Expat Women: Confession

Raising Bilingual Children

Extract from book: Expat Women: Confessions

Q. Our family is British and about to move to Brazil. One of my major concerns about our move is that none of us speak Portuguese. I worry about how our children (aged four and seven) will cope. Other people have told me that children are fast learners when it comes to language and it will all work out once I get there, but will it?

I have no idea how to raise bilingual children and I question how much time I should invest in raising them bilingually, when they might forget it all when we leave Brazil anyway. Can you please offer some wisdom from your experience?

A. Learning a second language is indeed a source of concern for many families raising children abroad. Although many parents would like their children to speak another language, anxious parents may question their children's ability to learn a new language, worry about feelings of isolation and fear how their children will cope in a bilingual environment.

These concerns are exacerbated if your family has been relocated to a foreign-speaking country without any preparation or support and–as is often the case for children–without a choice. All of these concerns are valid.

Love and support. As a parent, you need to provide plenty of love and support to your children in the early stages as they come to terms with their new environment. Encouraging them to learn the language is a great way to help them adapt and feel part of the larger community. If you choose to learn the language also, it can be a great bonding experience for the entire family.

Yes, initially your children might feel a little isolated and mix up their words; that is very common in the beginning, but it does not usually last. Young children such as yours are generally very flexible and fast learners–they will probably pick up Portuguese quicker than you expect. Teenagers sometimes struggle a bit more, especially if they resent being forced to learn a new language, but again with your love, patience and support, they too should learn quickly. With a little persistence, your children's vocabulary will increase, and so too should their confidence, ability, sense of inclusion and their happiness in their new host country.

Lasting benefits of language learning. To motivate you and your children, consider these positive reasons to learn Portuguese:

• Your children could become fluent in Portuguese and carry this skill with them for life. According to Wikipedia, more than two hundred and sixty million people speak Portuguese, making it the fifth most spoken language in the world.

• Even if your children later lose the ability to speak Portuguese, they should still retain the skills to learn a language; the different sounds, word order, stress, rhythm, intonation and grammatical structures of any additional language are easier to learn once you have studied at least one second language.

• Language is a window into another culture. By learning the language, your children may gain a better appreciation of other cultures and people–becoming more globally aware citizens.

• Some say that multilingual skills can translate indirectly into improved analytical, social and academic skills.

• Speaking another language can help your children feel at ease in different environments, including when others are speaking languages other than English and Portuguese.

• Multilingual skills can be considered advantageous for university and job applications, even if the language is not required for the position–because language skills can demonstrate flexibility on the part of the applicant.

Providing opportunities. In terms of how to raise a child bilingually, Barbara Zurer Pearson, PhD, author of Raising a Bilingual Child, talks about the importance of opportunity and motive when learning a new language. So first off, what opportunities can you provide to help your children learn Portuguese, both before you move and once you are in Brazil? Before leaving home, you might want to consider looking for a fun Portuguese language tutor. Ideally, for young children such as yours, find a tutor who meaningfully interacts and engages with the children–includes lots of play and creativity in their activities, and encourages independence in learning. You may also like to learn with them.

Once you are in Brazil, try to organize play dates with local children, learn to sing songs in Portuguese, and get some Portuguese movie DVDs your children might enjoy. Try to find other ways for them to interact in the Portuguese language, such as art or sport classes or other activities they might be interested in. The more interaction, the faster they (and you) will learn. However, do be sensitive if they are a little apprehensive at first and do not push them into doing something they are reluctant to do. This will only make them less willing to learn and participate.

Some expats who really want their children immersed in a new language will send their children to a local school over an English-speaking school. Language immersion is the fastest way to pick up a language, but again, be sensitive to your children's needs and think about the short- and long-term effects of this strategy.

Motivating your children. Next, think about how to motivate your children to learn Portuguese. Children must develop their own reasons to want to learn and use a second (or third) language. Do they want to learn it so they can interact with people they like or love? Do they want to watch and talk about popular television programs with other children at school? Would they like to go to the movies with their friends? Learning a new language needs to feel real and be useful–and for children, it also helps if it is a source of fun.

For older children, explain the upcoming changes and talk about the opportunity to learn Portuguese. Let them get used to the idea, rather than forcing the idea on them suddenly. If you give them time to absorb the concept and encourage them to see the advantages of learning more than one language, this might help their motivation and willingness to learn.

Investing time. In relation to your question about how much time you should invest in raising your children bilingually, Pearson says that it is difficult to give parents a number of hours per day or week. However, she did find that children who heard the second language less than twenty percent of the time (roughly sixteen or so hours per week) would understand and learn new words, but they did not necessarily start conversations or make sentences in it. So if you want your children to become bilingual, consider exposing them to Portuguese for more than sixteen hours per week.

Interestingly, Pearson does not consider someone who speaks a second language for day-to-day formal situations like schooling and classes "bilingual." She defines a bilingual person as someone who chooses to use their new language for relationships and real-life communications. So in your situation, maybe the goal is not for your children to become bilingual, but for them to speak enough Portuguese to adapt to and enjoy living in Brazil.

All in all, encouraging your children to learn Portuguese might be a fabulous investment. Be positive, be proactive, but also be sensitive–you might need to adapt your strategy along the way once you see how your children are responding to life and a new language in Brazil.

Boa sorte and all the best!