If you are raising your child as bilingual, you may want to find a school that can help your child continue to develop their language skills in a formal learning environment in addition to what they have learnt at home.
Here are some of the options for children to learn language skill which you can to explore in your area.
Language lessons at the local government school
Some local government schools have strong second language programs, particularly if the school is situated in an area which has historically had a strong migrant population. It is worth investigating what languages the local school's offer and chatting to the teachers to get an idea of the breadth and quality of the language program at the school.
Dual-language schools
Some independent schools specialise in a specific language, such as dual French/English schools. These schools teach lessons in either language, either by alternating languages by subject or by only teaching in a specific language on certain days of the week. This more immersive language experience where students are taught a range of subjects in their second language which helps them to develop a richer vocabulary and adjust to speaking the second language when talking on any topic.
Many bilingual students like attending these schools as they can easily communicate with peers in other languages and can interact with peers with similar family backgrounds to their own, including bilingual households. Parents may also find it easier to communicate with the school if English is not their first language, as the staff can also confidently speak in the other language.
Supplementary classes outside of school
If your child is learning a less common language, it may be hard to find a school that specialises in teaching the other language that your child is learning. In that case, you might need to find another location for their lessons, such as a local community organisation or church. There are often people in your broader community who might have some tutoring or teaching experience, which can help your child to learn some of the finer details of grammar or language mechanics in their native language through some additional lessons.
There are also a growing number of language tutors offering Skype and online lessons, which can be a good way to get instruction in less common languages which have limited local tutors.
If you are looking to optimise your child's language development and study in a second language, it can be a good idea to research the language capabilities of your local schools.
