One of the best ways to learn a language is to fully immerse yourself in it. This is also true for bilingual children. Nothing will boost their minority language like a complete immersion in that language and a trip to the target language country offers just that.
For many of us who are raising children with multiple languages, this means a trip back home to visit and reconnect with family and friends abroad. For example, I try to take Ella to Germany at least once, ideally twice a year depending on available time and budget.
Immersion = taking a ‘language bath’
Every trip is almost as if she takes a language bath. She jumps into the local language and culture and is eventually fully immersed in it. It usually takes about 2-3 days. Then she begins to talk mainly in German. She interacts with peers on the playground, plays with the neighbor’s kids in my mom’s backyard, and communicates with family and friends of all ages.
Many parents point out similar benefits. Ismael, originally from Puerto Rico but living in New Jersey, noticed that his son’s minority language (Spanish) becomes much more predominant in their communication after trips back home:
“I go to Puerto Rico and visit family twice a year. So I find that when my son comes with me, we tend to speak Spanish more in the house right after we came back from the trip.” —Ismael
In short, creating a full immersion experience, drawing upon pre-existing ties to family or friends in a certain country, can be extremely helpful to boost a child’s minority language. Also, children may realize that the minority language is another viable means of communication. It’s not some secret code that only mommy or daddy uses. It’s something many people use it in their daily lives.
What to do if you do not have family or friends abroad?
Even if you do not have family or friends abroad, you can still provide your child with a considerable amount of exposure to the minority language through traveling. For instance, simply being able to apply skills in real life—outside of a language classroom—can turn out to be quite motivating. Lydia, a Chinese mom who lives in New Jersey, shared the benefits she saw when her son was able to read Chinese characters at Beijing airport:
“I try to take them back to China a couple of times a year. When Jayden realized that he can actually read some of the signs at the airport, that was very rewarding to him.”—Lydia
Also, there are a number of creative ways you can initiate interactions with locals. For example, traveling to places that are not tourist destinations increases the chance that your child will need to use the local language. Not only will she hear it more, but chances are that people do not speak the majority language. So even small things like ordering food at local eateries would require her to use the minority language.
Also, rather than staying at a hotel, you could rent an apartment or house. This increases the chance of meeting locals and become more immersed in the language and culture (e.g., Airbnb). Once the child is older, exchange programs or summer camps abroad may also allow for traveling as well as language and cultural learning.
Overall, traveling to the country where the language is spoken provides opportunities for enhanced input and interaction. It can help to strengthen your child’s ties to the minority language and motivate her in unexpected ways!
