Getting children to love, live and improve their mother tongue
These months away from school may have given families the chance to boost their home languages and we hope that some of the ideas and tips in our blog have helped you along the way. This has not come without concerns. Often parents have been asking us whether using too much of the language of the home would slow down or harm the development of the language of schooling, homework and socialising.
The great news for those who have been immersed in the home languages is that much of what a child learns in one language can be transferred to the other. But there is more good news! Children who are able to use the parents’ native language are also able to connect better with the extended family and with their heritage. And yes, a language is for life! So if your child keeps up the heritage language they will have a secret weapon for life! The more languages you know, the more people you can connect with and having knowledge of the heritage language makes children secure in their identity and in their connection with their heritage.
We could go on listing all the advantages of keeping up two (or more!) languages throughout childhood, but we thought it would be more powerful to listen to what has had (or missed on) a bilingual childhood!
Watch the videos below, produced for International Mother Language Day 2021 and be ready to get goosebumps.
In April our online classes will resume, browse them below, but if you don’t see your language, don’t worry! Fill out the form below and we will try to offer it next term!
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