There are no universal rules when raising children, the most important thing you can do as a parent is to provide them nurturing support. The same goes for raising bilingual kids. With multiple language skills, your child has several benefits growing up and in their career. From having an easier time multitasking to being more empathetic, bilingualism provides better competitiveness in a number of fields. Hand your kid Vietnamese books and ensure their exposure to all their languages and cultures. Here are some tips to help you in this rewarding journey.
Speak to Your Kid in Your Native Language
Speak to your children in your own language. The most popular strategy for raising multilingual children is one person, one language (OPOL), which is as easy as it sounds: each person speaks to the child in the same language on a daily basis and does not speak the other language so that the child does not grow confused. Even if you're not fluent in your second language, don't be afraid to teach it to your children. Don't let your fear of not knowing the language keep you from implementing this method. Simply explain it as plainly as possible, and both you and your child will be able to learn and grow together. This works especially well for families who speak more than one language.
Get Vietnamese Books Online
Reading with your children, even for just 15-20 minutes a day, can help build a love of language and boost their brain development. Every day, read to your children, preferably in the Vietnamese language. Planting a love of reading in your children, whether through their bedtime routine or at random during the day, is one of the best things you can do for them. Reading to them every day provides them with fresh vocabulary and exposes them to words they might not have heard otherwise. Continue to read to them even after they can read for themselves.
Award-winning Vietnamese-English Bilingual Children's Books, Audio Books, and Dual Language Picture Books are available at Language Lizard and are an excellent resource for teaching and learning Vietnamese and English as a Second Language.
Use Screen Time Wisely
Make use of media and technology to expose your children to the minority language. Use screen time to your advantage if you allow it for your bilingual kid. Make available screen time in the minority language. Allow your kid to watch programs and play games in the minority language to expose them to it. Don't expect your youngster to learn a language solely through television or media.
Set reasonable expectations for your bilingual children. It is true that kids learn languages more easily, yet they may take their time or mix up the languages. The most important thing to remember is to remain patient. Don't make comparisons between your multilingual child and children who only speak one language.
Check out our collection of Vietnamese learning books for your child here to help them learn Vietnamese in a fun and easy way!
