6 Surprising Benefits of Bilingual Children’s Books
We all know that books are so very important for children’s language and vocabulary development. In fact, making time for reading can be one of the most important things you do as a parent - and if you, like me, are teaching your kids Swedish abroad then it’s even more important to set quality time aside for reading.
Yum! FIKA is a very important word to learn in Swedish. Here’s a preview from ‘Min första bok om Sverige - My First Book about Sweden’.
Bilingual books can take your reading routine up a notch - here’s how:
1. Bilingual books can create a feeling of inclusivity and multiculturalism. When you live away from Sweden, reading books in Swedish can help create a sense of roots and belonging. Kids also love learning about culture and traditions and hearing what life was like where mummy, daddy or mormor grew up.
2. One of my favourite benefits of Bilingual books is that they can be incredibly useful if you’ve started teaching your kids Swedish when they’re a bit older, like I did with my little boy. Reading a book in two languages help them pick up vocabulary fast, without having to feel confused about not understanding all the words. And because the books are bilingual - you no longer have to translate English books on the spot at bedtime when you’re exhausted from a long day.
Here’s my little boy learning his letters - in BOTH Swedish and English (You can find the book ‘My Swedish ABC coloring book’ in the Swenglish Life Book Club and on Amazon.)
3. Bilingual books can be very helpful if you’re not entirely fluent in Swedish yourself, but you still want to pass on your language and heritage to the next generation.
4. Bilingual books are great because the whole family can enjoy the same book. For example, you could read it in Swedish and your partner in English. Or your mother in law could read it in English, and mormor in Swedish at your next family party. You get the idea - over time, your kids’ Swedish vocabulary builds and becomes a natural part of their lives.
5. When you’re teaching your kids your mother tongue abroad, it can be easy to fall into the trap of never introducing new vocabulary but only sticking to everyday talk like ‘put on your shoes,’ ‘No, on the other foot. The OTHER foot’. And so on. My bilingual books bring in some new fresh words that don’t necessarily involve chores :-)
6. A fun and often unexpected side effect of reading bilingual books to your kids is that your non-Swedish speaking partner and family members will pick up words and learn about Sweden, too. You could even encourage your childminders, or your kids’ friends to read the books in case they’re curious about your language. That’s a great bonus, right?
I’ve written a range of bilingual children’s books that I know that you and your kids will really enjoy. I’d love for you to check them out!
The books are engaging, the images and illustrations are gorgeous, and the stories will develop their Swedish vocabulary as well as introduce them to some of our most loved Swedish culture and traditions.
The books are available as traditional paperbacks from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, as well as in digital format from the Swenglish Life Book Shop.
Tack och hej, lever pastej.
Linda
