The Minority Language at Home Bilingual Method
Teaching Children to Speak Two Languages
Feb 24, 2009 Margaret M. Williams
Amy and Jose live in Wisconsin. Jose grew up in Spain where his parents still live. When they started having babies, they were determined that their children would be able to communicate with both sets of grandparents – they would grow up fully bilingual. Since Amy also speaks Spanish, they chose the Minority Language at Home (mL@H) method of bilingual parenting.
The Minority Language at Home Model for Raising Bilingual Children
The mL@H language learning system is often chosen when one or both of the parents speak a language that is different from the community in which they live, but are bilingual themselves. In the home, the family exclusively speaks the minority language. The parents trust that the children will learn to speak the host language through contact with extended family who speak the majority language, and through their interactions and education within the community.
Dr. Barbara Zurer Pearson, in her book Raising a Bilingual Child [Living Language/Random House, 2008], states that the mL@H was, for many years, out of favor presumably because parents were encouraged by educators to speak the host language exclusively with their children. However, according to Dr. Pearson, this model is gaining respect and even being recommended by many.
Advantages of Bilingual Parenting Using the mL@H Language Learning System
One obvious advantage to teaching children to speak a second language using mL@H method is that the children will grow up being able to communicate with the extended family members who speak that language. With this model, the children have more exposure to the target language than with the One Person, One Language (OPOL) model, in which only one parent speaks the target language with the child. According to Dr. Pearson, children raised using the mL@H model may well become more fluent in the target language than with other models.
Many parents who chose the Minority Language at Home method will speak the host language with the children anytime they are out in the community. Some, however, choose to speak the minority language even outside the home, except in the presence of non-speakers of that language. This flexibility is generally appreciated by bilingual families.
Another advantage for families that are mobile and where the majority language of the community is likely to change from time to time, is that the core language spoken in the home remains constant.
Disadvantages of the mL@H Method of Language Learning for Bilingual Families
Some parents who choose to speak the minority language at home worry that their child will be at a disadvantage compared to native-speaking children in the community. However, according to experts surveyed by The Multilingual Children’s Association, children who speak another language at home generally catch up quickly.
One challenge for parents using the mL@H model is that the draw of the community language can be very strong. Parents who are ambivalent about which language their child chooses to speak may well find that children will attempt to speak the host language even in the home.
Tips for Facilitating the mL@H Language Instructional Approach to Raising Bilingual Children
As much as possible provide opportunities for the children to travel to the country of the target language in order to experience it as a majority language. Provide as many opportunities as possible for the children to interact (in either location) with relatives and other native speakers of the target language.
Introduce the children to the alphabet of the target language and teach them the basics needed to read and write that language.
Dr. Pearson reminds parents that in order to be successful, parents raising bilingual children need to have both a positive attitude toward bilingualism and an “impact belief – a belief that their own language practices have an impact on the child’s practices.”
The Minority Language at Home model for raising bilingual children is one of several viable approaches to language instruction for young children. As with any language instruction there are advantages and there are challenges to contend with. But patience and a commitment to bilingual language development will ensure success for bilingual families.
For a list of helpful books on this topic go to "Resources for Parents Raising Bilingual Children."
How to Raise Bilingual Children
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