For some Aussie kids, being bi- or trilingual is becoming "the norm"

First published on our Fun Languages blog, this interview with some Australian children that speak English, Mandarin and French is really interesting. 

Jinyan (mum) and her husband are both from China and came to Australia 7 years ago.

What do you do to keep Mandarin at home?
Jinyan: "I don't need to do much. It is just really natural. At home we speak Mandarin because my husband is from China too. So we both speak Mandarin with each other and with the kids. When they were really small, we only spoke Mandarin to them and when they grew up we sent them to the Chinese Language School and there they can make a lot of friends, who also speak Mandarin. They are really happy to go there because they have a lot of friends at the school and I think it’s a very good way to keep them speaking Mandarin."

What is your advice to raise bilingual kids?
Jinyan: "The only way to keep your kids to speak the parent’s first language is that parents need to speak their mother tongue at home. Otherwise, as the kids are growing they are exposed to English more and if parents wouldn't insist, kids would choose speaking English at home as it is easier for them."

Why do you want your kids to learn another language? 
Jinyan: "I want them to grasp more than 2 languages because in their school the second language is Mandarin too. Plus French is a very important and beautiful language and I hope some day we can travel to France too."

Questions we put to Roy and Zoe ...

What languages do you speak?
Both: "Mandarin, English and we are learning French."

And why do you speak more than one language?
Roy: Because our parents are from China. We were born there and we came to Australia when we were 9 months old.

How do you speak with your parents
Zoe: Mandarin and a tiny little bit in English.

How do you feel about having two languages?
Both: "Proud!" (laughing).

What is the best part about being bilingual?
Zoe: "I like to talk to different people in different languages." 
Roy: "I like to communicate with people who are Chinese and English."

Do you have other friends who speak Mandarin and English?
Both: "Yes!"

And how do you speak with them:
Zoe: "Sometimes Chinese, sometimes English."

What is your favourite language?
Roy: Mandarin because we mostly speak that language.

Where do you speak Mandarin?
Both: "At home and at the Chinese Language School."

What language do you think in?
Roy: "Mandarin."
Zoe: "English, sometimes Mandarin. It depends on who I talk to."

Would you love to learn another language?
Zoe: "Oh yes! Japanese."

Where do you learn French?
Both: "We are going to a French language club." (Roy and Zoe attend French lessons at a Fun Languages club in Melbourne)

And do you like it?
Both: "Yes, a lot. Because we can have fun. We do different activities, play games and sing songs and we learn new words."

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Roy: "I want to be the president. "
Zoe: "I want to be president too."

Would languages help you becoming a president?
Both: Yes (laughing).
Zoe: Because if someone doesn't know a language, I could speak to them in their language.

Yes, Roy & Zoe, a second (or third) language will come in VERY handy when you're the President!