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First Graders at Tessa International School focused on their writing task.

Do Parents Need to Speak French, Spanish, or Mandarin to Raise Bilingual Children?

September 30, 2026/in Bilingualism, Language Learning, Parenting /by Tessa International School

This is one of the most common questions families ask about bilingual education: Can children become bilingual if their parents don’t speak the target language?

At Tessa International School, children learn through French, Spanish, or Mandarin immersion, while sometimes neither parent speaks the language at home. For many families, this raises an understandable concern: How can parents support their child’s language development when they might be not able to help with vocabulary, pronunciation, or homework in that language?

The good news is that you don’t need to be fluent in a second language to support your child’s bilingual development. Research on bilingual development and home literacy practices highlights the importance of supportive family environments, meaningful language experiences, and collaboration between families and educators. These principles can help children from a wide range of linguistic and educational backgrounds build confidence as they learn another language.

Here are five practical ways to support your child’s French, Spanish, or Mandarin learning at home, even if you don’t speak the language yourself.

Even if your home isn’t bilingual, you can create an immersive language experience for your child.

You’re the biggest motivator.

Parents and guardians don’t need to correct pronunciation or check vocabulary homework. Your job is different–and just as important:

Model a positive attitude toward the language and culture.

Children notice how adults respond to learning. Expressing curiosity about the target language can encourage children to approach the language with a similar positive attitude.

Actively ask about what they’re learning, not just their grades.

Questions such as “What new word did you learn today?” or “Can you teach me something in French?” give children an opportunity to share what they know and take agency of their learning.

Remember that making mistakes is a natural part of the process.

Language acquisition is always non-linear. Children may understand more than they can express or use new words in one context before applying them in another. Consistent encouragement helps children develop confidence and a lasting interest in learning another language.

Let your child “teach back” what they learn

One practical way to reinforce language learning is to invite your child to become the teacher.

Invite them to explain a concept they learned at school in their primary language, then encourage them to share a related word or phrase in the target language. For example, after a STEM session, your child might explain the water cycle and teach you relevant French, Spanish, or Mandarin words and sentences.

This approach reflects the bilingual education at Tessa, where our English and target-language teachers frequently collaborate to bring dual-language skills and perspectives into their IB units.

This kind of teach-back activity encourages children to reinforce their learning through the protégé effect and use languages in a meaningful context. They also show children that you value what they are learning, helping foster a sense of achievement, pride, and enthusiasm for continued learning.

Build passive exposure into daily life

Children benefit from consistent exposure where they can hear and engage with a ne language. You don’t need to understand every word to help create purposeful bilingual opportunities at home.

Watch familiar shows in the target language.

Try a favorite children’s program dubbed in French, Spanish, or Mandarin. Familiar characters and storylines can help children connect new words with contexts they already understand. Choose age-appropriate content and consider subtitles when useful.

Read on for more ways to encourage healthy digital habits.

Listen to music together.

Add French, Spanish, or Mandarin songs to your family’s car-ride playlist or play them during everyday activities. Repetition, rhythm, and memorable lyrics can make new expressions easier to recognize.

Explore children’s books and read-alongs.

Borrow picture books in the target language from your local library. Look at the illustrations together, discuss the story in your Primary language, and invite your child to read or explain familiar words.

Try language-learning apps and digital resources.

Resources such as Duolingo, Lingokids, and Little Pim offer different ways to engage with languages. Choose tools appropriate for your child’s age and learning needs, and establish reasonable screen-time boundaries. For younger children, shared activities with a parent or caregiver can make digital learning more interactive.

Find purposeful language-learning resources curated by our experienced, native-speaking Spanish, French, and Mandarin teachers.

Make language part of play.

Puzzles, picture cards, games, and familiar stories can give children additional opportunities to recognize and use words in a engaging way.

Connect With Multilingual Communities and Resources

Language learning doesn’t have to happen at home or in a schooling environment alone.

Look for local cultural associations, family events, library programs, or age-appropriate conversation activities related to the target language. Cultural celebrations, music, food, and storytelling can help children connect language with real-world experiences.

At Tessa International School, our Afterschool and Weekend Language Classes also offer additional opportunities for children of different ages and levels to develop their language skills.

You’re not alone. Partner with the School and Teachers.

Communication between families and educators can help connect classroom learning with everyday experiences at home.

At Tessa International School, our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) provides a framework for inquiry-based learning. In a language immersion setting, children have opportunities to develop language skills while engaging with meaningful academic content.

Language, in this setting, becomes a tool for understanding ideas, communicating with others, and participating in classroom activities, rather than an isolated subject focused only on vocabulary and grammar.

Ask your child’s teachers which vocabulary, concepts, or unit themes you can reinforce at home. It’s also helpful to share questions or concerns with teachers through the school’s communication channels or during the parent-teacher conferences. A strong partnership between school and family helps create consistent expectations and gives children more opportunities to use what they learn.

Your child doesn’t need a fluent parent at home; they need a learning partner who is interested, encouraging, and willing to learn alongside them. With support from school, family, and community, children can grow into confident multilingual communicators who are willing and eager to continue developing their language skills both inside and outside the classroom.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can children become bilingual if their parents only speak English?

Yes. Children can develop another language through consistent exposure and meaningful opportunities to use it at school and in other settings. Parents can support this process without speaking the target language fluently.

How can I help my child learn French, Spanish, or Mandarin at home if I don’t speak it?

Try age-appropriate books, songs, familiar shows in the target language, simple games, and conversations about what your child learns at school. Ask teachers for suggestions that connect with current classroom topics.

Should I speak a language I don’t know well with my child?

You don’t need to force yourself to use a language you are not comfortable speaking. You can learn alongside your child, but you can also support their learning through encouragement, resources, and collaboration with educators.

How long does it take a child to become bilingual?

There is no single timeline. Development varies according to age, exposure, opportunities to interact with speakers, and individual circumstances. Understanding a language and speaking it confidently may develop at different rates.

Are you ready to discover Hoboken’s leading international private school?

Contact Tessa International School to learn more!

Language Spotlight Series: Spanish – Giving Your Child a Career Advantage

March 1, 2019/in Bilingualism, Language Learning, Teaching and Learning /by Tessa International School

More and more evidence has come to light in recent years in support of adding a second (or third) language to your child’s curriculum. While many parents may be apprehensive about introducing additional language learning to their child at a young age, research has shown early education is a fantastic time to begin bilingual teaching.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, studies have shown that the most important learning process of early education involves language and literacy development. These two skills, which are intertwined, form the basic foundation for all other learning processes your child will encounter the rest of their lives.

“The primary goal of early schooling is to establish the foundational skills upon which children will build their educational futures. The most important of these abilities are the language and literacy competence.” – The U.S. National Library of Medicine.

It goes without saying then, that a focus on language learning is the key to the best academic potential for children. In fact, adding dual language learning to their academia during early education years, serves to boost their comprehension skills even further, according to recent research by the National Institute of Health (NIH).

As the NIH reports, the Lindholm-Leary study, conducted in 2014, showed “…children in the bilingual program outperform(ed) the English-only instruction group in both English and Spanish test scores by the end of second grade.”

The research results leave us with compelling evidence in support of introducing bilingual learning at a young age. Which in turn, begs the question, “how do we choose which language is best?” Our Language Spotlight Series is going to take a look at two of the top ranked languages chosen for children around the world: Spanish and French. This month we will be focusing our articles on discovering the benefits of each language option, beginning with Spanish.

Spotlight on Spanish

According to international census results, conducted by Swedish educational group, Nationalencyklopedin.com, in 2010 there were 405 million Spanish speakers throughout the world. These census results showed there are nearly 50 million more people globally who speak Spanish than there are who speak English – and that was 9 years ago. The numbers are only increasing with each year.

What does this mean? Well, to put it simply, there are more opportunities for your child if they speak Spanish than there are if they speak English. Imagine the possibilities if they were bilingual and able to speak both.

“In the United States alone there are over 50 million people who speak Spanish as their native or second language. So even if you don’t fancy yourself a globetrotter, Spanish is probably the most useful language to learn…” – Babbel.com.

If you base your decision on numbers, Spanish is a likely front-runner for bilingual education options for your child, but it’s so much more than just a popular choice. Here are five of the top benefits to consider when choosing Spanish as a second language for your child’s early educational curriculum:

1 – Opportunities

When you choose a language that is the second most spoken language across the globe, you’re choosing so much more than just a language voted most likely to succeed or most popular in the annual polls. You’re choosing opportunities for your child.

With so many people speaking Spanish – both in the United States and around the world – learning the more common language seems a no-brainer. By learning to communicate with a larger base of the global population, you will be giving your child the tools to close gaps between cultures and open up lines of communication with endless individuals and multi-lingual opportunities.

“Spanish is the second most-spoken language in the world. The opportunities for Spanish speakers across the globe are endless!” – Leapfrog.com.

2 – Stronger Linguistic Core

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages to consider when signing your child up for Spanish language instruction, lies in the foundational work. While you may be afraid your child will be confused by using multiple languages in the early years, the contrary is actually true – particularly when learning Spanish.

English and Spanish share many commonalities in their core linguistics. In fact, both have strong Latin roots and have multiple words that are so similar they are basically the same (or literally, are the same) – and easily understood.

“Studying Spanish increases children’s understanding of the English language and how different languages evolve, which can also help with learning English vocabulary.” – Leapfrog.com.

Going back to the study findings listed above from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, language and linguistic learning is the most critical piece of your child’s early education. By extension then, choosing a course of study that helps boost your child’s ability to understand and develop these foundational linguistic skills makes perfect sense.

3 – Ease of Understanding

In a related benefit, since Spanish and English share so many commonalities, it also makes it a fairly simple language for young minds to pick up. There are literally thousands of words in the Spanish language that share a base with English words. Actually, there are several thousand that share an exact same spelling and meaning in both languages.

Words like capital, editorial, federal, hospital, manual, normal, and thousands more share the same meaning and spelling, just to give an example. English and Spanish are highly relatable and easily understood, so it goes without saying that the earlier you begin bilingual studies, the easier it is to pick up. With so many similarities, children will be able to pick up Spanish as a second language in no time.

4 – Breaking Barriers

Because learning a second language is more than just opening opportunities, it’s important to consider the bilateral advantages. While your child will certainly be picking up fantastic core linguistic lessons and opening doors to communicating with a larger portion of the global population, there is more to the picture.

According to Babbel Magazine, there are actually more Spanish speaking individuals in the United States than there are in Spain. The Spanish-speaking population in the United States is second in size only to that of Mexico – giving an even greater opportunity for immersion learning.

With a language as vastly used as Spanish, becoming fluent does more than just open communication lines – it breaks down communication barriers. When the language barriers are taken down, cultural learning and enrichment are open and available for even greater impacts on our children.

“Dual language programs show students a broader world-view, whatever the native language of the student, and lead to greater opportunities for collaborative learning.” – Huffington Post.

5 – Increased Fluency

When you consider all of the factors above, it makes sense to deduce that Spanish as a second language comes with an increased chance for fluency later in life when introduced at an early age. Combining the fact that the two languages share so many similarities, with the fact that they increase linguistic foundations overall, it’s easy to understand how your child will be building a strong potential for continuing their learning later in life.

“It generally takes five to seven years to be proficient in a second language… In other words, U.S. students should be introduced to a second language at a young age in order to be fluent by adulthood.” – Huffington Post.

Overall, when choosing a second language for early childhood education, a vast majority of parents have chosen Spanish for a multitude of reasons. With the increasing Spanish-speaking population and wide-spread use of Spanish across the globe, it’s certainly the most popular choice. It also shares a root in Latin-based linguistics, giving it so many similarities to English and making it an easy-learn for young minds.

Whatever your reason, introducing Spanish to early education students has unparalleled benefits across the board. Speak with bilingual educational professionals near you to learn even more advantages to Spanish instruction!

What is immersion education?

November 18, 2016/in Language Learning, Teaching and Learning, Tessa News /by ruben

Immersion education is a teaching method where students learn all subjects in a target language like French, Spanish, or Mandarin. It works best when children start early, as they can easily pick up language nuances. These classrooms offer efficient learning environments with quick transitions.

Teachers who are fluent and native speakers of the target language, commit to speaking it consistently. They use the target language during instruction, transitions, outdoor play, and meal times. Teachers pay close attention to students’ needs and individual learning styles.

The classroom features a literacy-rich environment with pictures, labels, and meaningful visuals to support the target language throughout the day. Teachers adeptly help comprehension through non-verbal clues and smart teaching strategies.

Days are organized, routines are consistent, and key phrases and vocabulary repeat often to boost vocabulary development. Children make connections across the curriculum as the target language and English curriculum align, reinforcing concepts and ideas in both languages.

Will your child lose their English?

Research indicates that children in immersion settings perform the same or better than their non-immersion peers.

What if you don’t speak the target language at home?

Your child can still succeed and gain proficiency even if you don’t speak the target language. Homework uses songs and games to review classroom learning in a fun and engaging way. Strong communication with your child’s teacher is essential for success.

Summer Travel Plans…?

August 8, 2016/in Uncategorized /by ruben

At Tessa International School, we make it our mission to prepare our students to be leaders of the 21st century and happy world citizens. During the summer months, traveling with your children can be a great way to introduce them to the diversity beyond our borders.

Traveling with your children can be a fun and very educational way to broaden their mindsets. When you travel with your children, you are allowing them to observe and experience new places, languages, foods, and cultures first-hand. At Tessa International School, we strongly believe in preparing our children to embrace the world with enthusiasm, confidence, and the strong will to make a difference. Traveling is one of the key ways to help develop their open-mindedness, curiosity, flexibility, independence and many other skills at an early age that are necessary for them to succeed in our highly interconnected and globalized world. Raising global children means sending them off into the world better prepared to tackle the issues of the 21st century.

Here are our top five reasons to travel with your kids:

It is a great way to spend valuable time together as a family. There is no better way to show your child that you care than to spend time together. Travelling will certainly leave you with some remarkable photos and unforgettable memories!
It broadens your child’s mindset and perspective of the world. It is amazing how quickly children catch on to subtle differences in their environment. Travelling presents a wonderful opportunity to spark their curiosity and imagination.
Travel allows your child to develop their self-esteem, confidence and independence. Exposing your children to new and different cultures will undoubtedly teach them new things. It will also a great way to strengthen their character and discover who they are and where they come from.
It teaches them to embrace diversity. Meeting new people, listening to foreign languages, and trying new foods are all great experiences that showcase the differences in our cultures. Celebrate the diversity!
Before you know it, your child will become a seasoned traveler. You may be hesitant to take your little one along for the vacation, however, it is an excellent way to set expectations and let them grow accustomed to what is expected of them on travel days.

It’s never too early to start exploring the world with your little one. Visit our website to learn more about our world class curriculum and language immersion programs in either French or Spanish. At Tessa, we understand the importance of preparing our children to take on whatever challenges life throws at them and embrace global opportunities with enthusiasm and confidence. RSVP to join us at our next information session or call us to schedule an appointment at (201) 755-5585.

Safe travels and we look forward to meeting you and your family soon!