Two questions I get asked regularly are:
- What is the best way to introduce more than one language to
my baby?
- If introducing my baby to two languages already, how do I incorporate
baby sign language into this process?
In today’s multi-cultural society, many children are exposed
to more than one language from birth. Parents approach this differently
but there are two predominant schools of thought on how to raise
a bilingual baby:
- The first is to separate the language by person
- The second is to separate the language by place
The first approach is also known as the “one parent one language”
approach and is where one parent or caregiver uses one language
while the other parent or caregiver uses another language.
The second approach is where one language is used in the home,
the “family language”, and the other language is used
outside the home or in the community.
So how can parents then incorporate baby sign language into this
environment?
The way to incorporate baby sign language into your baby’s
life will depend on which school of thought you are using above.
If you are separating the language by person, it is important that
both parents also use the basic signs when they say the word in
their language. For example if you speak English and your partner
speaks Spanish, when introducing a word such as “milk”
you would say the word “milk” in English and introduce
the sign for that word. Your partner would introduce the word “milk”
in Spanish (“leche”) while signing the word “milk”.
If you are separating the language by place, it is important to
use one language with your baby sign language consistently in the
home but whenever outside the home (or in the community) that the
second language is always used in conjunction with baby sign language.
For example, home may be where you would speak Spanish and sign
the word and then anywhere outside the home, you would use English
and sign language. For this approach, you could also try to include
family and friends in the process by encouraging them to sign some
basic words to your baby ensuring that they use one language inside
the home and the second language outside the home. After all, the
more your baby sees the signs, the quicker your baby will understand
what it is you are trying to communicate.
While oral communication is difficult for your baby at six months
of age, baby sign language is the tool that can help close the gap
of communication until your baby can physically speak in one of
the other languages you maybe introducing them to.
Happy Signing!
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