Bilingual children and the value of languages!

As I wrote in the post "raising children in another culture," raising children in another culture involves many changes and challenges for both parents and children. A frequent concern of parents is bilingualism, but not only about possible language difficulties with the use of two languages, but how to make the child or even the teenager value this new language and realize the benefits that this new language brings and the cultures it gives access to.

To make this new learning enjoyable it is advantageous for the child to perceive this "other" language as a tool to access a whole new world, not just as a language spoken by the mother or father. When exposed to more than one language, children perceive very quickly the value of each one of them and decide whether the effort to use them is worth it or not. As they usually will do the easiest, they are likely to choose the language that helps them out the most on situations that interest them there will be no incentive to speak another language.

When both parents are Brazilian, this task is usually easier. However, the fact that they are both Brazilian is not a guarantee that the child will want to continue speaking Portuguese. When the child enters school and forms a social circle composed only of people who speak the language of the country of residence, the tendency is to reduce the use of the mother tongue. As they grow up and reach a certain age, it is common for some children to refuse to continue speaking the language used at home, even if used by both parents, because they realize that it makes them different from the others around them.

Some strategies that can help your child to become interested in the Portuguese language  is to read to your child, thus developing their understanding and vocabulary. The use of TV shows, movies and even Youtube videos is very valid. Contact with relatives and friends in Brazil is absolutely essential, from a very young age. The language should be associated with people the child likes and the more people the better. Encourage grandparents, uncles, cousins and other relatives to speak only in Portuguese with your child, even if they know how to speak the language of their country of residence. Use Skype for your child to talk constantly with relatives and friends in Brazil.

The schools and groups of Brazilian parents abroad are another excellent strategy, since these have a very important role in the process of valuing the language. Here in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, I know two groups that provide care for children to encourage and / or stimulate the language of inheritance.

These are: The group cirandar https://www.facebook.com/cirandanaholanda/ and Escola Brasileirinhos https://www.facebook.com/Brasileirinhos.nl/.

See you next time,
Laura