When families start thinking about their journey of raising multilingual children, there's an important aspect that is often left out of the equation: handwriting in the home language. However, integrating handwriting into the family’s language is significant in a child's linguistic development and cultural connection.
From the moment a child is born, the family language plan begins to shape their bilingualism journey. By incorporating handwriting into this plan, parents lay a solid foundation for literacy skills in the home language. Although speaking the home language at home is important, home language literacy is crucial in avoiding language loss. This, however, doesn’t mean that handwriting in the home language must be introduced simultaneously with other languages. It is perfectly fine to stagger the introduction of handwriting in different languages. Handwriting isn't just about forming letters; it's about understanding the language's structure and nuances on a completely different level. Practicing handwriting alongside language acquisition helps children develop a holistic grasp of their home language.
Research has shown that handwriting activates different areas of the brain compared to typing, leading to better recall of both the language and the content. This means that by paying attention to handwriting, parents support their children in developing strong cognitive connections to their home language. These cognitive connections strengthen the cognitive connections to other languages, too.
Moreover, handwriting is also a bridge to cultural heritage and identity. In many cultures, the script and calligraphy of the home language carry historical and artistic significance. Some cultures start handwriting by teaching cursive, others by teaching print letters. Parents pass down not only linguistic knowledge but also cultural heritage via teaching children handwriting in the home language.
Handwritten letters, poems, and stories become accessible pieces reinforcing the bond between language, culture, and identity. One of my first and most profound experiences with this was when I was living in England and visited a Cantonese friend’s house. To my astonishment, he didn’t know what all the beautifully handwritten framed pieces of writing meant in his parents’ house. This was well before I became interested in multilingualism. Yet, even then I though what wasted opportunity it was for him to miss out on his heritage language.
In conclusion, handwriting is an important part of the family language plan, enriching children's bilingualism journey in many ways. By recognizing the importance of handwriting, parents empower their children to embrace their home language with confidence and pride. So, when thinking about your family’s language plan, remember to give handwriting the attention it deserves — it's not just about writing letters, postcards, and diaries; it's about writing the story of your family's cultural legacy.
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Bio
Vera has over 15 years of experience as an international educator. She has been teaching in Sweden since 2016. She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature and Linguistics, a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and a postgraduate degree in Teaching Students with Special Educational Needs. She speaks four languages and has worked with dozens of international families over her career. She is an English as an Additional Language specialist teacher and has extensive knowledge about language learning, maintaining the home language, education as well as special educational needs. Read more about her here.