Many parents may find themselves the sole language speaker in a mixed family, possibly living in a community where there are few other native speakers. So where can you find quality resources to help your children progress?
Here is my list of top 10 resources developed for my own kids who are learning Hindi, but this list applies to any language.
Books
From toddler’s board books to formal workbooks to chapter books for young readers, there has been a surge of bilingual material published for children in recent years. Some books are being printed by mainstream publishers and sold on multinational retail sites like Mantralingua and Amazon.
You’ll find a wealth of other material simply by searching for your language online and on social media. Specialist publishers all over the globe are creating content for children. Search for ‘bilingual books’ on Instagram and you’ll find a rich list of material to buy or download.
If you’re looking for Indian languages specifically, I can personally recommend Bhasha Kids, Hindi Kay Bol, TokaBox, Gaps and Letters, Apni Heritage, and T4Tales.
While you’re at it, check out these unapologetically bilingual novels for adults!
Apps
Some of you may be thinking: “Apps, really? I’m trying to limit my kids’ screen time!”
But according to experts, quality educational apps help children learn. As a parent, I appreciate having the option of educational screen time, although please note that experts generally recommend their use with children above the age of two.
According to experts, the apps that help children learn have the following qualities:
– Active involvement – mentally and physically
– Engagement – they hold your child’s attention
– Meaningfulness – they allow your child to build on existing knowledge and add to it
– Social interaction – engaging with other people
I recommend the Shoonya Kids for Learn Hindi, Learn Spanish, English, Telegu, and Marathi (with Punjabi and Gujarati coming in the future) precisely because it meets the standards above and because of the authenticity of the images and spoken pronunciations. There are also other apps to teach children languages.
Learn Hindi