Traveling with Bilingual Children | 6 Language Learning Tips for Multilingual Kids

As non-native speakers, we don't always have the social networks that allow us to spend extended amounts of time in a foreign country. So when we are fortunate enough to travel, we may have difficulty finding authentic experiences for our multilingual kids (and ourselves) to interact with locals. In this video, I offer useful tips for traveling with multilingual children so that you and your children can receive the most exposure to the target language. #bilingualkids #multilingualkids #nonnativespeaker #foreignlanguageparenting
NOTE: This trip took place a year ago (summer 2022) so I do refer to "my 3-year-old" even though he's 4 now.
subscribe: bit.ly/3BGFnyP
website: liveyourlanguagenow.com
playlists that might interest you:
STARTING YOUR BILINGUAL PARENTING JOURNEY: bit.ly/3q6M3nP
BILINGUAL PARENTING TOOLKIT: bit.ly/2ZM4i6G

[@Mac_an_Mheiriceanaigh]

Always love your videos, Stephanie. This video reminds me of the section of Christine Jernigan's book about this topic. I think she wrote something pretty similar about visiting playgrounds!! One thing she called out was that if you bring bubbles and give them to your kids that they attract other children like magnets hahaha. Maybe it's something you can try next time you are in Québec!

[@garierbos]

Really nice.

[@ter8330]

You are doing a great job!!

[@loopsthroughloops]

¡Son ideas maravillosas! Muchas gracias 😊

[@carolyncarmignac6771]

So happy to just have discovered your channel! I have a bit of a language dilemma and therefore avoided thinking about what language to speak to my (future) children. Your videos are so motivating! I grew up speaking German (father) and French (mother). Now I live in Norway and speak Norwegian. I will speak French to my child and my husband will speak Norwegian, however is there any effective way to also introduce German without that it creates confusion?

[@LiveYourLanguage]

Thanks for watching and I'm glad you are finding this channel useful! I'm so glad you're thinking of raising your child to be trilingual. One way to introduce a third language (and a second language through one person) is through the time and place method, but after you've already established French as the main language of interaction between you both. I say this because establishing French between you both will take a lot of interaction and time. If this is split with interaction in German, the decrease in time spent on French might jeopardize language development. It is ideal of course to find a different person to provide German exposure if you want your child to have an active use of German. It's also important to manage expectations as well - without a communicative need and meaningful interaction in German, she may not develop an active use of German at first. But in the meantime, I'd suggest focusing on French and exposing her to German in small bursts in specific contexts - reading in the afternoon or evening, speaking with Grandpa, lunch time, etc. - until you can find her more regular sources for German exposure (which could also be you) and expand out from there. Limiting German exposure to limited specific contexts will lay the groundwork for when there are more opportunities for her to speak and interact with someone in German in the future. It's not the only way of course, but that's my suggestion 🙂. Good luck!

[@ter8330]

Do you think you can do a short video with you interacting with the boys?