Teaching Bilingual Children To Communicate More Effectively

As parents (and teachers) raising bilingual children, we know the importance of communication. After all, we want our children to be able to speak and communicate effectively in multiple languages. Not all communication, however, is created equally. In order for children to really learn and explore language, they must be active participants! One of my favorite tools for teaching bilingual children to communicate effectively  is asking them open-ended questions.

How are Open-Ended Questions Important for Teaching Bilingual Children?

Open ended questions are those that require children to think and answer with more than yes, no or other one word answers. Open-ended questions encourage discussion, out of the box thinking, and are a great way to gain insight on the thought processes of your child. When teaching bilingual children, they also encourage the child to use a lot of vocabulary and reach for words they might not normally use on their own.

It is normal for children to give short answers to questions.
Children will often answer questions with one word answers. Yes, no, yellow, big, etc. This is especially true when you are using a minority language or a language that they aren’t that comfortable in. 

In order to help children explore and use language, asking them open-ended questions will push them a little more. After you ask a question, it’s important to give children plenty of time to answer. It can feel like an awkward silence, but if you give kids time, they will start giving answers!

Once they give an answer, you can choose to repeat what they said using correct wording and grammar (very effective way to correct a child without making them feel bad), or you can choose to ask a follow-up question that will encourage them to keep talking. In fact, I often do both!

What Does Asking Open-Ended Questions Look Like?

Have you ever asked your child  “Did you have a good day in school?” What did they answer? I bet it was “yes.” Of maybe you asked “How was school today?” and their very insightful answer was “good.” That, friends, is the problem with closed ended questions. They leave no room for actual dialogue!

So, Instead of going for the all too common close-ended questions, try asking a little bit more from them! Ask question, and follow up what they said with even more questions in the target language.

“What did you do at school today that was fun?”

“Why did you think it was fun?”

“Who did you do that with today?”

“What did they think about the activity?”

Asking Open-Ended Questions Takes Practice

Learning how to ask open-ended questions takes practice. We have to think about it, plan for our questions, and be very engaged with listening to what our children are telling us. The effort, however, is well worth it, especially when you are teaching bilingual children to communicate more effectively.

Here are some common ways to begin an open-ended question: 

What would happen if . . .
I wonder . . .
What do you think about . . .
In what way . . .
Tell me about . . .
What would you do . . .
How can we . . .
How did you . . .

Make this a daily activity with your children and watch their communication skills bloom in the target language!

Are there any open-ended questions that you effectively use with your bilingual child? Share your stories with us in the comments