The Power of Language

“If culture is a house, then language was the key to the front door, to all the rooms inside. Without it, he said, you ended up wayward, without a proper home or a legitimate identity.””

— Khaled Hosseini, Afghan-born American novelist and physician

I think that the best way to start this conversation is with a question:

“Can you think of words that exist in your mother tongue that you would not be able to translate to another language?”

Off the top of my head I can think of at least 10 words in Moroccan dialect that are totally untranslatable. Words that are part of our culture and are closely related to the specifies of our culture, our approach to time, social relationships, religious backgrounds, social diversity, the way we deal with our feelings …

There is also body language which is the language of gestures, expressions, postures and the tone of voice … you can literally guess someone’s background just by their body language before they even say a word.

Can you see the line between language and culture dissipate?

Language is one of the most important component of any culture. It is how people communicate and how they construct, maintain, modify and convey their social reality. Wether you are aware of it or not, you cannot really learn a language without the cultural aspect of it.

It does not mean that speaking a language will make you part of that culture. It is a bit more complicated than that. However, if you are learning or teaching a certain language, it is very important for you to understand the intertwined relationship between language and culture.

In this blogpost I want to talk to parents raising their children multilingually and specifically in their heritage language (s).

Why make that distinction? You may ask.

Well, as we explained earlier language and culture are closely linked and when it is our mother tongue or heritage language there is an emotional dimension that makes it is a very passionate topic and rightly so. Heritage language is what connects us to our roots and what builds bridges between the past and the future. ****

In this particular case, learning the language goes beyond learning the alphabet, the vocabulary, the grammar and the structure of the sentence. It is also about the values, the behaviors, the customs as well as the social and cultural keys of the society.

Fostering Identity Through Cultural Heritage

In the context of immigration, school-aged children with a migration background use the majority language in many contexts, with different types of people and for different purposes. On the other hand, the heritage language is limited to the household, very often to more “basic” topics and “simpler” ideas and feelings.

…. Yeah and?

Well, research shows that this can be detrimental not only to family bonds but also to the child's overall wellbeing.

“Material as well as immaterial heritage is of importance for identity formation, sense of connectedness, mental health and wellbeing.

Centre for Critical Heritage Studies (CCHS)

When the heritage language is not introduced and integrated at home and maybe even outside in a well-thought out manner, the family can lose a core component of their bond. The first consequence I can think of is wider intergenerational gap and looser family ties.

How so?

Language is how we tell stories, express our feelings, dig deeper into our emotions … and this is how we build strong family narratives, and steady family bonds.

Our cultural identity, and at the centre of it our heritage language, is our foundation. Interviewing second and third generation immigrants who do not speak their heritage language shows that very often they feel that they have lost a connection to their culture, their sense of identity but also the “legitimacy” and “ability” to identify as an ethnic person.

Strategies: It is your call

My objective is not to scare you. Quite the opposite. I already know that these topics are very emotive and controversial but I also know that our roots and our heritage are a significant building block of our identity. With that in mind, I want every family to understand the importance of cultural and linguistic heritage in the development of their children but also to have the tools and material to accomplish their goals and find that balance.

So my objectives are to:

• empower and accompany parents who wish to convey their heritage language and culture,

• debunk the myths and fears surrounding these topics

• show that the process is not as hard as it may seem

So where do we start?

The answer is always the same: you start with yourself.

• Ask yourself what are your objectives.

  • Do you want your child to be fluent in your heritage language?

  • Do you want them to be able to read and write in the heritage language?

  • Is your heritage language important for religious reasons?

  • Do you just want them to be able to understand the family abroad?

These questions need to be answered regularly. It is ok if the answers change over time. As parents we sometimes overestimate what we can do and how we can influence our children. There is also a lot of external pressure that might stress us into making unsuitable decisions. Thus, we need to adjust our objectives to our reality, which brings us to the next point.

• Be realistic

As they say,

The hot water that softens a carrot will harden an egg

There is no one-size-fits-all solution so you need to be realistic and tailor your plan to your life. A monolingual household will not have the same results as a mixed couple. You cannot expect your child to master your native language the way you do, if they are not exposed to it the way you were. It will be harder for you if you do not have close community that exclusively speaks that language. Is bilingual daycare an option for you? … all these are elements that need to be part of your planning process.

I cannot stress enough the importance of having a plan. In the boxes we design at Miniglotte, we make it a point to have a whole section for you to state your objectives and plan your journey.

… consistent,

Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency.

Dwayne Johnson

When you find the right strategy for you, try to be consistent as much as you can. However, if after a few months you see that something is not working, doesn't feel right or if your situation changes (you move countries, a relative is coming to live nearby, your child starts school…) be flexible. Talk to them about that change, reassure them and make sure they are ok and on board.

and flexible

Your child is not your battlefield. Don’t push too hard and if you see that there is resistance try to understand the reasons behind it and adapt your strategy to your child’s abilities and willingness to learn. Don’t forget that it is only natural that their preferences, references and priorities might be different from yours.

If you want to share something with your children make it your lifestyle and above it all make it likeable. Surround yourself with multilingual people, explain to your children about the importance and benefits or multilingualism. Embrace it and make it your normal.

• Be proud of your culture

Language is not everything. It is important that your children learn to appreciate the culture and the country that is associated with it. Depending on the heritage language you are trying to pass on, it can be harder but it is your job to be your children’s role model on how to embrace and be proud of their complex identity unapologetically.

• Internet can be your best friend and worst enemy

Inform yourself, double check don’t let the Internet stress you or make you doubt. Seek help from professionals and challenge the ideas that don't sit well with you. Some professionals are not trained to understand the specificities of bilingual children might be different so don’t be afraid or ashamed to challenge and question their “diagnosis” if you see or feel any sort of conscious or unconscious bias in them.

• Build a community

Make friends

Of course, finding playmates who are the same age and speak the same languages is the dream of every multilingual parent but it is not always easy. It is ok. New technologies have made it today possible to build friendships and communication channels across borders.

…Travel when you can and get family to visit you when possible

It is not always possible and I think that when the lockdown happened we all learned to not take travel for granted. However, whenever it is possible pay a short visit to relatives in the home country or have them over.

To conclude

I want you to do what feels right for you. We are talking about parenting here and it means that by default we are doing the best we can with the available tools and means. Follow what your instincts tell you, believe in yourself and trust the process. It is a marathon so no matter how much you are doing, it is better than giving up. Language is “technique” and as long as you are doing something, the mechanisms will be stored in their brain and they will be available for them to grab, even if it happens later in life. Also, no matter what some might say, it is never too late. If you are a latecomer, you can still join the multilingual wagon.

In Miniglotte we are working hard to develop the right tools and guides lacking today in the market to allow you to easily but effectively integrate multilingualism and multiculturalism in your daily routine.

Now that we have introduced the topic, let’s get to the hard and read talk.

What challenges or fears stop you from teaching your native language?