Attitude Meets Effort

Parents can help their child become bilingual even if they are not fluent in one of the languages, say experts.

- Jane Ng

An educator who published a book on how parents can do so, says a parent's attitude and determination can make a huge difference in his or her child's success at picking up a language.

Bukit Panjang Government High School vice-principal Teo Ting Ting was a Chinese teacher. She wrote and published the book Empowering Bilingual Connections in 2024, in which she shares tips on what parents can do to build a strong language foundation.

She says that even if a parent is not fluent in a language, his or her involvement and enthusiasm can inspire his or her child and set a powerful example.

"Language learning isn't about being perfect. It's about creating a positive and supportive environment," says Madam Teo.

She cites the example of American investor Jim Rogers, who moved to Singapore so that his children could become bilingual.

"I once had the chance to visit Mr Rogers. It was amazing to see how much respect he had for the Chinese language and how proud he was of his children for mastering Mandarin," she says.

She adds that his encouragement and dedication played a big role in their success. "It's a great example of how a parent's support can help a child thrive, even if he or she is not fluent in the language."

A team of National Institute of Education (NIE) researchers, who has been studying bilingual education, says there are ways for this group of parents to support their child.

One is by providing a rich language and literacy environment at home by borrowing books from the library or using technology to provide high-quality language input.

Dr Sun Baoqi, an education researcher and scientist from NIE's centre for research in child development, says storybooks, educational apps, radio programmes and videos are excellent resources.