Hi!
Not so long ago, the term "inophones" was used only among speech therapists and teachers, but today every second emigrant child can be called an inophone, and the number of google queries is growing.
We at Palme School have deconstructed this concept.
- The reading time is 6 minutes.
Content:
- Who are inophones? How do they differ from bilinguals?
- Difficulties of foreign-born children.
- How do you help your child?
- What to read and watch together?
What's more?
Let's take two families:
- In the first family, the mom is Spanish-speaking, the dad is Russian-speaking, the child speaks both languages, goes to Spanish-speaking school, and in the evening calls the grandmother and tells her in Russian how the day went. This child is bilingual.
- The second family on 100% is Russian-speaking: it consists of mom, dad and 9-year-old twins. They moved to Italy together. The parents learned Italian at school and then went to English courses, they can maintain a conversation with the locals and shop for groceries. But the twins speak only Russian and are inophones, as the language environment is quite new to them.
What are the difficulties of inophones?
- Genesis. Children do not communicate with peers, do not ask for help, and do not learn fully in school.
- Socialization. Most often, children in a new language environment feel misunderstood and lonely, lose their identity, and may become withdrawn.
- Emotional background. Anxiety and aggression come to the forefront.
- Health. In the face of stress, the child's cognitive skills and GI tract are the first to suffer.
How do you help a foreign-born child?
- Help yourself first. Children are sensitive to the emotional background of their parents, so the first thing to do is to take care of your own well-being, organize your life if you just moved to a new country, provide yourself with the support of a psychologist, if necessary.
- Give the child an emotional release. Talk through your emotions, ask questions, and create a warm and trusting atmosphere at home.
- Adapt to a new language environment. Enroll your child in language classes, check if the new school has an adaptation class, get support from teachers.
- Preserving Identity. Talk to your child about how, despite the change of country and language, his or her roots remain Russian. Keep small holidays, talk about traditions and winged expressions, learn to read and write.
- Accept that progress comes in many forms. It is important to remember that a change of country can be a culture shock for a child and it takes time and energy to digest new information. It can take from 2 to 4 years for a child to adapt to a new country and culture, and this is normal.
What to watch and read together?
Here are some cartoons and books to discuss with your child in terms of cultural, language and emotional difficulties.
Cartoons:
"Coco's Secret". A cartoon about family traditions and how important it is to remember your history.
"Puzzle." The cartoon is a detailed guide to emotions and the workings of our psyche in different situations.
"Pocahontas." Cartoon about American colonizers, respect for another language and culture.
Books:
"Multicolored Monster" is a book from a psychologist who practices art therapy.
"The Volcano Who's Angry" is a comic book about a little volcano who was angry.
"Gaston's Emotions" is the story of a unicorn whose mane is painted in different colors depending on his emotions.
Our teachers at Palme School use the most effective teaching methods. You can try Palme School's online Russian lessons for children for free.
And you can sign up for a free trial lesson here
