Encouraging a Bilingual Home
I have always been interested in learning Spanish and I would say now I’m about 50% fluent. I usually put a lot of focus on learning for 3 weeks and then give up for 3 months. But now that I have a little biracial niñito, it has become a huge priority for me to bring Spanish into our everyday lives. Growing up I never felt like I had strong ties to any culture or ethnicity, so connecting my son to his cultural background via language is so important to me. I also hope it will help him communicate with his Dad’s side of the family in the future. Both Cris’ littles speak Spanish relatively well but need about the same correction as young english-only speakers do.
Even if English is the only language spoken in your household, there are so many benefits to raising bilingual kids that it’s definitely worth the effort!
Reasons why you should teach your kids more than one language:
It improves not only their literacy skills, but their ability to understand verbal AND non-verbal communication.
It opens doors for your children to have more social, academic and job opportunities in the future.
Greater cognitive control and attention
Create empathy and a larger world view.
Check out more benefits here.
Here are a few ways to encourage a bilingual home without making it feel like school.
LEARN WITH THEM
I know you were maybe looking for an easy out, but if you want to really be able to welcome another language into your home, you gotta be all-in. When you’re willing to be vulnerable and make mistakes, your kids will be more comfortable too! Try and quiz each other in the car or name things you see in the grocery store, and emphasize encouraging each other rather than competing. This is a great activity to spend time together, too!
Buy kids books in Spanish
Or whichever language you are trying to learn! Cris’ kids can all speak Spanish, but haven’t spent much time reading or writing it. We bought a bunch of Dr. Seuss books in Spanish and we take turns reading to the baby at bedtime. This has personally helped my pronunciation a lot because in just hearing Spanish you can miss syllables or misunderstand sounds and keep repeating them incorrectly. Trust me, I feel extra vulnerable doing this, but it is one of the main reasons my Spanish has gotten so much better.
Here’s a link to some of our favorite Spanish Books. These are books we either own or are next on our need-to-read list!
Change your language settings
This works best with movies or cartoons you’ve seen a million times then try and follow along. You probably know the storyline like the back of your hand, so see if you pick up any phrases!
Play Spanish music
Play a Spanish playlist during playtime or cleaning. Your kids will start recognizing the songs and singing along.
Reward their learning
When your kids ask for something (such as a snack) tell them yes, if they can ask in the new language. If neither of you are sure how to say it, look it up together. Your kids will definitely remember if it ends in fruit snacks.
I love building and learning new skills with my family. Let me know if these tips help you teach your kids some new language skills!
In the meantime, mis payasitos y yo will be practicing our Spanish!