Everyone can celebrate NWT Aboriginal Languages Month. It’s as easy as talking to a baby or toddler in one of our Aboriginal languages.
We know it’s easier to learn a language when we are young, so do the baby in your life a favour. Help them learn their language while it’s easiest for them – before they are five years old. Help them hear as much of their language as possible in the earliest years!
Many people used to believe that hearing more than one language would confuse babies. We know now that isn’t true. In fact, the more language they hear in any languages, the better a young child’s vocabulary will be. In European countries, it’s not unusual for children to grow up speaking several languages all at once, such as German, Dutch and French.
Give the babies and toddlers in your life a head start. Talk, sing, and tell them stories in your Aboriginal language. Even if you are not a fluent speaker, make it a priority to learn some phrases and use them!
It’s never too early to talk to a baby – they learn language right from day one and likely even before they are born.
Since babies learn the language they hear around them, make sure they hear lots of your Aboriginal language. Ask grandparents and other speakers to help. Ask them to use only their Aboriginal language around your child.
Take young children to visit elders. Listening to elders talk among themselves is helpful. But babies need interaction to learn. Ask elders to hold your baby and interact with them. It’s that human interaction that makes a difference!
Forget about using language apps for babies and toddlers. They won’t help a baby learn because there’s no human interaction. But the apps might help you learn words and sentences you can say to your baby or toddler. There’s information on the Internet about language learning, including a story about how to raise a bilingual child when you don’t speak the language.
Make a promise to be a language champion now. Perhaps you could team up with friends and aim to speak or sing to a young child each day. Maybe you’ll carry on beyond March and NWT Aboriginal Languages Month.
This is how we’ll keep our languages alive.
The children in your life will one day thank you for making the effort.
-- Norma Gauthier
