Bilingual people make up slightly more than 20% of the population in the United States. Since the 1980s, this percentage has more than doubled and will continue to rise in the future. Language Lizard established "Celebrate the Bilingual Child Month" in 2006 to recognise bilingual children's unique contributions. A month set aside each year to celebrate the glories and joys of something as fantastic as childhood bilingualism is an excellent way to instil pride in bilingual children and involve bilingual families in classroom activities. Let us promote literacy and parental involvement while also honouring the children who work so hard to learn a second language.
What are your options for celebrating?
1- Invite parents to read bilingual books aloud to their children.
Ask your students' parents if they would be willing to come to class at a specific time to assist you in reading a bilingual book aloud to the students. The parent can read one sentence or page in his or her native language, while you read the same sentence or page in English. There are numerous ways to make this interactive and enjoyable for both parents and students.
2-Highlight children in other countries
Look for any well-produced footage of children performing common jobs in their own countries. For students in your class, going to school, helping around the house, going shopping with relatives, and playing games, for example, can be particularly instructive. You may locate a number of these on YouTube, or you can ask other teachers for recommendations.
3- Showcase several alphabets
Many learners are unaware that various letters, written scripts, and characters are used to write different languages. To share with your kids, try to learn how to pronounce a few words in different alphabets and scripts. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences.You can devote many days to learning how to write letters and words in multiple alphabets, and you can even enlist the help of a bilingual parent.
4- Bring in traditional delicacies
There is nothing more enjoyable than sampling dishes from other places. Invite parents to bring some of their favourite meals and have a potluck! Request that the parents provide a brief introduction to each of their dishes during the potluck so that the others can learn more about them. Make this an enjoyable event for the kids by allowing them to speak what they actually think about each item in a respectful manner.
5- Throw a party
Things that require preparing, having fun, and celebrating are remembered by children. What better way to honour the multilingual youngster than by throwing a real party? Have balloons, games, and music from other cultures in various languages. It's not necessary to make everything about languages and cultures. Have a good time! However, make sure the kids understand that the party is to honour the beauties and joys of bilingualism.
Get your kids toys and games that are bilingual. One of the great options is Bambiya’s English-Spanish tablet that teaches kids Spanish and English Numbers, Letters and Words.