Bilingualism

The Importance of Using your Home Language

More and more children starting school in the UK, do not have English as a first language. The language of their family may be Polish, Romanian, Kurdish, Bulgarian or one of many other languages represented in our local community. When the child starts school or nursery it may be their first real exposure to the English or Welsh language.

Why is it important to speak to my child in my home language?  

• It is important to provide a good language model for your child. The best way to do this is to speak to them in the language that you are most fluent in.
• It will be easier and more natural for you to talk and play with your child if you are using your first language. Each parent may be using a different language.
• Choosing to speak to your child using only your second language is not helpful and          unfortunately may cause your child more difficulties with learning language.
• The better your child learns their home  language, the easier it will be for them to learn     another language later on e.g. English/ Welsh.
• Using your home language connects your children to cultural traditions and means they will be able to communicate  with family and friends who speak the same language.
• Research suggests that that being bilingual helps children build stronger thinking and problem solving skills and usually results in better academic grades in the long term!

But what about learning English/ Welsh?

Many parents worry that speaking their home language will place their child at a disadvantage when they start school in the UK.  This is not true. If your child has developed a good foundation in their home language, they should pick up a second language quite easily once they start to hear and practise this language.

Will my children get confused learning two languages? 

Young children can learn two or more languages at the same time. They usually learn quickly when they have lots of opportunities to hear and use both or all languages. Sometimes children will use words or phrases from both languages in the same sentence. That’s OK!  It may sound as though they are confused but they are actually learning the rules and vocabulary from both languages and sorting them out in their brains. It is a sign of good learning and thinking.

My child prefers to speak English/ Welsh. What should I do? 

Talk to your children about language; Talk about the special people in their lives who speak your  language, including relatives and friends. Make your home language fun by reading books, singing songs, and playing games in it.  If your child responds in English, repeat the response back to them in the home language so that they can hear a good model.

Try not to be discouraged from speaking to your child in your home language. You will be glad you persevered!

What can I do to help? 

• Tell stories and read to your children in your home language.
• Share rhymes, songs, and poems you learnt as a child.
• Look for fun activities happening in your language, such as story time at your local library, local
•   festivals and cultural events.
• Use your local library and look for bilingual books, wordless books, or books in your home
•   language.
• Watch TV programmes and listen to music with your child in your home language.

Please remember you do not need to be able to speak English to see a Speech and Language Therapist. An interpreter can be arranged for your appointment.