Formula for Raising Bilingual / Biliterate Children – The 6 P’s

As I prepare to launch two different series of blog posts in the coming weeks that will assist parents in raising bilingual children in the most enjoyable and productive ways, I have realized that a basic formula as well as an overview of two popular approaches to raising bilingual children would be helpful to my readers in following the upcoming series and getting the most out of them.

Here is my easy-to-remember formula for raising bilingual children:

Passion + Patience + Perseverance + Planning + Partnerships + “Pesos”

 

Embark on a world language endeavor and stay onboard!!

 

If you analogize your language journey with your child to a sailing endeavor around the globe, then you will better understand why you will need the 6 P’s to raise a bilingual child. The more PASSIONATE you are about your world language endeavor, the farther you will travel.  With PATIENCE you will make the progress needed on your journey. PERSEVERANCE will keep you from sinking and keep you sailing. Constantly PLANNING and planning ahead will get you where you want to end up. Building strong bonds and PARTNERING with the people on your vessel will ensure an enjoyable and memorable journey, and of course some “PESOS” will come in handy to buy fuel, food, and supplies along the way.

Bilingualism and Biliteracy:

In my experience, I have seen parents shy away when they hear the expression “raising bilingual children” immediately thinking: “I could never accomplish that feat! I’m not bilingual myself.” Or,  they think that bilingual is overwhelming as they believe bilingual means proficient. In both cases, it is important to note that bilingualism does not always mean proficient or biliterate. Bilingualism is typically viewed as having the ability to use two languages. With respect to children, I would go further to say that bilingualism is having the age-appropriate ability to use two languages. I am hoping that my definition will appease and encourage both sets of parents.

If you have taken the approach of teaching your child your heritage language via what some of my friends call “the organic approach”  by speaking with them, reading to them, listening to music, watching TV shows and movies in the heritage language, as well as traveling abroad to visit and communicate with relatives in the heritage language, then you are successfully raising a bilingual child as long as he has the ability to use both languages. Whether you have planned it or not, your child will most likely and naturally have a desire to become literate in the heritage language as he gets older and is intrigued by the written word.

On the other hand, if your intent is to help your child acquire a second language and become biliterate as well as bilingual, then, in addition to some of the activities listed above, you are probably finding and implementing ways to ensure that your bilingual child learns to read and write at the appropriate time. I have blogged about literacy in the target language in my earlier post: The Right Time to Start Writing in the Target Language

In sum, how or when your child becomes biliterate really depends on your child, his comfort level with reading and writing, and sometimes the complexity of the target language.

Whether or not you are currently promoting biliteracy at home with your child, my upcoming series of blog posts will help you in your endeavor to raise bilingual or multilingual children by providing My Top Ten Tips and Tools for Raising Bilingual or Multilingual Children of All Ages.  Most of which were tested and tried on my children and proven to be successful and fun. (My older child is almost 9, so any tips for tweens and teens will be based on research and suggestions from exceptional professionals in the field of language learning and other multilingual families).

Always remember to keep this endeavor fun for the whole family to get the most out of it!!!

If you have not yet subscribed for your weekly blog posts, this is the time to become a follower by entering your e-mail address and subscribing as you won’t want to miss the upcoming series of My Top Ten Tips and Tools for Raising Bilingual or Multilingual Children of All Ages.

Grazie!

Buon Viaggio!

A Spontaneous French Lesson About Crêpes!

A quick trip to France for breakfast!

Although I had my first crêpe in Argentina followed by crêpes in France and Quebec, my children were first introduced to authentic French crêpes at the age of 2 and 4 in the luxury of their own home.

In order to complement my children’s acquisition of world languages and expose them to other cultures and customs, my family  has  welcomed several au pairs into our home for one-year stints. Our French au pair, Clara, proudly made crêpes for our family shortly after her arrival and voilà, our boys were hooked! After her time with us was over,  my sons continued their French lessons, but crêpes were sadly, no longer featured on our menu at home as neither my husband nor I mastered the “art.” Our subsequent au pairs were from Japan and Spain (more about the language experience with them in later posts).

We recently, and by default, re-ignited our passion for crêpes when my 6-year old son and I were making breakfast on a Sunday morning. He was pouring pancake batter onto the hot griddle when he announced that he wanted to have “one huge pancake”.  As we watched his creation take on the shape of what reminded me of a crêpe, I seized the moment and added “what you’ve made looks very much like what the French call a crêpe.” His eyes lit up as he started to feel that he wasn’t just making plain ol’ pancakes for breakfast any longer; he was making something with a little more flair!  He was still 2 years old when he stopped regularly enjoying authentic French crêpes, and I quickly realized his memory needed jogging.  To that end, a conversation about crêpes, France and Quebec ensued. We naturally transitioned into a simple French dialog about foods, colors and textures, and we “wrapped up” with selecting a local French crêperie we could all go to as a family very soon.  We injected a little French into our day by engaging in a spontaneous and relaxing conversation revolving around what started out as pancakes.

Moments like these are ideal for naturally engaging your child and reinforcing vocabulary learned in the target language. Have you had opportunities such as this to broaden your child’s horizons and help him realize that learning a world language is more than merely learning to speak it? Learning a world language is also learning about tasting, smelling and hearing the flavors, aromas and sounds of another culture. This spin on languages keeps the learning fun and exciting for children.  

Bon appétit!

Paddington Bear – Teach Language and Culture to Children by Reading Paddington Stories

PADDINGTON, the movie, will be opening in the United States on Friday, January 16th. Paddington Bear, a classic character from English children’s literature, is known around the globe and Paddington books have been translated into at least 40 languages. He is a lovable and accident-prone bear from Peru who fortuitously ends up in London and is adopted by the Brown family.

Paddington Bear is still front and center on our favorite stuffed animal shelf!

All the hype about the movie has prompted me to share with my readers how these endearing books by Michael Bond can be an invaluable tool to expose our children to the wonderful world of languages and cultures. Paddington Bear books are perfect for reading to both – children who are learning English as a second language as well as to native (Non-British) English speakers who are curious about how English is spoken in other parts of the world. I highly recommend these engaging, playful and beautifully illustrated books for pre-readers, early readers and independent readers. 

I began reading the picture book series illustrated by R.W. Alley  to my boys when they were about two years old. The picture books are written in a simpler format than the original Paddington novels which are full length chapter books written in 1956.  As my children had already developed a keen ear for language nuances, they picked up on the British English expressions and colloquialisms, learned much about the culture and customs of England as well as geography. If you are not British, yet feel compelled to feign a British accent when reading Paddington books aloud, you and your child will likely find these stories even more delightful!!

Paddington picture books, such as Paddington at the Tower, Paddington at the Carnival, and Paddington at the Palace provide numerous opportunities to talk about the bustling city of London, the red London double decker buses, and the Union Jack. As children travel with Paddington on his fun-filled adventures, they learn what a monarchy is and tidbits of royal protocol; what a Beefeater is and who wears a busby; and new words such as “elevenses”. Children will also discover new locations like Little Venice, London and the inside of the Tower of London.

Our favorite picture books

Paddington chapter books are ideal for children who have developed a longer attention span and can follow more complex plots. They are filled with messy adventures and intriguing elements that capture the attention of children of many ages. These books provide the same benefits as the picture books, but in a more sophisticated manner. For example, the first book of the series, describes in detail South America and darkest Peru and piques children’s curiosity about that region of the world.  The chapter books can be read aloud to children or read independently by children.

Our favorite chapter books

If you would like to benefit from all of the British English expressions and colloquialisms as originally published, then be certain to purchase the UK edition of the books.

Paddington books have been instrumental in furthering my boys’ understanding of the global world we live in.  If one of your goals is to raise a world citizen, Paddington Bear is a great place to start.

Enjoy the movie, but don’t miss out on the books!!!

Cheers!!

Paddington.com