This post has affiliate links.  Thank you for your support!

Raising bilingual kids is a popular topic in recently years.  How to raise bilingual kids at birth?  How to start raising a bilingual child in early years?  What method to use? Is the bilingual parenting approach you have chosen working for your family?  When should I start?

A year from now you may wish you had started today. –Karen Lamb

raising bilingual kids how to | Miss Panda Chinese

Raising Bilingual Kids

You might have heard different methods of raising bilingual kids, such as One Person One Language (OPOL), Minority Language at Home (ML@H), Mixing languages or Time & Place/Context Method.  But, which method to follow?  Where do you start?

The Zookeeper

Adam Beck, founder of Bilingual Monkeys and Bilingual Zoo, shares his insight of raising bilingual kids from his teaching background, his own bilingual family experience, and his amazing collection of resources from his blog and his forum, Bilingual Zoo.

raising bilingual kids adam beck bilingual monkeys | Miss Panda Chinese

Adam with his daughter, early in their bilingual journey

His debut bilingual parenting book, Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability-Ideas and inspiration for even greater success and joy raising bilingual kids is a guide, a compass for parents who are new to this bilingual parenting journey.  This book is also an anchor, a spirit booster for parents who have been on the bilingual parenting journey and need more inspiration as children grow older.

Adam is passionate about raising bilingual kids.  Our two families have kids in similar age group.  We both started our bilingual parenting journey when our children were born.  Adam and I  both have taught in the international schools.  We both are passionate about bilingual education.

I have the great pleasure to interview Adam and have such an in depth conversation about raising bilingual kids.  Adam’s great sense of humor reflects in his writing, you know that very well if you have followed his blog, BilingualMonkeys.

Without further ado, let’s follow the bilingual family story of Adam Beck, author of Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability!

Enjoy.  Smile. Be Inspired!

raising bilingual kids adam beck bilingual monkeys | Miss Panda Chinese

Adam’s two bilingual children in action

Bilingual family profile of Adam Beck

Majority language: Japanese.

Minority (target) language: English.

Method used for Adam’s family: OPOL (One Parent/Person One Language) since birth of the children.

Location of this bilingual family: Japan.

Adam is raising his children in English and Japaneses in Japan.  Adam only speaks English to his kids.  His wife is Japanese and she only speaks Japanese to the children.  The children go to the local Japanese school.  The language used by the siblings when they are together is Japanese.  Adam speaks English to his wife.  His wife speaks Japanese to Adam.  Adam’s children have native proficiency of English at their grade level in speaking, reading, and writing.  Adam’s children are currently 12 years old and 9 years old. (2016)

Watch this extensive conversation with Adam Beck, author of Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability: Ideas and inspiration for even greater success and joy raising bilingual kids now right here.  If you are raising a bilingual child now or if you are thinking about raising your child in more than one language from birth you will  enjoy this lively talk with Adam Beck, the entertaining and creative founder at Bilingual Monkeys and The Bilingual Zoo.

Adam shares his bilingual education expertise with us as a writer, a coach, a teacher, and a parent.  You will get to know the highlights from his new book on raising bilingual kids, his personal language background, his bilingual family story and how you can not only stay strong on the bilingual journey but expand the horizon and maximize your child’s bilingual ability with joy!  Quick takeaway: Be serious and be very playful!

Watch this author interview on YouTube Miss Panda Chinese channel or right here.

Quick Watch

01:15  Greetings from Hiroshima, Japan.  Adam talks about his family language environment.

04:40 Making the language meaningful.  Adam’s personal language experience and his bilingual education journey.

08:50 Adam talks about why parents need both the perspectives (ways of thinking) and principals (ways of acting and doing) on the bilingual parenting journey.

10:45 Where do parents start?  Why the early years are important?

16:05 Be very serious and be very playful!

18:25 What to expect when kids go to school in the majority language and how parents can maintain strong on the bilingual journey – Perseverance & keep going!

25:00 Why we need to be patient, be faithful, and we have to believe that our efforts will matter over time on this journey.  It is never too late to start your bilingual journey with your child.

38:05 Books and reading in the minority language are important.  Ideas on resource – wordless books and much more.

43:40 How to keep the enthusiasm in your child.  For parents – how to keep a positive spirit on the bilingual journey.

46:30 Adam’s Show and Tell – Look who’s talking?

48:50 Even for busy parents the quotes and quick takeaways in Adam’s book, Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability makes it easy for you to read and get ideas and tips from.

55:00 How to connect with Adam & Thank you!

I am thrilled to share Adam’s wonderful book that is praised by parents worldwide with you: Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability – Ideas and inspiration for even greater success and joy raising bilingual kids.

raising bilingual kids bilingual monkeys adam beck | Miss Panda Chinese

Connect with Adam Beck:

Visit his websites – Bilingual Monkeys and The Bilingual Zoo.

Social Media – Facebook and twitter.

Love to read more Chinese teaching resources from Miss Panda? Sign Up for Email Updates:

Explore More in Bilingual Parenting Series

Bilingual Family Story with MingJung and Her Adult Daughter 

An Interview with My Son (Miss Panda’s tween)

Author Interview with Rita Rosenback, Bringing Up a Bilingual Child

Author Interview with Toni Wang, A Little Mandarin Chinese Children’s Classics

Author Interview with  Allison Branscombe, All About China Stories, Songs, Crafts…

The Triumphs and Challenges of Raising Our Little Linquists

Bilingual Kids Rock podcast: Miss Panda Talks About Creating a Language Program

Bilingual Avenue Podcast: Miss Panda Talks About Creating a Language Program at Your Child’s School




6 Comments
  1. Adam has shared his knowledge on bilingual parenting in various perspectives and I am so glad to know that you enjoy it. Keep the great work that you are doing! Love your creativity!

  2. Hello,

    I need your assistant with Subscribing for email updates for bilingual parenting community.

    • Thank you for your note. You are already subscribed. You can always use the landing page form to confirm your subscription. Thank you and have a fantastic day!