Minority Language Homeschooling

Over here at the Multilingual Home School, we are passionate about minority language transmission, learning, and cultural diverse upbringing. When you raise your child with more than one language that is typically not widely spoken in the area where you live, it is typically referred to that you are passing on a “heritage language” or “minority language”.

Why should you be passing on a heritage language or minority language to your child?

Passing on a minority language to a child offers numerous benefits that contribute to their overall development. It strengthens family bonds by facilitating communication with relatives and preserving cultural traditions and values. Engaging with a heritage language enhances cognitive skills, including problem-solving and critical thinking, as children navigate between languages. Furthermore, it fosters a sense of identity and belonging, helping children connect with their roots and understand their cultural heritage. This linguistic skill also opens up future opportunities, enriching their personal and professional lives in an increasingly globalised world.

How does minority language teaching relate to homeschooling?

Raising multilingual children means that teaching language doesn’t only happen in the classroom. Most heritage language speakers pass on their language to their children through play, simply living, reading and telling stories. Parents and caregivers usually thrive for a vocabulary-rich language environment with the child, so that they experience a variety of language, and getting exposed to a wide spectrum of topics, ideas and concepts in the heritage language.

First, the oral language development is at the centre of attention. Later, when it comes to language literacy, lesson-like sessions do make sense to teach reading and writing to the child. Here, educational material that engages the child with the language is as crucial as having flexibility and meeting the child exactly where it is in language development, and understanding the relationship and synergies with other languages in the child’s world.

What are the benefits of homeschooling to your child - especially in their additional languages?

Homeschooling your minority language(s) offers several benefits for a child’s development. Homeschooling your language offers you to tailor the language needs exactly to your child’s unique learning style, interest and pace - ensuring that your child stays engaged, connected and motivated with the language and culture.

You can further ensure the learning happens in the schedule that works best for your family - almost any situation could be a learning opportunity if you wish.

Lastly, you can strengthen your family bonds in your heritage language, ensuring emotional intelligence in that language.