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Tips for parents to help children learn their home language and English

1 Sep 2004

Always talk a lot to your child in your language. Even when the child is too little to understand you should talk to them about what you are doing when you are cooking, writing, shopping etc...
Teach your child nursery rhymes and songs in your own language.
Tell your child stories in your language. Encourage your child to join in with the story telling.
Talk to your children about what they did at playgroup, nursery or school in your language. If they use English words repeat what they have said using your language.
Don't be frightened to use your language in public. If some people don't like it, it is their problem not yours.
Make sure that your child knows the names of the different languages he speaks.
Check that your child knows which language has which name.
Take your child to concerts, plays, poetry readings, films etc. where they will hear people using your language.
Try to make sure your children play with children who speak the same home language as they do.
Find out if there is a community language school in your area where your language is taught. Your child might benefit from attending classes there.
Try to find books written in your language for your child. If there aren't any try to make your own or ask someone else to help you.
Make your child feel proud of your language.
Don't laugh or tease your child because of her accent or if she makes mistakes.

Taken from Bilingual Children: a guide for parents and carers, written by Foufou Savitzky, London Language and Literacy Unit, South Bank University, 1994. Copies of this booklet are available from Avanti Books, phone 01438 747000, email avantiord@aol.com.

Tags: Talk To Your Baby