Ece and Mehmet were born in England and live with their mum, dad and grandmother, born in Turkey.

Dad (in Turkish): How was school today?

Mehmet (in English) : Fine

Living with more than one language can be great for multilingual families. It can mean that family members can feel more connected.

Ece and Mehmet speak English and Turkish and can easily speak with their parents and grandparents and with their friends at schools.

Ece (in Turkish): Tell us a story, grandma

Grandma (in Turkish): My favourite memory ...

They enjoy speaking English as it helps them to settle into their school life and to learn in school. They enjoy speaking Turkish when they meet with their family members.

Mehmet: Let’s play

For families, living with more than one language can also be tricky. Parents will have ideas about the languages they want to use at home, but children might have different ideas. This can lead to tensions and conflicts.

Dad (in Turkish): How do you say this in Turkish)?’

Ece (in English): ‘I don’t want to speak Turkish!’

Parents and children might have different feelings about

the languages they speak. For example, Ece’s and Mehmet’s mother says that Turkish is in her heart and is the language she thinks in, and English is the language she struggles with. She feels this as a burden, and their grand-mother doesn’t even consider learning English. On the contrary, Ece and Mehmet feel English as the language of their future and Turkish the language of their past. Sometimes, they would like to speak English also at home.

Mother: Turkish is in my hearth. I try to learn English everyday

Ece: English is my future. Turkish is my past.

Many families face these situations at home.

Sometimes you might feel that it would be easier to give up on your heritage language.

Mother: I am giving up.

However, there are many other benefits for your children beyond family connection.

It helps children’s language development is if they hear the languages parents are comfortable and competent with at home.

Ece: I am learning quickly!

If you communicate with your child in the language you feel more comfortable with, you will better express yourself and with a richer vocabulary.

Ece’s grandmother: I can express myself.

As your child gets older, they can appreciate to know more than one language in their social life and in their work life

Ece: Thank you! I can speak with different people!

Ece’s mother: You are always connected to us!

One day, not knowing the family language can be felt as a loss from parents and, in the long run, from children too.

The balance in how you use your languages at home will change over time and need readjusting.