Presenter: Mary Nobuoka
Many people think that children raised by parents who speak two or more languages will naturally become bilingual or multilingual. However, in a monolingual country, this is not so easy. Raising a bilingual child in Japan (or countries like the USA where the majority language dominates) requires planning and attention. This presentation advised parents on the challenges of raising a bilingual child and shared some factors for success. Tips for adding bi-literacy skills were sprinkled throughout. This talk was beneficial to all Gunma JALT attendees, especially to those hoping their child(ren) will be bilingual, and to teachers of children who are being raised bilingually.