By Ollin Paris
Are you planning on moving abroad with your family and you need to find the right school for the kids? Finding the right school for your kids isn’t always the biggest hurdle, immersing them in the local culture can sometimes be difficult if they decide to go to a private school where the local language is sometimes seldom used. Even if your children go to an international school, there are still ways to support their language learning.
Should They Learn a New Language?
This is a dilemma many parents face when they move to a new country. Sometimes, you don’t plan on living their long term, so learning the language can sometimes feel like a useless venture. But as your children are exposed to the local culture and people, they will start to pick up bits of the language. Even if you don’t intend to be in the country for an extended period, learning a new language is never a bad thing, no matter what level you reach.
If your child attends BASIS International School Bangkok or one of the other leading private schools in Thailand they won’t be overly exposed to the local language. But once they leave the school, they will want to mix with other children who don’t speak their native tongue. What they have learned in school will help them in the outside world, so learning the language will benefit them, even if only for a short period.
Kids are more likely to socialise with others and use the language because they’ve learned, they aren’t inhibited by social anxieties that we as adults carry. Even in a few short weeks of learning, their language skills will improve dramatically.
Interacting with Children & Others
Living abroad means that your kids will interact with local children, teachers and more, regardless of where they go to school. If they make friends outside of school, they will need to communicate on more than just a basic level. How do you expect the parents of their friends to understand them if they cannot speak a word of the local language?
There are many good reasons for your kid to learn the local language when they move to a new country. Being an expat child can be a challenge and learning the language means they can easily assimilate into their new surroundings and make friends. It also gives them the chance to learn local traditions and get involved in local events.
