There are many advantages to being bilingual:

 

  • Bilingualism is reported to deliver more logical thought, as the complex processes of speaking more than one language can enhance brain development
  • Open-mindedness is a key feature of bilingualism – as children learn to recognise the value of more than one communication system, value set and culture, which feeds through to more open and creative problem solving
  • Bilingualism brings career and life options as standard – two languages means at least two countries to live and work in and often more
  • In surveys, bilingual children tend to have high self esteem and better problem solving skills, although it’s not clear if that’s a result of second language use or a result of having parents who invest in their children’s future in this way.

So, given that it’s such a great contributor to childhood wellbeing, how can a bilingual nanny help?

 

Play is learning too

 

Children learn through moment by moment interactions rather than by classroom sessions, so a bilingual nanny can give your child an effortless mastery of a second language without your child even realising that its happening.

 

Immersion is essential

 

‘Knowing’ a language and ‘speaking’ a language are different things. Speaking a language tends to be an intellectual process that requires conscious thought but knowing a language is instinctive and instantaneous. Being with somebody who speaks the second language gives your child the immersion to know another language from the inside out.

 

Cost effective learning

 

Because an experienced bilingual nanny gives your child context, they aren’t just learning a language, they learn the cultural context in which the language works. This means that they are getting three things at once:

  • quality childcare
  • language skills
  • cultural input.

Just think about paying for each of those separately for a moment and you’ll see why a bilingual nanny is an amazing contribution to your household, at very little cost.

 

A nanny provides early education

 

Classroom learning is great, but it’s nothing like the kind of learning we do when we’re relaxed and happy. By giving your child the gift of a bilingual upbringing, you can not only offer them a wider and more opportunity rich future, you’re offering them the chance to begin their life-long learning much earlier than other children, so they develop the ability to move between languages and cultures way before their peers, which will make learning other skills, and other languages, much easier as they go through life.

 

At Mrs Hunt’s Staffing we have bilingual nannies of every kind, although our Russian and Spanish speaking nannies are rarely available for long, as these are highly desirable second languages at present. If we can help you find the perfect nanny who can also give your child confidence in a second language, please contact us today.