Ni Hao Ma, Vanakkam, Apa Khabar! What do all these strange looking words have in common? Yes, that’s right! They are languages – three out of four of our national languages in Singapore. Have you ever wondered what’s in a language? For some, learning a language is an asset. It opens new doors in the job market or enhances your scope in academics. To others, it’s a matter of culture and aesthetics, getting to ensure the continuity of a particular heritage by ensuring that its descendants learn the language. As a parent, have you ever felt that you are not ensuring that your kid learns to speak your mother tongue? Well, let’s allay all such concerns. Here are a few suggestions.
1. Take the lead
Children pick up a lot of their habits from their parents, right? So if you wish to get your kids to be bilingual, you need to start being more bilingual around them. You are the best influencer to your kid.
If it’s your mother tongue or native language that you are trying to get them to speak, then speak to them passionately about the language. Bring in your narratives such as who taught you to speak the language, how you got a stronghold over the language, and how it has helped you in critical situations.
2. Bring out those bed-time stories
This is a good way to go about for your pre-teenage kids. Pick out a bed-time story every now and then in the language that you want your kid to pick up. Stock a mini home library and oh yes, don’t forget to mix the books with an ingenious bilingual flair.
3. Interact with elders who speak the tongue
Ensure that your kids get periodic sessions to interact with your elders or relatives who speak the mother tongue that you want your kids to pick up. Leave some space in your calendars for such meet-ups.
Especially in Covid-19 times, add in routine video calling sessions with your elders and extended family. This will boost your kid’s language learning curves.
4. Alternate language days
Draw up new household language rules so that on specified days, everyone is supposed to use only a particular language. What better way to learn a new language than by adding a fun element to it?
Add some incentive. Within the household, announce gifts for those who show extra diligence in speaking bilingual.
5. Bring out those classic movies and nostalgic TV shows
Pick out the best movies from your mother tongue and watch them together with all at home. Binge-watch old episodes of your favorite TV shows from your mother tongue along with your kids.
6. Family vacations or games with a language bent
Plan a few family vacations to places where your mother tongue is spoken more commonly. Or have some family time and play games! During the family game sessions, try a hand at board games with the instructions and other relevant things in the language you want your kids to pick up.
7. Bring in a culinary angle
Food pulls people together, let alone delicious food that your child likes to eat! Impart some traditional cooking skills to your kids. Cook some delicacies and enhance your kids’ vocabularies – eradicate their fears about language!
8. Engaging discussions at home and introducing them to your culture
Have discussions or talks about interesting topics in your mother tongue along with your kids.
Expose your kids to more things from your culture and enhance their curiosity or interest in the language. Visits to museums and historical places or online videos can help.
9. Participate in online language activities
Try following some good social media handles with creative content in your mother tongue. Sign up your kids for online contests in your language. Don’t take any stress though and just enjoy the events.
10. Make sure it’s always fun
Always remember that the success of your bilingual initiatives will depend on the ability to mix fun with the activities. Make sure that your kid does not get demotivated with the initial difficulties of picking up the language. Encourage them and tell them that they are doing well.
This list would give you some vibrant ideas to check out and try implementing at home. Parents, never forget that you need to take the lead here. So, all the best and happy learning! 🙂
The Benefits of a Bilingual Brain –
Exam Smart Tips
Exam Smart Tip #1 – How to Encourage Our Kids to Speak Better?
Exam Smart Tip #2 – How to avoid carelessness?
Exam Smart Tip #3 – Establishing Routines!
Exam Smart Tip #4 – Let’s Read Carefully!
Exam Smart Tip #5 – Beating the Exam Fever!
Exam Smart Tip #6 – How to Eat Right for the Exams?
Exam Smart Tip #7 – How to Avoid a Meltdown?
Exam Smart Tip #8 – Taking Stress out of Tests
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