Raising Bilingual Kids...

The first step to teach bilingual is figure out how to do it, there are various languages strategies that parents can apply within the bilingual family. The choice of one strategy depends on the family situation, the language that is spoken in the community and the children´s response. Some parents change strategy over time depending on their children development.

In Language strategies for bilingual families: the one-parent-one-language approach by Suzanne Barron-Hauwaert are 7 strategies which I summarize bellow:

- The one-parent-one-language approach: Each parent speaks one language to the child. In this case the children will ear both languages in the home. Is better if the mother speaks the minority language, this is the language that is less accessible in the community, because her language is often the first choice of the child. Between parents they can talk the majority or the minority language together, it is very similar but the choice of one or another language will create in the child the preference of this language. 

- Minority-Language at home: The family uses only  the minority language at home . The child learns the majority language from its environment, such as friends, grandparents and school.This approach is good for those children who have no other contact with the minority language and are completely surrounded by majority language environment.

 - Trilingual strategy: This is when a bilingual couple move to a third language country and they usually use the one parent one language approach in the house and  the third language is learned in the community. 

- Mixed strategy: Both parents are bilingual, and both use more than one language in addressing the child. They use the code-mixing and code-switching when talking in the house. 

- Time and place strategy: the family switch languages according to the activity. For example a mother speaks one language during the year but when they go the other language country she speaks in the L2.

- The artificial or non native strategy: is chosen by monolingual parents who want their children to learn a second language . This can be done applying the OPOL approach or with lessons or babysitters

You can find more information about these strategies and the parents choice in  Language strategies for bilingual families: the one-parent-one-language approach  By Suzanne Barron-Hauwaert .Parents and teachers guide number 7 chapter 5. 2004