Passing on your mother tongue while living abroad

Published on 29 June 2026

The family language is a gift, handed over in small touches, day after day.

Many expat parents notice it: the local language gains ground fast once school starts. Passing on your mother tongue then takes a little commitment — but absolutely no pressure.

Speak your language during the warm moments: cuddles, meals, games. Emotional association is what anchors a language. Celebrate new words as discoveries, never as corrections. And surround your child with objects where the language exists: books, songs, cards, posters.

A child who sees the family language written, illustrated and celebrated understands that it matters. The rest — grammar, spelling — will come at its own pace.