For a variety of reasons, people tend to speak to their children in their own native language. Weird, huh? I thought so too…
That may just be where One Parent One Language parenting technique comes from. Hmm…
Depending on the situation in which the family finds themselves, One Parent One Language may certainly be the most effective strategy to utilize…
When two people who have different native languages are raising a child, it is natural and normal for each of them to speak to the child in their respective language; the essence of one parent one language. This is the foundation of OPOL. Each parent speaks to the child in their respective native language, 100% of the time. Conversations are very interesting, as you can imagine, and the below books Growing Up With Three Languages is a great books that documents this very well. The other two are just great reads for us language geeks.
As previously discussed, this is the first of many specific posts on specific methodologies for raising bilingual children and fostering language development in both languages. I attached here a YouTube Video Demonstrating OPOL. It’s pretty cute One Parent One Language, is probably the most common option chosen by newly-minted or expecting parents. The phrase OPOL was actually first coined by a French Linguist, Maurice Grammont, in the year 1902.
Side note: Grammont had a French friend who married a German, and he gave her this advice regarding raising their children; essentially one parent one language.
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