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ExpatWomen Confession:
Dear EW Girlfriend,
We are a British family 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 4 and 7) 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?
SD
ExpatWomen Girlfriend:
Dear SD,
Learning a second language is indeed a consideration and source of concern for many families raising children abroad. Although many parents would like their children to speak another language, it can be a potential source of worry before their children start. 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. 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, feel part of the larger community and 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 their words up, 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, so should their confidence, their ability, their sense of inclusion and their happiness in their new host country.
To motivate you and your children to learn Portuguese, take a look at the following list of benefits your children might acquire by learning Portuguese:
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Your children could become fluent in Portuguese and carry this skill with them for life. More than 230 million people speak Portuguese, making it the third most spoken European language and eighth most spoken language in the world! Even if they lose the ability to speak Portuguese, they will retain the skills to learn a language; the difference in sounds, word order, stress, rhythm, intonation and grammatical structures of any language are easier to learn once you have studied a language.
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Language is a window into another culture. By learning the language, your children may gain a better appreciation of other languages, cultures and people – helping to create and shape more globally-aware citizens. |
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Some say that multilingual skills can translate indirectly into improved analytical, social and academic skills.
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Speaking another language can help your children feel at ease in different environments, especially when others are speaking different languages, and |
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Additional language skills can be considered advantageous for university and job applications, even if the language is not required for the position, because the language skills can demonstrate flexibility on the part of the applicant.
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In terms of how to raise a child bilingually, Barbara Zurer Pearson, PH.D., author of Raising A Bilingual Child talks about the importance of opportunity and motive when learning a new language.
So firstly, what opportunities you can provide to help your children learn Portuguese, both before you move and once you are in Brazil?. Before you move, you might want to consider looking for a fun Portuguese language tutor. Ideally, find a tutor who meaningfully interacts and engages with the children – includes lots of free play, outdoor 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, get some Portuguese movie DVDs that they might enjoy. Try to find other ways for them to interact in the Portuguese language like art or sport classes or other things they might be interested in. The more interaction, the faster they (and you) will learn. 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 people who really want their children to learn Portuguese 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.
Next, think about the motive (yours and theirs) 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 programmes 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, it is important to explain to your children about the upcoming changes and 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, it might help their motivation and willingness to learn.
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 20 percent of the time (roughly 16 or so hours a 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 16 hours a 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 for them to adapt and enjoy living in Brazil.
All in all, I would say that 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!
ExpatWomen Girlfriend
August 2009
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Our New ExpatWomen Girlfriend is originally from The Netherlands. She has lived as an Expat Woman in India, Canada, Indonesia, Chile and Thailand – where she is currently a 'trailing spouse' to a husband of a different nationality to hers. She is a mother of two children, born in Asia, that have dual nationalities. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in European Communications (Marketing) and she has recently graduated from her Master of Science degree in Counselling Psychology. She works in a private mental health clinic, plus counsels expatriate women
Disclaimer: This column is intended to be of general interest to ExpatWomen.com visitors. Its suggestions and/or inferences are generalizations and do not address the needs of individuals, nor should they be relied upon in any shape or form. Please seek professional advice/counseling/therapy if you genuinely need assistance to talk through issues in your life right now. |
