We are experiencing an unprecedented situation, as we have been asked to stay as far as possible from others, and possibly at home. Sometimes we think that working on language means sitting down and being focused, but actually language is in most of the things that we normally do. All we need to do as parents of bilingual children is to make sure that we are using as many opportunities as possible to use the language we want the child to acquire. 

Language time with toddlers won’t always involve storytelling or naming objects. It can be fun and spontaneous, and most importantly physical! Yes, we may be stuck indoors, but we can still throw small balls at each other and count to 10 in every language.  You can also hide an object and ask your child to go looking for it. While your child searches, you can give clues. If your child is talking, you can get them to give clues or to ask some simple questions (like “is it on the table?). At this stage questions may not be fully “grammatically correct”, but what you are aiming for is language practice, not perfection. Questions are not the easiest structures in many languages, so be patient and let your child make errors. There is no need for correction!