Tips for Raising Bilingual Kids

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Toddler in Brazil on an immersion trip, learning to be bilingual.
My three-year old on a recent trip to Brazil, practicing her language skills.

We live in a multilingual household. While you walk the halls or hear us on the phone, you might hear Portuguese, French, Spanish, or English. When my husband and I found out we were pregnant, we knew it would be a priority to make sure our kids were bilingual (at minimum). Our three-year old daughter is now, gratefully, as fluent in Brazilian Portuguese as she is English.

It was a conscious decision, and required a lot of intentionality to do so. We are continuing to do the same process with our son, and expect him to pick up the second language too – when he can talk! I also fully believe that you can raise bilingual kids even if you are not bilingual yourself. Most of the tips below are relevant to anyone who wants to prioritize this process in their household!

One Parent, One Language

This first tip is for parents who speak more than one language. As we learned about what it looks like to raise bilingual kids in the United States, we knew how important it was to speak the non-English language at home. There are two major ways to do this: only speak the second language, or, do “one parent, one language”. We decided on the latter. At home, my husband exclusively speaks Portuguese with the kids, and I primarily speak English with them. One day per week, we both will only all speak Portuguese (which has helped me increase my fluency as well). It is very important to prioritize the non-English language at home, especially if your kids go to English speaking schools or daycare.

Leverage TV To Learn

We only let our kids watch TV in Portuguese (except for Frozen; and we often watch Encanto in Spanish, because that’s great too.) Disney+ has almost every TV show and movie on its platform in many languages – it’s incredible. For other popular shows, like Blippi, Peppa Pig, and Paw Patrol – we use YouTube, which has plenty of options in other languages. Even Netflix is beginning to have more foreign language offerings for popular shows. Our decision was this – when the kids watch TV, it must be in Portuguese.

Foreign Language Books

It is a little bit harder to find children’s books in Portuguese, though there are some options online, and you can research local bookstores that have offerings. I even saw some in one of our local libraries recently! If you are raising your kids to speak Spanish, it is much easier to find books. The point here is – it’s possible, even if it takes a bit of effort, to build your collection.

Building a Bilingual Community

Whenever I’m at a playground, I listen closely to other parents to see if I hear Portuguese – and if I do, I immediately introduce myself. The more that your kid can play with other kids that speak the same second language, the better. You can also send a note on your local Facebook group page, seeking other parents who are also looking for playdates that prioritize a second language. The more kids can talk to each other in another language, the better! There are also plenty of community centers, daycares, schools, and religious communities that offer activities, schooling, and services in multiple languages.  Do your research, and surround yourself with others speaking a second language.

Learn A New Language

If you are seeking to learn a new language along with your child, all of the above tips apply. I also recommend using DuoLingo to practice daily (the gamification makes it super fun). If you are able to take a family vacation to the country that speaks the language you are working on – prioritize that, as immersion is so helpful. Allow yourself to be a beginner, and start slowly – see it as a family experience of learning and exploration together.

I fully believe that having your child learn a second language is a gift, and increasingly valuable in the world. If you need additional support or tips, please reach out to me at any time. And if you have more resources to share – drop them in the comments. Thank you! Or should I say: Obrigada, Gracias, and Merci!

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