Bilingual homes

So Mum is Afrikaans and Dad is English. Or Dad is English and Mum is Xhosa. Which means the two sets of grandparents also speak different languages. And they all want to be able to talk to their grandkids. So how do you decide which language will be your child’s mother tongue? And how and when do you go about teaching your child a second language? YOU Pulse investigates
By Kim van Reizig

From the age of four and throughout her schooling her mom would declare an English  day once a week. Paulette van Heerden grew up in an Afrikaans home in Bloemfontein but her mom decided early on to introduce her daughter to a language she believed  ould give her an entree into the rest of the world.

So by the time Paulette started school she was also able to express herself in English. And years later when her job took her to the UK and America she was even more grateful for those “English days” as a child.

Read the complete article in the Summer 2009/2010 issue of YOU Pulse. On shelves now.

Learning easier for bilingual kids
Teaching toddlers to talk