In homes where parents are introducing their children to two languages, there are certain strategies that can be implemented to promote bilingual learning. One of these is the concept of one-parent-one-language. This is particularly useful in homes where parents have different native tongues. Say one parent is from the US and the other is from France. The idea is that the US parent will exclusively speak to the child in English. The other will exclusively speak to the child in French. This way, the child is exposed to both languages from an early age.
It’s important to balance bilingual learning.
If the child gains large exposure to English but only mildly exposure to French, they may develop the idea that English is the more important language. French, then, would be seen as secondary. To truly promote bilingual learning, getting the exposure closest to equal is a great move.
We can help.
Author Bio
Cindy Shapiro Tracy is the owner and CEO of International Children’s Books. As a passionate multilingualist, she has made it her mission to share the joy of learning foreign languages – and to make it fun for everyone. Previously, she was in management in the private banking sector, with an MBA from Syracuse University.
After working with the founder of International Children’s Books for over 20 years, she took over the business and now carefully curates the inventory for International Children’s Books, as well as her own foreign language bookstore, World of Reading, which she started in 1989. Since then, she has sold thousands of books to corporate, government, and educational institutions, as well as to parents and eager independent students.
From “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” in Italian to “Green Eggs and Ham” in Polish, International Children’s Books has something to delight every child and adult!