Raising Bilingual Children: English at B1 for Teachers, Doctors and Grandparents

If your child grows up with two languages, you will explain it again and again: to a teacher, to nursery staff, to a doctor, to a grandparent who worries. Each time you need clear English and a few terms that sound simple but are easy to get wrong. This article gives you the words and the sentences, with notes on tone.

Bilingual parents often have the odd experience of being experts on their own family and beginners in the language of the institutions around it. You know exactly how your child speaks, mixes and switches, but the nursery form asks for a first language, the doctor asks how many words your child has, and the grandparents ask why she does not speak to them more.

This is not a guide to raising bilingual children. It does not tell you which method is best, and it makes no claims about development. It is a guide to the English you need to describe your own situation calmly and accurately. For the general vocabulary of these places, see school and nursery English at B1 and English at the doctor.

Terms in plain English

A few terms come up in every conversation about two languages. They are worth learning exactly, because using them well makes professionals take you seriously and listen more carefully. None of these words requires a medical or academic background.

Talking to the nursery and the teacher

Nursery staff and teachers see your child in one language, and they usually do not know what happens at home. The most useful thing you can do is give them a short, calm picture: which languages, who speaks which, and what you would like them to know. A useful habit is to describe what the child does, not what you fear.

• We speak Italian at home, so English is her second language. Clear and neutral, the sentence to put on any form.
• He understands almost everything in English, but he does not always answer. A fair description for a quiet child.
• She sometimes mixes languages in one sentence. This is normal for us. A calm way to explain what the teacher may hear.
• Could you let me know if you have any concerns? Invites a conversation, without accusing anyone.
• Is there anything we can do at home to help? Shows you are involved.
• Please keep speaking English with her, and we will keep using our home language. Clear about the plan.

At the doctor or the health visitor

A doctor or health visitor may ask how your child is speaking. Answer with facts, not worries. Say which languages, how many people speak each, and what you have noticed. You are describing, not diagnosing, and if there is a real concern, the professional will ask more questions and decide what happens next. That is their job, not yours.

If you do not understand a question, saying so is completely normal. Ask for the question to be repeated, or for a simpler word.

• She hears two languages at home, English and Portuguese. Sets the background quickly.
• He says words in both languages, and sometimes he uses one word from each. Facts, without a conclusion.
• Could you explain that in simpler words? Fine at any appointment.
• Is this typical for a child who hears two languages? An honest question, and let the doctor answer.
• What would you suggest we do next? Practical and calm.

Talking to grandparents

Grandparents ask the most personal questions, and they often come with worry or with love, sometimes both. They may worry that the child will not speak with them, or that two languages will confuse. You do not need to argue. A gentle, specific sentence works better than a technical explanation, and it is fine to keep the details vague if the family is not the right audience for a debate.

• She is learning both languages, and she is happy. We are doing it at her pace. A calm reply that ends the debate politely.
• It would mean a lot if you spoke your own language with him. Invites the grandparent in, instead of correcting them.
• We would love for her to be able to talk to you. That is why we are doing this. Shows the reason is love, not method.
• Let us video call on Sunday. She can show you her drawings. A practical way to keep the language alive.
• It is fine if she answers in the other language; she understands you perfectly. For a child who replies in the other language.

Describing your own family plan

Sooner or later someone asks how you do it. Have one sentence ready and add detail only if the person really wants it. The point is not to defend a method; it is to be clear. Notice that the more casual the situation, the shorter the answer should be.

Short version: "We speak Czech at home and she learns English at nursery." Longer version: "I speak Czech with her, my husband speaks English, and we both use whichever language feels natural when we are all together." In British English you may hear the setting called nursery or reception; in American English it is preschool and kindergarten, and the doctor is often called a pediatrician rather than a paediatrician.

Keeping your own English growing

One more thing is easy to forget: the parent who is learning English is also a model. Children notice when a parent tries. Reading picture books aloud in English can improve your vocabulary alongside theirs, and everyday family words like homework, bedtime, snack and pick-up are the ones you will need daily. If you would like a wider base, the free B1 vocabulary list is a good start.

With MindDory you can save the phrases from this article that fit your situation as cards and review them in the app, and if a school letter or a form is on paper, you can scan the page to cards. Then the words are ready before the next meeting, not after it.