Nowadays we don’t always live close to our families and communities where our languages are spoken. So how can we create opportunities for socialising to help our children speak our mother languages?
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How global forces shape bilingual family life
Raising your kids bilingually can sometimes feel like climbing a mountain, requiring almost superhuman effort. But if we look at the global forces which make some languages more powerful than others, it isn’t surprising how impossible bilingual parenting can sometimes feel.
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Overcoming prejudice and developing pride as a bilingual parent
Speaking our mother language doesn’t always spark joy but can cause discomfort and pain because of how it’s perceived by others. When you are trying to parent bilingually, it can become especially urgent to acknowledge and work through these feelings.
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When the going gets tough with bilingual parenting
Raising bilingual children involves all sorts of challenges. But what if your family has additional complexities which make it even harder to pass on language?
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The different methods of raising bilingual children
Raising your kids with more than one language is easier said than done for many of us. We may have every good intention starting out but soon find it hard to keep up. There are many different strategies you can use. So what is the best approach?
There’s no handbook on how to raise bilingual kids. It can take a lot of effort to pass on language to your children. But you’re not alone. Join host Dr Elaine Laforteza to hear the stories of families struggling with passing on language, and get helpful advice and practical tips from experts including speech pathologists and linguists. Raising children bilingually in English-dominant countries requires persistence and resourcefulness, especially if your mother language is not widely spoken. But it’s worth the effort because the benefits for kids are immeasurable. My Bilingual Family is hosted by Dr Elaine Laforteza. Produced by Masako Fukui and Sheila Ngoc Pham.
South Africa