Bilingual training for expat children boosts problem solving in adult life

Expat families in the Czech Republic have concerns over their children’s need to become bilingual.

Expat families with very young children are often worried about how to address their need to become bilingual at an early age. Language acquisition takes place from children’s very first year, leaving expat parents planning to live long-term in the Czech Republic facing the scary prospect of their toddlers’ learning two languages at the same time. However, becoming bilingual is beneficial in that kids with two languages also exhibit far better problem-solving abilities than those who’re monolingual.

According to professionals in the sector, raising a child to be bilingual isn’t as tricky as it sounds, as very young children are actually equipped to do this. Both babies and toddlers are programmed to react to active rather than passive learning and learn faster when given interaction on a regular basis. However, mixed-marriage parents are in the best place to take steps such as using a one-parent – one language strategy in which each parent uses his or her native language. Another way to achieve this outcome is for English as the minority language to be used at home and the Czech language used outside the home.

The two languages shouldn’t be mixed, either in single sentences or when discussing separate topics, as confusion can occur, but practice in both languages pays huge dividends when it’s time to start school. Making the dominant language the one used at school is the best idea, especially as it’s normally the language used by the primary caregiver. It’s important to make this process fun for all involved, as kids often don’t want to use the non-dominant language. For parents determined to encourage their young ones to learn Czech, the Republic’s educational TV network has several programmes aimed at 3 to 6-year olds.