Is your niece or nephew being raised to speak more than one language?

A recent article in the New York Times brought increased attention to some of the potential benefits of being raised bilingual. At one time, it was suspected that being raised in a household where there was more than one language spoken could be confusing for a child and lead to language delays.  Today, the thinking is very different. There is increasing scientific evidence suggesting that children who are raised to speak multiple languages may have some cognitive advantages over their monolingual peers.

According to the American Speech and Language Hearing Association some of the possible benefits include:
- Being able to learn new words easily
- Being able to use information in a new ways
- Putting words in categories
- Coming up with solutions
- Good listening skills
- Connecting with others

How can you help?

Raising a child to speak in multiple languages takes commitment and consistency on the part of the family.  In order to minimize confusion, it is best to identify some type of practical plan. Where will your niece or nephew be speaking each language and with whom? A common method is known as One Person, One Language  (OPOL). If you and your niece or nephew share this special connection and speak in a language different from the language of their community or school, you are helping support their bilingual brains.  As with monolingual children, remember that you are an important language model for your niece or nephew. When you speak, use rich and varied vocabulary and proper grammar. See if you can find books, movies or plays that you can share together in your common language.  If the language you share is not the language of the larger community, maybe you can take a vacation to a place where they can hear this language spoken more frequently.

If you have a bilingual niece or nephew, please let us know about your particular family plan and what your experience has been.


Published: November 2, 2011