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Expert Q&A
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| By Mindy Hudon Speech and Language Pathologist | ||
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I am American and my husband is French. What's the best way to help a child become bilingual when both parents are not fluent in both languages?
For the normally developing child, having two languages in the home is not a problem. Actually, I think it is great for your child. I would probably set up a time with you and your husband and sit down and play games or read books and tell her, "In English we say i.e. 'cat' and in French we say '?'. Tell her that sometimes you need to use English and sometimes French. You will probably see her getting a little confused and using both languages at times, but that's OK. Just remind her that in English you say "cat" and when you speak French you say "?". It should be a wonderful experience for your child and I think you and your husband will enjoy spending time with her and teaching her your languages.
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