Join Lingthusiasm on Patreon to get access to this post and more benefits.
For many people in the world, raising kids who are bilingual or multilingual is the norm - it's the only way to navigate life. For others, especially in predominantly English-speaking areas, it's a conscious decision made for one of many different reasons.
In this bonus episode of Lingthusiasm, Gretchen and Lauren take you through several ways to raise children who speak more than one language: the one-parent, one language method, immersion schools, and speaking different languages at home and in the public sphere. We also talk about the psychological aspect: what do you do when a slightly-older kid starts trying to get their parents to speak the dominant societal language instead of the carefully-cultivated minority one?
Bilingualism in a monolingual society can be challenging, but the rewards are great. As Gareth Roberts said recently on twitter, "The evidence for bilingualism having cognitive benefits beyond the ability to speak another language is very poor, but I'll tell you this: I've never ever met anyone who regretted being bilingual. I've met many people, however, who regret that they're not."
To listen to this episode and 19 previous bonuses, support Lingthusiasm on Patreon!
