Many children, along with their parents, will be learning a new language when they arrive on their mission field.  While children seem to “pick up” a new language more easily than their adult counterparts, it should not be left to chance.

Here are some hints and tips for helping your children learn another language.

1. Be consistent. Try speaking English in your home, and use your time away from home to practice speaking the new language, in places like the market, the shops, and at church.
2. Encourage your child to keep trying the language. Find some children’s picture books, learn a few songs, rhymes, and games you can play using the new language. Sometimes opportunities to make friendships in the new language present themselves.  Celebrate small efforts and victories.
3. Make it especially fun and rewarding to use the second language. Think of fun places you can visit to use language—depending on your country, places like an amusement park, a child’s museum, or zoo, and praise their efforts when they recognize words on signs or use their language to greet people or ask questions.
4. Be careful not to use punishment and language together. Don’t put down or shame your child for not doing something, or saying something, or making a mistake, especially in front of others.
5. Take advantage of the media rich world in which we live. Computer software and games using the new language, various apps, and depending on the child’s age, perhaps friends they can text in the new language.
6. While media is a great and helpful tool, direct interaction is the key to really learning the language and culture of the second language. Check your new home for opportunities for music, sports, places to make new friendships, and even education, such as nursery or preschool for younger children.
7. If you are in a situation to do so, take advantage of bilingual education. Some towns or cities may have American or English speaking schools that also teach the second language.
8. If you are speaking English in your home, but there is a new language outside your door, make sure you get out and give your children the chance to experience this through sports, church programs, music, and meeting lots of people. You want to make sure your children have the opportunity to learn and use the new language.
9. If your child is going to be educated in the “new” language, realize that there will be an adjustment period where the academics may lag behind for a bit. Learning to speak a new language, and learning to study and comprehend in one are two different things.

Taken from Raising a Bilingual Child by Barbara Zurer Pearson, PhD, pp.156-157

Check out the FB page/website “Multilingual Parenting” for more advice and ideas!

-by Pam Konnerup