A Parent's Guide
6
How can we support and foster the school (and family) language at home?
We live in a multilingual world. Family and school language are both part of a child's reality. Children usually have access to both at home, e.g. via media use. As a parent, you are invited not to reject or exclude languages at home, neither the family language nor the school language. It is essential for the child to get the feeling that all languages are welcome and valued by the family, even if the family language is probably - and rightfully so - more in use and supported at home.
Here are some examples that may give you an idea of how to easily and playfully support the school language at home without neglecting the family language.
Example 1:
Aaron (4 years old) is returning from kindergarten with a new song he learned in the morning. His mum is a little bit confused at first. She heard the song often a long time ago, but never with lyrics other than those of her family language. Aaron sings the words in the school language, which she neither understands nor speaks well. At home, they usually all speak the family language.
Such little incidents happen more often than one would expect. But how do you react to it? For her to show that she values the school language, one possible reaction could be to actively listen to the "school language version" Aaron is singing and then direct Aaron's focus toward the version in their common family language. They could sing both versions together, or Aaron could sing one version and his mum the other. This way, they both could profit. Aaron could also learn the lyrics in the family language and even proudly present them in kindergarten the next day. His mum could learn a few new words in the school language. Such short encounters are quality time spent with your child and simultaneously a wonderful opportunity to support language learning playfully.
Example 2:
Nina (3 years old) wants her dad to read her a book, which they got from their neighbour Max (4 years old) as a present. The book is written in the school language, but at home, they speak only their family language. Her dad does not understand or speak the school language well, but he has started taking classes to learn it.
Her dad could read the book to Nina in the school language. Nina may even insist that her dad read the book precisely as she was listening to it when Max's mum read it once to her and Max. At a later point, Nina and her dad could retell the story in their common family language and even add some details or discuss the story. This way, no language gets rejected.
The same applies to the growing use of apps. Gaming or educational apps are not developed and published in every language. As a parent, you can show that you value the school language by exploring media presented in the school language with your child. You can ask your children's teachers or other parents if they know apps to help explore the school language.
Example 3:
Sanaa (5 years old) fled Syria to the EU with her family. They live in a shared accommodation for refugees. She has yet to visit kindergarten. Furthermore, almost none of the other children or families in the accommodation speak the school language. As a result, access to the school language is extremely limited. In one year, she will have to go to school without knowledge of the school language. Her older brother is currently receiving language promotion to prepare for school. He struggles with the school language and understanding what the teachers say. In the afternoon, they watch animated videos for children in the school language together to get used to it. Their mother sits close by and listens to them, too.
As a parent, you are invited to use your family language and be open to the school language as soon as possible because the school language will be essential for your child's further educational and professional success. The school language will also be essential for integrating into the surrounding society. Most books and media presented to your child will be in the school language. Peers will likely be multilingual, and their common language for communication will probably be the school language. The earlier your child gets access to the school language, the more time your child will have to learn it before school starts and the better prepared your child will be when entering school. Parents can facilitate and accelerate access to the school language and even profit themselves by learning alongside their children.
More ways to promote school (and family) language at home:
- Have a positive attitude towards all languages.
- Bilingual books at home to alternate between languages when needed or wished for.
- Have peers around who are native speakers of the school language.
- Have peers around who are native speakers of the family language.
- Recreation activities with your child in a context where the school language is used. This way, it becomes a language immersion situation for the whole family (e.g. child theatre, visits to the public library, sports events for children, etc.)
- Use different media for your child to get early access to school language, like audiobooks, songs, rhymes, or even little videos when appropriate. The same applies also to media use in the family language.
- Stay close to your child and learn alongside them when they are getting access to the school language, e.g. through media use.
- Praise any progress your child makes in any language.
This way, even as a non-native speaker of the school language, parents can help their children get better access to it. However, neglecting the family language in this process is not recommended. Family language should not lose its importance.
The key to language development – regardless of family or school language – is a learning environment with lots of authentic conversation involving as many words and expressions as possible, varied stimulation and the feeling that all languages are valued and accepted. A lot of strategies may be followed and are suitable, as long as you do not force to use or even punish your child for not using one language or the other. Language support should be ideally playful, unforced and implicit, as well as linked to positive experiences for the child.
Language support can occur everywhere and in every situation. Your child is curious to learn and explore. Even when you go for a walk, you can try to read the signs on the street together. This supports language development and literacy. For example, you can try to figure out with your child what a certain sign on the street may mean and discuss your ideas. A similar procedure can take place every time you enter the supermarket with your child.
Example:
A child (5 years old) already recognises the vowels in the school language, like a, e, i, o, u. Together with their mum, they figure out that, e.g. the word banana refers to the bananas in front of them. Even so, the child can try to figure out what the letters on boxes mean, and both can elaborate on that. This way, the mother and child can playfully discover the school language. Furthermore, the child is getting an idea of how words are written without explicitly having to learn them. Both can profit from this way of going to the supermarket. Such interactions can occur everywhere and can be used for parents and children to access the school language in a playful way even when they do not speak or understand it yet.
Speak with your child about your common everyday experiences. By doing so, you help your child to make sense of the world surrounding them. Use the family language as much as you can. In addition, introduce yourself and your child to the school language, which will become an important part of your lives as soon as your child enters the educational system. You may stress that your family language is different from the school language and that your family language is the one you know the best and the one you will focus on at home. However, you can deal with both school and family language (e.g. make it a game to find similarities or differences between the languages) and show your child that all languages matter and are important.
