One of the most common questions we receive in the early literacy department is about speaking more than one language at home.
Many parents worry that speaking their native language will negatively impact their child's ability to learn English. We're here to tell you that hearing more than one language at home can actually make it easier for your child to learn English or other languages.
You heard right! Children are learning the rhythms, patterns, and sounds of language before they're even born. Those sounds build beneficial pathways in their brains, and more languages mean more pathways.
If you'd like to learn more, check out these great articles:
- FAQ: Raising Bilingual Children, opens a new window from the Linguistics Society of America
- Children Exposed to Multiple Languages May Be Better Natural Communicators, opens a new window from The University of Chicago
- Should You Talk to Your Child in a Different Language?, opens a new window from Slate
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