5 minute read
Getting to know Your Community Raising Bilingual Kids
BY Irina Brindeyeva
Issaquah School District Parent
russian2tor.com
Most families coming from different cultures face a similar situation at some point in life: their kids don’t want to (or are not able to) speak their native language anymore. This trend saddens me a lot. I want to share how our family handles it, and what is working and what’s not.
My first language is Russian. I have two kids in the Issaquah School District. My daughter is a 5th grader at Endeavour Elementary, and my son is entering Skyline High this fall. We relocated from Russia in 2012. When our kids were of preschool age, the Russian language was a natural choice. We used it at home; our friends and their children spoke only Russian, too. Both of my kids attended a Russian-speaking preschool from a very young age. They learned how to read and write in Russian before English. That’s pretty common for bilingual families with small kids.
Then, it was time to go to school, and everything changed.
Young minds quickly absorb a new language, immersed in an English-speaking environment for at least half a day. Soon enough, you might notice your kids pausing before answering in Russian. They will start stumbling and struggling for words while speaking their first language. Your home library with hundreds of children’s books in the Russian language? It does not attract them anymore, though they are still eager readers.
That’s when the struggle begins. As a parent, it is essential for me to be able to share my cultural identity with the kids. And it’s often impossible without them knowing the intricacies of the language — without feeling it as native speakers do. So, what could we do? And should we?
I asked the parents of my students, whom I tutor in Russian and Math, why preserving the language in their children is so important to them. The most common answers were:
“To be able to share our cultural background with them.”
“Kids need the language to talk to parents and grandparents.”
“For them to get the best of two cultures”
“Being bilingual is good for your brain”
Some families don’t even know where they will be in a few years, so dropping their mother tongue is not an option at all.
As with any good habit you want to introduce – lead by example!
During the school year 2023-24, I led the Issaquah-based Russian Circle. My kids were my helpers. They essentially became role models for younger children who came to our meetings to play and learn. We had a rule to try to speak only Russian, and it worked pretty well.
I aimed to create a fun and educational mix of activities for each 90-minute class. Including (but not limited to):
• Reading, speaking, and other language skills-related tasks
• STEM projects
• Crafts
• Games: both strategic and physical education
• Teambuilding challenges, Talent shows, and whatnot
At some point, my kids even demonstrated parkour tricks they had learned at the Dynasty Fitness gym!
During the winter break, we organized the Beaver Lake Treasure hunt. About 30 Russianspeaking kids and their families showed up on the unusually sunny day of December 23. We had to split into three groups for the orienteering session in the woods. Then, we enjoyed the traditional hot tea and snacks by the fire in the Beaver Lake Pavilion.
During the last two years, despite what was happening in the world (or maybe because of that), I signed up to host a Russia table at the Heritage Nights in my kids’ schools. I am not a fan of the cancel culture phenomenon and did my part to tell our story of ordinary people’s lives. Again, my kids were my helpers, and they learned there is no shame in being Russian or speaking the Russian language.
I am also a Russian-speaking mentor in the VOICE program of the Issaquah School District.
So, that’s my experience and my advice for the parents who are raising bilingual kids:
Keep working on their passive vocabulary
Let them practice speaking
Share your cultural background
In other circumstances, I would encourage kids to visit the country we came from and/or to communicate with grandparents often. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for us anymore…
Of course, reading is a huge part of enriching the vocabulary: you’d be surprised how far even 5 minutes a day could take your child. Consistency is the key!
Make the learning process enjoyable! Keep it light and casual. For instance, don’t delve too deep into grammar if your children are not fluent speakers yet. The difficulty level will increase naturally over time.
Give kids the purpose and the opportunity to learn and use their mother tongue. Eventually, they will thrive, and you’ll be glad you didn’t give up. Good luck!
