A few years ago, while I was doing my research for my e-book, Raising Bilingual Children, I learned about the increase in monolingual parents interested in raising bilinguals. In fact, the principals at three dual immersions schools I talked to, one in Utah and two in California, were amazed at how many non-native parents were on a waitlist because they wanted their children to be enrolled in their schools. This was 2013. Today, that number has tripled and it keeps growing. Scientific studies revealing the benefits and advantages of being bilingual or multilingual have helped. Parents want their children to learn other languages fluently and to be prepared to compete in a global society.
For Corrie Wiik, a British-born and raised, mom entrepreneur with two master’s degrees in Spanish and Education, raising bilinguals was a given. Well, that is after spending one year in Sevilla, Spain, and falling in love with the language. A former Spanish high school teacher, she became a content creator and marketer after the birth of her first child. Today, she is the founder of Mama Llama Linguist, an educational website and children’s bookshop where she blogs and offers non-native Spanish-speaking families the tools and resources to raise bilingual children.
I invite you to watch our IGTV!
Corrie is a book lover and her online store is filled with many book suggestions for both parents and children, in English, Spanish and bilingual. She also offers curriculum suggestions that can be used by teachers, parents, and caregivers to practice the language with the kids.
3 Tips For Non-Native Parents To Raise Bilingual Kids
- Find your tribe! This is a journey not meant to go at it alone!
- Find an accountability partner- help each other stay the course.
- Find real-life context resources- groups, classes, any support, and exposure.
Are you a non-native speaker raising bilingual children? Check out Mama Llama Linguist for inspiration, tips, and resources.
Thank you, Corrie!!
