What you can do to help your child learn Dutch

Children will learn Dutch by going to school and playing with other children who speak Dutch. The more children are exposed to the Dutch language, the faster they will master the language. In addition to school and friends, parents also play a role in learning a language. 

Language at home: Dutch or your mother tongue?

What language children speak at home with their parents and how that affects their language development depends on the parents' situation and language skills. Good native language development can positively influence learning Dutch.

Foreign-speaking parents often speak to children in their mother tongue at home. It is certainly good to pay attention to the mother tongue, especially when the parents themselves do not yet have a sufficient command of Dutch. This has a positive influence on children's social-emotional development because the mother tongue is part of the identity. A well-developed mother tongue can help learn other skills. Moreover, it also helps in learning the Dutch language. In fact, proficiency in the first language is related to proficiency in the second language. Accumulated knowledge in the mother tongue can be transferred to Dutch. Also, proper development of the mother tongue promotes general language comprehension that enables children to learn a second language.

Tips for parents

Parents can help their children learn Dutch at home in many different ways. Talking, singing and reading together has a great influence on language development. Below are some language activities that parents can do at home with their children. These can be in Dutch, but also in the parents' native language!

• Reading books aloud. Reading aloud increases vocabulary and challenges children to think about the structure of stories.
• Have conversationsabout everyday things and experiences (while cooking, at the supermarket). When doing this, ask open-ended questions: “What do you think will happen next?”, “What do they sell at this store?”.
• Making up stories together
• Practice together writing , for example, one's own name, names of family members, what he/she experienced today, or a bill to a friend/relative.
• Talk togetherabout the booklet you have read. This makes it easier to understand the story, and this contributes to the child's cognitive development.
• Talking together about topics that interest your child. For example, about cars, animals, preschool, school, adventures, the forest, the sea, and so on.
• Singing songs or verses. For example, using a CD or Youtube.
• Watching Dutch children's programs on televisiontogether. Examples of Dutch children's programs are Sesamstraat, Het Klokhuis and Jeugdjournaal.