Being bilingual comes with a host of benefits for your child. Bilingual children have been shown to outperform their monolingual classmates in their native language. This may be, in part, because being bilingual has cognitive benefits such as improved attention retention and general mental altertness. It also, according to studies, has health benefits such as increased brain size, and the delay of later life illnesses such as dementia and alzheimers. Bilinguals are shown to be more open-minded to new experiences. They also have a leg up on the competition when it comes to several life opportunities such as finding the career they want in the job market, various cultural experiences, and ease of travel, especially global travel. The question, however, is how do you give your child these advantages?
Start the Language Training Early
Regardless of how old your child is, start now. You can never start any earlier than the present, and the younger you start, the better. Introducing a language at an early stage gives your child an optimal chance at mastering that foreign language while growing as it’s been proven that children pick up language training much easier and faster than adults.
Begin with the Basics
Start with easy concepts like colors, shapes, objects, and counting. You can sing songs together in the new language to help your child get a grasp on pronunciation and to remember what they learn. Label objects around the house so you and your child can practice properly identifying them. Among the most effective methods to teach your child foreign languages is through listening to music and watching media in your chosen language. Constantly have music in the background that your child will soon be enjoying while singing along.
Learn Together and Make it Fun
If you learn together, your child benefits from the feeling of teamwork, not to mention learning can be much easier when you surmount difficult obstacles together. Not only does it show your child that they are not alone in this endeavor, but it helps strengthen their skills as well as fosters a feeling of connection. Take activities you and your child enjoy together and translate them into the new language. Play games, read books, and watch television shows and movies in the desired language. See if you can spot any favored phrases together.
Use Online Resources
When you want to teach your child a second language, consider the wealth of online resources that are available to you. You can research various sources to learn from, such as books, shows and cartoons, language apps, games, and activities the two of you can work on together. These resources can not only help you get a grasp on the language itself, but also how other native speakers may speak – you’ll be able to pick up the slang and casual way a native language speaker may actually talk in day to day situations.
Seek Outside Support
Find a language immersion class in your area. You may even find a bilingual elementary school, which has expertise in teaching your child the second language. Look for study groups, in-person or online. If you are not fluent in the new language yourself, these resources will be to your advantage in teaching your child to be fluent.
Bilingual children have a cutting-edge advantage over monolingual children. The benefits include cognitive enhancement, social advantages, and broadened horizons. In addition, you are setting your child up for an advantageous future when you teach them a second language.
