11 Tips for Raising Bilingual / Multilingual Children
🌍 11 Tips for Raising Bilingual / Multilingual Children
Hello! My name is María Martínez, and I am the creator of the Bilingual Cerebros channel. I am also a former MFL Coordinator, Spanish teacher, and primary teacher, with over 24 years of teaching experience, almost 20 of them in the UK and the last 4 years in Germany.
Today, however, I am not writing as a teacher, but as a mother.
I am the mother of a young girl who was raised bilingually (English and Spanish) and is now a polyglot. At the age of 13, she speaks English, Spanish, and German fluently, at a native-like level. She is also currently learning Italian and French (B1–B2) and has shown interest in learning Japanese in the near future.
In this article, I would like to share some of the tips that truly worked for us as a family living in a multilingual household.
🧠 TIP 1 – Adopt a 100% pressure-free approach
The most important advice I can give you is simple: have fun.
Your attitude towards language learning should be completely pressure-free. If children feel that they have to speak a language, it quickly becomes a chore — for them and for you. Your mindset is key.
Some days, you may barely use the target language. Other days, it may dominate the day completely. This is perfectly normal. Language learning is not about quantity, but about quality and meaningful experiences that have a long-lasting impact.
In our case, the target language was Spanish, as we lived in England until my daughter was nine. She was naturally immersed in English through nursery, school, friends, and media. Spanish developed progressively, over time — not overnight.
The key is not to stress. Start slowly and build it in naturally. In fact, you can start even before birth — during pregnancy. I remember talking and singing to my daughter in Spanish before she was born.
🎲 TIP 2 – Play whenever you can
Play is one of the most powerful learning tools.
Games of all kinds — dolls, cars, board games, riddles, word games — create a relaxed and joyful environment for language exposure. Children may not understand everything at first, and that is absolutely fine. The aim is to nurture curiosity and enthusiasm.
Everyday moments are perfect opportunities. We often played games such as Veo-veo (I spy) while travelling, shopping, or waiting somewhere. Another favourite was Palabras encadenadas (word chains), where each new word starts with the last syllable of the previous one.
We also loved Para el lápiz (Stop the Pencil), where players think of words for different categories using a specific letter. This game can be adapted easily to different ages and levels and requires nothing more than paper and a pencil.
❌ TIP 3 – Leave behind outdated myths
One of the most damaging myths is the belief that learning more than one language delays development in the mother tongue. This is simply false.
During my years teaching in the UK, I met many families who were worried about their children being labelled as EAL (English as an Additional Language). Unfortunately, this label carried stigma for many years.
Research clearly shows that early multilingualism enhances cognitive flexibility and makes learning additional languages easier later on. The earlier, the better. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child.
📚 TIP 4 – Bilingual storytelling
Reading stories regularly is essential. Ideally, alternate languages: one night in the home language, the next in the additional language. Even better, read the same story in both languages.
Repetition helps children acquire vocabulary and structures naturally. Encourage them to retell stories in their own words. Puppets and role play are wonderful tools, especially with younger children.
On my Bilingual Cerebros channel, you will find a growing collection of bilingual stories and fables
🌍 TIP 5 – Create real-life experiences
Whenever possible, travel to places where the language is spoken. In our case, spending summers in Spain had a huge impact on my daughter’s Spanish.
If travel is not possible, real-life experiences can still be created: visiting authentic restaurants, ordering food in the target language, arranging playdates with other children, or even organising online exchanges with children abroad.
Technology gives us incredible opportunities — let’s use it wisely.
🗣️ TIP 6 – Expose children to different accents
As children grow more confident, exposure to different accents becomes important. Films, series, YouTube channels, and travel all help enrich vocabulary and cultural awareness.
🎶 TIP 7 – Use music
Music is a powerful language-learning tool. Songs introduce vocabulary, structures, emotion, and culture in a memorable way. Sharing music across generations is also a wonderful bonding experience.
⚠️ TIP 8 – Avoid using the language only for discipline
Try not to associate the additional language with scolding or negativity, especially in the early years. Language should feel safe and positive.
Children will eventually encounter all registers of language, but initially it is important that the second language is associated with warmth and connection.
🌱 TIP 9 – Celebrate your heritage
Help your children feel proud of who they are and where they come from. Growing up between cultures is a strength, not a weakness.
Unfortunately, some children hide their heritage due to fear, bullying, or negative attitudes. As parents, it is our responsibility to celebrate diversity and build strong identities.
🎉 TIP 10 – Celebrate traditions and festivals
Festivals bring language and culture to life. In our home, we celebrate both Christmas traditions and Los Reyes Magos. These experiences create emotional connections to language.
🍲 TIP 11 – Share traditional food
Cooking traditional dishes together is a powerful cultural and linguistic experience. Start with ingredients, then recipes, and eventually shared family traditions.
💛 Final thoughts
Raising bilingual or multilingual children is a beautiful journey — one in which parents learn just as much as their children. I hope these tips inspire and support you.
You can find many more resources on Bilingual Cerebros, where I share weekly content for families, teachers, and learners.
You can listen to this as a Spanish podcast or watch it as a video here: https://youtu.be/JZOp04ycMLo
More advice here:
• How to Raise Bilingual Kids: Parenting & Teaching Advice from Two Educator Moms: https://youtu.be/yyrkaAh7gpA
• Cómo Criar Niños Bilingües: Consejos de Mamás y Educadoras | Crianza y Educación Bilingüe: https://youtu.be/K23QLJJu6_Q
You can also visit me here:
♡ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bilingualcerebros
♡ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/languages_sra_martinez/
♡ tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bilingualcerebros
♡ facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LanguagesResourcesSraMartinez
♡ twitter: https://twitter.com/LanguagesSra
♡ linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-martinez-5bb94a1a5/
Or email me at: bilingualcerebros@gmail.com
📚 This article was also published on the Language Teaching Lab blog
You can read it there too, along with many other high-quality articles on language teaching, bilingual education, and inclusive classroom practices:
👉 https://languageteachinglab.com/11-tips-for-raising-bilingual-multilingual-children-english-and-spanish/
Language Teaching Lab is a fantastic space for teachers, parents, and educators looking for thoughtful reflections, practical ideas, and inspiring perspectives on language learning. I highly recommend exploring the blog and discovering the wide
