The modern world provides parents with unique opportunities and challenges, especially when it comes to children. One such challenge is raising young bilinguals growing up in bilingual or multilingual families.
Bilingualism is a person's ability to understand, speak and think in different languages at a fairly high level and, if necessary, effortlessly “switch” them.
Children with bilingual skills have advantages over their peers, and their upbringing requires a special approach and increased attention from parents.
In this article, we will look at some of the features of raising bilingual children and the main benefits of bilingual education.
Language environment
A fundamental aspect of raising bilingual children is the creation of a polyglotic environment where both languages are actively used in everyday life. Parents should ensure that children are constantly immersed in both languages so that they can develop skills and switch between languages easily. This can be achieved through the use of bilingual communication in the family, reading books, watching cartoons and TV shows, and communicating with native speakers from different cultures.
Developing a variety of skills
One of the main advantages of raising bilingual children is the powerful development of cognitive abilities.
Research shows that children who speak more than one language are better able to cope with problems, think more creatively, and have better analytical skills. They are also more flexible in thinking and adapt more easily to new situations. These benefits are especially useful in a multicultural and globalized world, where diversity of languages and cultures is an integral part of everyday life.
Social development
Bilingual education also contributes to children's social development. They can easily communicate and build relationships with people from different cultures and speak to them in their native language. This broadens their horizons, instills respect for differences and the ability to interact effectively with others. Bilingual children also have more opportunities for international careers.
Conclusion
When teaching children the ability to think and speak different languages, parents may face certain challenges, especially when the environment does not support this initiative. However, overcoming such challenges is worth the effort. Parents should be consistent in using both languages so that children don't feel pressured or confused.
Raising bilingual children provides them with unique cognitive, social and cultural development benefits. Creating a polyglotic environment and supporting the development of language skills are key factors for successfully raising bilingual children. By teaching a child two or more languages, parents open the door to cross-cultural understanding and global opportunities.
You can also give your kids a chance to learn another language — a programming language.
If you are interested in discovering the world of computer technology for your child, sign up for a free trial lesson at Progkids online school. Here your child will learn how to create games and write code, but if he is also fond of blogging, follows the development of artificial intelligence or loves creativity, he will definitely like it!
Konstantin Karen, Progkids teacher
