How to prepare for your bilingual baby

Expecting a baby, especially a first baby, is a lot for any new parent.

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There are so many unknowns and so much to plan for: where your baby will sleep, how you will organise feeding, changing and bathing arrangements and how you will arrange your work life so you or another caregiver are with the child. If you have the privilege of using more than one language, you may well want your child to know these languages. In the English-speaking world, many people have limited knowledge of any other language, but that is certainly not the case everywhere. Almost 60% of people aged 25-64 in the EU know at least one language other than their first language at a “good” or “proficient” level.Many children are born into families where several languages are used daily and can expect to have more than one first language. You may have grown up with more than one first language, or you parents may have different first languages. The majority language outside the home may not be either parent's first language.Before your baby is born, there is a lot you can do to prepare the ground for them to acquire the languages you want them to know.