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Q: Seeking Advice on Raising Bilingual Kids in a Multicultural Family
Hi everyone, We're a Spanish-Chinese family living in China, trying our best to raise our two children (ages 5 and 7) to be fluent in both Spanish and Mandarin. While they're picking up Mandarin quite naturally, Spanish is proving to be a tougher sell. Despite our efforts with language-specific activities and resources, our kids are reluctant to speak Spanish, often defaulting to Mandarin. We're reaching out to this amazing community for advice: How have you encouraged your children to embrace and use a less dominant language at home? Are there particular activities, programs, or strategies that have worked well for your family? We're especially interested in any creative or interactive methods that have successfully engaged your kids with the language. Thank you so much in advance for your help and for sharing your experiences. We're eager to learn from you and to find new ways to make Spanish a more integral part of our children's lives. Warm regards, L
5 weeks 3 days ago in Teaching & Learning - Changsha
I'd say, try and always speak Spanish with kids as a rule.
Never mind if they're replying in Mandarin, just stay consistent with Spanish.
If possible, you and your husband both should speak Spanish with kids.
No worries for kids' Mandarin learning, they are doing it natural way and soon they'll be able to teach you thing or two about the Mandarin.
The thingy is, young kids when they're learning different languages, they learn it as only one language.
That's the main reason kids are fairly fast learners of two or more different languages in the same time.
Just be persistent with Spanish at all or most of your conversation with kids.
Good luck!
Hey there! I totally get where you're coming from, and I've got a couple of suggestions that might help. First off, have you tried Diluu? It's this cool online platform where kids can learn Spanish through games. Mine absolutely love it because it doesn't feel like learning; it's more like they're just having fun. Plus, they get to meet other kids from all over who are learning Spanish too, which is pretty neat for making friends and practicing the language in a super chill way. You can check their Spanish classes here. Also, have you thought about theme days? Like, making Fridays "Spanish Day" at home where you cook Spanish food, listen to Spanish music, and maybe watch a Spanish movie in the evening? It's a fun way to immerse the kids in the culture and language without it feeling forced. Hope this helps a bit! Hang in there; you're doing great.
I'd say, try and always speak Spanish with kids as a rule.
Never mind if they're replying in Mandarin, just stay consistent with Spanish.
If possible, you and your husband both should speak Spanish with kids.
No worries for kids' Mandarin learning, they are doing it natural way and soon they'll be able to teach you thing or two about the Mandarin.
The thingy is, young kids when they're learning different languages, they learn it as only one language.
That's the main reason kids are fairly fast learners of two or more different languages in the same time.
Just be persistent with Spanish at all or most of your conversation with kids.
Good luck!
