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It actually quite simple. I grew up bilingual as well as all of my 11 nieces and nephews. You just speak the nonenglish language in your home. That's it. They will speak English - that is probably the fear that you have but nope, they pick that up because their interactions with other will be in English.
I came here when I was 4 and was fluent in English by the time I was 5. Korean was the only language that was spoken at home. The fact is, I have no memories of not ever having spoken English.
I have some personal experience with this.I love French and speak it to my children from day 1-including songs, nursery rhymes, etc. DH doesn't know a word of french. The kids and I can speak to each other in French and English. DH doesn't seem to mind and if he did he could learn French if it was really important. Now at 31 son is taking his first formal French course to learn how to read it and to understand grammar.
Step daughter taught herself her husband's native language. But he speaks English very well. They speak mostly his language at home and both girls are bi lingual. They also had speech delays which was certainly expected. I think they are enriched to have two languages.
next door neighbors are Russian. Three oldest children grew up with the whole family speaking Russian at home but they also had English lessons when they moved to USA. Once kids got into school most home conversations were in English. Now 4th kid comes along and has heard mostly English and refuses to speak any Russian even though they say he knows it. So now all the kids are getting formal Russian lessons!
One caveat - do NOT raise a child by speaking a language that you are not totally fluent in, with a full vocabulary, that is not your native language. Children need to hear the full, adult vocabulary for optimal brain development. So if you had four years of high school French, but are not totally fluent and able to carry on a college level conversation in French, don't choose to speak to the baby in French. If your native language is not English, go ahead and speak that with the child, using your full vocabulary, books, videos, etc. If your spouse's native language is a different one, and not English, have spouse speak that language exclusively to child, and read child books/watch videos in spouse's language. Kid will learn both. Kid will learn English when they go to school. Voila! Fluent in two languages by four, three languages by six or seven. Kid will have superior executive functioning skills.
One caveat - do NOT raise a child by speaking a language that you are not totally fluent in, with a full vocabulary, that is not your native language. Children need to hear the full, adult vocabulary for optimal brain development. So if you had four years of high school French, but are not totally fluent and able to carry on a college level conversation in French, don't choose to speak to the baby in French. If your native language is not English, go ahead and speak that with the child, using your full vocabulary, books, videos, etc. If your spouse's native language is a different one, and not English, have spouse speak that language exclusively to child, and read child books/watch videos in spouse's language. Kid will learn both. Kid will learn English when they go to school. Voila! Fluent in two languages by four, three languages by six or seven. Kid will have superior executive functioning skills.
Yes, parents should definitely speak their native language to their children. I speak both English and Finnish but try and refrain from speaking Finnish to my toddler as its not my native language. She speaks both fluently already.
With three languages, each parent speaks their own language and the kid will learn the 3rd language just naturally from hearing it out and about, and more formally at school.
there was a song I heard one time, and the man speaking, said:
How many languages can a child learn?
and here is what the teacher said, as many as you will teach them....
my boys also learned our native tongue as well. they are bi-lingual. they spoke it before english.
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