Having children abroad: How do I get them to speak Catalan?

BarcelonaAdam and Mar moved to Seattle six years ago to work at the headquarters of two large global companies. Although she is from Navarre, they have spoken Catalan to each other since settling in Barcelona 19 years ago. When their first child, Lluc, was born in the United States four years ago, it was natural for each of them to speak to him in their native language: she in Spanish and he in Catalan. The rest of his environment—daycare, friends, and neighbors, who also babysit—always speak to him in English. The result of this equation is that Lluc speaks English perfectly, while he has more difficulty—and with a funny American accent—speaking Catalan and Spanish, which are still mixed together. The latest example was conjugating the verb to ask (ask) in Catalan: "You can ask him" askar loves professor?" "I speak as well as words in Català," says Aurora Bel, professor at the Faculty of Translation at UPF, researcher in language acquisition in multilingual environments. The first requirements you must have are "linguistic awareness" and "consistency," the expert warns. From here on, three basic tips why the fillers of the immigrants maintain the català: parlar-los el màxim d'hores in català; open them to the maximum of contexts, and encourage that the parlin ells, fins i tot face what followed from the translations of the majority language.

The impact of school

Studies on heritage languages (as the language passed on by immigrant parents is technically called) clearly mark two key moments in their learning: on the one hand, the entry into school, and on the other, the arrival of adolescence. When they enter school, it's common for the majority language to predominate in the child's life and they begin to speak it habitually. If there are siblings in the family, it's also normal for them to speak to each other in the majority language, the language of integration, even more so if it's also one of the home languages. "It's recommended to extend the first preschool stage as long as possible, even delaying entry into school. You shouldn't worry about acquiring the majority language: they'll learn it," says Silvia Perpiñan, also a professor at the UPF Faculty of Translation and a researcher in the field of language acquisition. Creating a language bubble works, as demonstrated by the fact that older siblings usually speak heritage languages better than younger ones, because they have had more exclusive exposure to the home language and less to the street language.

"Now that he's in school, Lluc only knows Catalan from one person: his father. And also when he visits his grandparents and cousins in Catalonia, a couple of times a year," says Adam. These long visits are very beneficial and crucial for socializing in Catalan: it's his linguistic immersion. They also serve to acquire new vocabulary, naturalize phonetic pronunciation, and learn the more complex forms of the language. "These are children who have a high level of understanding of their heritage language, but often lack the ability to speak it, and therefore need to be encouraged," says Silvia Perpiñan.

When they enter school at 3, 4, or 5 years old, the development of their home language comes to a sudden halt. "Either something is done here, or it's done badly," Bel concludes. "What's needed is to guarantee the learning of reading and writing in the minority language." Optimally, they should attend bilingual schools. If not possible, look for community schools (like that of the Russians and Chinese in Barcelona). And if they don't exist, it's the parents' job to promote it, for example, by reading stories in Catalan. Obviously, screens can be an ally… except in the case of a minority language. "In theory, throughout the day, Lluc feels the same in Catalan as in Spanish, but this is where drawings and games come in: it's very difficult to find digital content in Catalan," Adam laments.

Adolescence and the strength of the group

The other complicated stage is adolescence. On the one hand, because young people want to integrate into the group and need the language to not identify them. Their status as immigrants and the status of the language they bring from home play a big role here: often the most precarious immigrants are more interested in their children integrating into the language of the community where they live than high-status, highly mobile expatriates.

It also depends on how each language is perceived in the host society. "Children sometimes deny their parents' language, and you have the job of making them see its value and that integrating doesn't require annihilating their own language," says Aurora Bel. In any case, if they don't use the language, one phenomenon that can occur is attrition, which is the erosion of the language: at the age of fifteen, you may know less than at the age of five. On the other hand, there are studies that indicate that puberty marks the "sensitive period," when language learning skills begin to decline because of a loss of flexibility. That's why it's important to start early, but above all, "constancy and consistency" over the years are key, insists Bel; otherwise, the effort will be wasted.

The Hoskens Castillo family knows it's not easy. Ariadna is Catalan, Roger is Dutch, and their common language has always been English. When they had their first child in Holland, they spoke to him in English, and later, when they moved abroad, this language became more established: in the last sixteen years, they've had three more children and have lived in Shanghai (China), Hong Kong, and now Phuket (Thailand). "Now I think we should have made the effort to speak other languages to them because they would have learned English anyway," laments Ariadna, looking back at her, who is happy that all four children are native English speakers. The fact that Dutch and Catalan are few and far between made them give up on an international language, which was spoken by their partner, their school, and their caregivers. Furthermore, their second languages at school and at home have never coincided: in addition to English, they have studied Mandarin and French.

Since they lived in Holland for a year and their three older children take Dutch classes outside of school, they can express themselves in Dutch, but Catalan is more of a sideline. Now their eldest son is also studying Spanish and is considering completing his studies in Holland: "He's having an identification crisis. Everyone has a flag, and he's very angry because he feels uprooted. They're Dutch and Spanish, but they don't speak the languages," Ariadna explains. "If you get your children to speak their heritage language and not the majority language, it's a huge success because it guarantees the preservation of the minority language, but it's very difficult," Perpiñan admits.

Recipes for maintaining Catalan abroad

UB linguistics professor Carme Muñoz, an expert in language acquisition in multilingual contexts, offers the essential recipe for helping children maintain their heritage languages. There are three precepts: exposure, use, and motivation.

1. Always speak to him in CatalanThe parent should address the child in this language, even if the child responds in the majority language of the home or surrounding area. It's important to hear the language as much as possible and in as many contexts as possible. Therefore, television and series in Catalan are also helpful.
2. Socialize with children your ageWe must find spaces where they can use Catalan beyond the home environment. It's extremely important to do so with children their own age and in a recreational setting. This way, the language will be fun, spontaneous, and it will be worth the effort to change languages. The key is for them to do activities in Catalan that interest them and with people they're interested in interacting with.
3. Traveling to Catalonia: Stays with Catalan families and summer camps are the perfect way for children of expatriates to learn Catalan. This is a context in which Catalan is essential and speaking their native language is often unavailable.