One of the questions I asked myself and one that others have asked me when they find out about my goal is, "Why?" Why do I want to raise my children to speak two languages? I already knew that I loved being able to speak other languages and interact with the world in a bigger way, but was that enough of a reason for me to teach my children to do the same? Here are some of the articles I found that helped me the most.
The Benefits of Multilingualism
http://www.multilingualliving.com/2010/05/01/the-benefits-of-multilingualism/
A Link to 10 Different Articles: Research, Expert Information and Studies on Bilingualism
http://spanglishbaby.com/research-expert-information-and-studies-on-bilingualism/
So after reading, the simplest answer to Why - was really, "Why not?" The benefits are many, and the end seems like it would merit the effort and frustrations along the way.
My next question was, "My son is already three. Is that too late to start?" All of the research I found said No! It was not too late. I found a lot of information, much of it for native speakers, so I had to kind of take bits and pieces from here and there to make it work for me (more about that later).
Here's Proof That It's Never Too Late to Start Raising Bilingual Children
http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/11/never-late-start-childs-language-learning-story/
Raising Bilingual Children - Is It Too Late to Start Now?
http://littlewhizzkid.com/raising-bilingual-children/
Perhaps even more helpful (for convincing me) than the expert articles, was the discussion forum at multilingualchildren.org. There are discussion threads dating back to 2006 with many of the same questions and concerns that I had/have. The replies from other families who live bilingualism every day were informative and refreshing.
http://forums.multilingualchildren.org/?forum=29058
I'm even more excited about the idea of raising the boys bilingual now and I'm still researching and reading everyday to find ideas as to successful strategies!
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