Top 10 challenges of raising a bilingual child in Chinese and how to overcome them

We understand why some families choose to give up after seeing and experiencing many of the challenges that parents of bilingual children face. Hence we have come up with some of the most common challenges of raising bilingual children, as well as suggestions for how to overcome them.

 

1. DELAY IN FLUENCY 

When comparing your child to monolingual children, can be quite frustrating. Bilingual children are exposed to twice as much vocabulary, so it just takes a little longer for it to sink in. I know some bilingual children who were almost nonverbal at three years old, speaking neither language, but a year later were able to speak both languages quite fluently. 

In this case, you can begin talking to them and asking them questions about their problems and challenges. You can also show them movies and listen to music to help them learn the language faster and more efficiently.

 

 

2. MIX-UP BETWEEN LANGUAGES

It is common for children to begin a sentence in one language and end it in another. Children tend to express themselves using whatever words they know, so if they lack vocabulary or grammar in one language, they may simply fill in the gaps with another. 

In this case, you can try the following tips and tricks: correcting your child, repeating the sentence correctly and encouraging them to repeat, reading to your child every day to increase their vocabulary, noticing the types of mistakes they make and working on them during playtime by repeating those sentences to help them learn.

 

3. WRITING PRACTISE

Chinese is a language where each stroke holds a lot of preference and even a small mistake can alter the meaning of the word and sentence altogether. This is a common challenge for bilingual parents as finding the right resource can actually be difficult especially when there are so many available all over the internet. 

Here you can take the help of resources like worksheets and lesson plans which engage your kids in writing perfectly and help them create a strong foothold in the language from an early age.

 

4. GIVING PREFERENCE TO ONE LANGUAGE

Sometimes when we are bilingual living in our non-native homes we often tend to give less preference to the second language. This can happen due to various reasons like not finding the right resources in a second language or failing to engage your kids in a creative manner with that language.

Finding the right resources can be tough but here we offer you some of the most creative and engaging resources in the Chinese language which help in increasing the creativity and productivity of your children. 

 

 

5. NOT GIVING THEM THE EXPOSURE

The best way of learning your hometown’s language is by experiencing it through different cultural activities and communicating with different natives can help them learn a lot of language portions than we expect. This way they will also be able to hold an actual conversation in that language very easily and fluently.

Not giving them exposure can lead to them being restricted to only the bookish world of the language which can become monotonous and boring at times. Let them experience the beauty of language through its culture and festivities and observe them growing into the language beautifully. 

 

6. NOT HAVING ORGANIZED RESOURCES

This means that books, music, and other media in minority languages are visible and accessible to both children and parents when it comes to bilingual parenting. Because most of us are extremely busy, look for ways to improve efficiency, such as listening to audiobooks while driving.

Rather than subscribing to 30 different Chinese YouTube channels and following thousands of social media accounts, focus on a few that meet your family's needs on a consistent basis.

 

7. GRADUALLY CLIMBING THE LADDER

Sometimes while trying to give your children the best learning experience in the language, we end up overwhelmed with a lot of resources which tangles them up more and more. This can be very confusing for kids, especially those tender minds who are just starting off with it. While homeschooling a planned out schedule should be the top priority of every parent and updating it accordingly to the level of progress of your kids. 

One solution to this can be getting plans created by professionals in the industry. These plans are well structured and made by people who have a lot of experience in this field. You can find the plan that fits according to your learning pace and patterns and get your language learning journey started.

 

 

8. TAKING RECREATIONAL BREAKS

Breas are actually the most crucial part when it comes to the learning process of the child. They are responsible for increasing the productivity of your children and helping them evaluate their learnings for the long term. When it comes to recreational breaks you can include fun and enjoyable games to play in between, inviting friends over for some quality time, or just walking around in the park without a care in the world. 

Some people might think of these things as wasting time but in reality, these breaks are only taken to increase the outcome of the language learning process and will help to reach the goal more quickly and efficiently. 

 

9. “CHINESE IS JUST TOO HARD”

Chinese language may seem like a very difficult and unattainable language but the problem lies in the kind of resources you are opting for. Sometimes the resources you have bought can be confusing and not in an organised manner or the resource might not be up to your learning style and pace or maybe it doesn’t have the levels you want to chive through that course plan. 

There can be many such problems and hence finding the right resources for that can be an essential step in your journey. Hence here we have provided you with potential resources which can help you in learning Chinese in a smooth glide.

 

 

10. NOT FINDING THE TIME

With young children, time management is always a challenge. Prioritization is essential, as is asking yourself, "Am I doing the right work?" Creating a weekly schedule and a dedicated time for learning Chinese can be extremely beneficial. Keeping a timesheet for a few weeks to see where your time goes can also be beneficial. By beginning a foreign language early, you will actually be assisting your child in high school by giving them more time, rather than learning a foreign language from scratch. 

Learning a language is as important as participating in other extracurricular activities. In the above-linked resource, you will find tons of resources that only require mere five minutes of your time and can help you learn Chinese easily.

 

A key element of early learning is being consistent with what you do and always implementing new things that you learn in the process. These tips for learning Chinese will surely give you the push you and your child need. For being consistent you need the right resource packs and lesson plans for your journey. Get onto your preferred language learning plans with Language Learning Market, which is your one-stop destination for finding the best resources for your children. Get the best resources in 25+ languages and make yourself a fluent speaker.