DARPAN FEATURE
1
Speak the mother tongue at home
Speaking your mother tongue at home is the easiest and most effective way to get your children started on their language journey. Children tend to pick up words and vocabulary, and the younger they are, the easier it is for them. Start with simple instructions and action words such as “eat your food”, “wear your clothes” or “turn on the lights.” Slowly, they will be able to transition into more advanced conversational phrases and sentences.
2 5 Tips to Teach your
Mother Tongue By Mehakpreet Dhaliwal
Teaching Your Mother Tongue to Children While Living in a Foreign Country
Photos: istockphoto,
T
eaching your children their mother language is something every parent aspires to achieve, a feat easier said than done. As parents, it can oftentimes be challenging to maintain a home language when English is so dominant in our lives today, especially while living in a foreign country, such as Canada or the USA. However, at the same time, being bilingual has countless intellectual and social benefits for children, other than just the enhanced communication aspect. According to research, knowing
72
MAY | JUNE 2021
Reflecting The South-Asian Lifestyle
more than one language boosts a child’s critical thinking and problem solving skills, along with increasing their creativity, memory, and concentration. To help your child learn their mother language, and profit from all the benefits that come along with being bilingual, here are a few tips for parents:
DARPAN
TM
Make a routine to teach the language
It can be tough to get young children to concentrate for long periods of time. Therefore, make a simple routine when it comes to teaching the language. For example, incorporate “10 minutes of writing the alphabet” once your children are finished with their homework, or before they go to bed. Learning tools, such as flashcards or simple games, are also very effective when it comes to teaching the basics of any language.