Parents Guide - How to pass on Arabic to our children?

At Arabic Seeds, we are parents too and our goal is to raise Arabic-understanding children who live and love the language. We hope this Guide will help you, whether you are a non-native-speaking or a native-speaking parent!

What is the best way to pass on Arabic to our children?

Waiting until a child reaches a certain age and starting directly with alphabet memorization, reading and writing practices, and lists of words and grammar rules to learn by heart is an approach that make learning Arabic challenging for children, especially if they haven't been exposed to Arabic beforehand. 

Our own parenting experience, as well as advice from multilingual parenting experts, show that the best way to pass on a language to our kids is to integrate the language into our daily life so it becomes a meaningful and natural language.

Our children can even start to acquire Arabic basic grammar rules from toddler age by being exposed to full sentences in their everyday (especially when we make a point in pronouncing the endings of the words). We have experienced this ourselves with our children. 

And it is not too early nor too late to start! (of course, the earlier the easier, but even as an adult it's not impossible!)

Read our best tips below:

1. When your child is a baby/toddler

Expose him/her to the whole language and lay a great language foundation by:

• talking to him/her in Arabic in your daily life. That’s one of the essential ways of really acquiring a language. You can read Arabic Seeds' founder testimony on how she got started as a non-native speaking mom here and follow the tips below:

*Using short sentences, simply describe what you are doing and what’s around you. 

**Add stickies/notes in each room of your home to remind you to speak the language and to remind you of the relevant vocabulary/sentences. You will improve as you go!

***As you integrate more Arabic into your life, trust that the brain is developing connections and language acquisition mechanisms.

**** If you have relatives who can speak Arabic fluently, make it a family affair and ask them to speak in Arabic to your children!

• reading aloud in Arabic (books, stories, short texts, anything that can be relevant to your child). Even if you are not able to read fluently at first, practicing every day and re-reading the same books/materials will make you improve greatly! 

• listening to Arabic audios or videos. Even if you or your children don't understand every single word of what you read/listen, it's ok! That's part of the learning process! Don't make it a barrier. 
• singing rhymes (add gestures and movements to make the rhyme even more interactive)
• providing an Arabic-script rich environment at home through labels and wall displays.

2. When your child is a preschooler or older

• Start by doing the same as mentioned above. We want the language to become a meaningful and usual/natural language in the eyes of our children.
• Introduce the Arabic alphabet through play (puzzles, manipulatives, child-friendly flashcards, rhyme, crafts)
• Play simple games with words and basic sentences.
• Add writing and reading practices once he/she is ready, according on his/her own development. Be his/her partner and keep in mind that children are different, some can read at 5, others can read at 7 etc...
• Look for Arabic playgroups, storytimes or programs in your area, or create your own group of committed parents! Adding a sense of community to your/your children's Arabic journey will make it even more enjoyable and meaningful!

 Last but not least:

• Start small, but with consistency. Choose one thing to do (example: read a book in Arabic) and start with 10 min per day (at bedtime for example).
• Be patient, trust the process, persevere. This is a life-long journey.
• Human interaction is the most powerful tool you already have! That's why parents, relatives, friends and/or teachers can't be totally replaced by electronics when it comes to language learning! 
• If you understand that your commitment is essential to raise an Arabic-understanding child, our resources are here to help you!
• If you (or your relatives) have concerns or questions about bilingualism/multilingualism, want to debunk misconceptions surrounding them, learn more tips and strategies and read testimonies from parents around the world. I always recommend the website multilingualparenting.com 

- Emilie, Arabic Seeds founder.

PS #1: Arabic Seeds Members can get this GUIDE in a printable format inside the membership library here.

PS #2: Homeschooling? Read our HOMESCHOOLER GUIDE here (it contains tips that are also relevant for parents and teachers)

Our mission at Arabic Seeds is to empower you and to be your partner in your family's Arabic journey by creating adapted resources. With more than 250 Arabic resources (150+ printables, 50+ videos, and then audios, online games & quizzes) organized into themed units and categories inside our membership library, we help you to make your children learn Arabic in a meaningful way, and to make them live the language everyday and everywhere, from early childhood!