attend cultural events where the language is spoken.


11. If possible, travel to regions where the second language is spoken.

12. Parents who do not speak a foreign language (even those who do) and want to foster bilingualism should consider language immersion schools as one of the best ways to raise bilingual children.

-By Noelle Salmi

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