How Grandparents Can Support Bilingual Children

Granny Aupair is an international award winning online portal that connects women over 50 with families abroad, as live-in au pair grannies.

Founded by Michaela Hansen, Granny Aupair recognises the decades of life experience, knowledge and wisdom that the older generation can bring to childcare. They help families find the perfect person for their unique needs, while also supporting women who would like to experience an adventure abroad while taking care of children. 

Here Granny Aupair share their insights into the tremendous benefits of spending time with the older generation for childrens’ language skills.

Bilingual children and grandparents 

Alongside helping with childcare, grandparents can be a huge linguistic and cultural resource for their family and greatly influence children’s cultural practices and language use. 

Grandparents can help to contribute to language and literacy development through activities such as reading stories with young children. This not only applies to actual grandparents, who more often than not cannot be present full time for various reasons, but also to “temporary grandparents”. 

For more than a decade, temporary or “adopted” grandparents from agencies like Granny Aupair have been helping children from multilingual families find their feet, either in the language of their new home country or in one of their parents’ mother tongues, to help the children feel at home in several languages. Some families also wish to prepare their children for entrance into international schools or schools which teach in a certain language. Tips from several Granny Aupairs who have actively helped with language acquisition for families abroad include reading children’s books in the other language, watching short films, singing, celebrating traditional festivals, and cooking or baking traditional recipes together. These can all help to instil a feeling of cultural identity and pride. This cultural context not only makes learning the language more meaningful but also helps children to appreciate and get to know their own heritage.

Teaching children a language “informally”, while playing or doing other activities together is also key, as is consistency in using the language. Especially with younger children, a playful atmosphere is important. Loving connections between (temporary) grandparents and children provide a supportive environment for language learning, as children feel safe and encouraged to practice their language skills without fear of making mistakes. Feeling safe can boost the children’s confidence, making them more willing to engage in conversations and use the new language. Composure and patience are also important “tools”. 

Many families abroad also welcome help with schoolwork in a different language, especially if the local international school focuses on a different primary language. Grandparents on and offline can be a great support with bilingual homework and school projects. If the educational material is in the second language, the older generation can assist with reading, comprehension, and provide extra language practice through conversations and fun activities. Their involvement can be particularly beneficial if the parents are not fluent in the second language, ensuring that the children receive comprehensive encouragement in their bilingual education.

Real life application of language skills highlights the importance and utility of bilingualism. Interacting with other native speakers such as a temporary grandmother in different settings helps children develop better conversational skills and adaptability. 

Grandparents play a pivotal role in supporting bilingual education. Their involvement goes beyond just teaching a language; they provide a rich tapestry of cultural experiences, emotional support, and practical language use. By actively participating in the bilingual upbringing of a child, grandparents help foster a deep, lasting connection to both the language and the culture. Their contributions ensure that children grow up not only bilingual but also bicultural, fully equipped to navigate and appreciate the diverse world around them.

More advice from Granny Aupairs who have helped to nurture multilingual education with families abroad includes surrounding the child or children with opportunities to hear and use both languages. 

Consistency is key when learning a language. For instance designating specific times of the day for each language, or using one language at home and the other outside of the home setting.

Language learning is a gradual process. Children may mix languages or prefer one over the other at different stages. Maintaining a positive and supportive attitude towards both languages is very important. Like any kind of learning activity, as children learn by copying: repeat, repeat, repeat. 

Find out more about Granny Aupair and how to be matched with an experienced, multilingual granny on their website. If you’d like to become a Granny Aupair yourself, you can find more information about the process here.

Read more articles and interviews about life abroad and raising multilingual children on the MumAbroad blog