When Only One Parent is Polish – How to Support the Polish Language in a Bilingual Family
- Pinwheel International CIC
- Mar 7
- 2 min read
One of the most challenging situations when working with bilingual children occurs when only one parent is of Polish origin and the other speaks the majority language. In such families, the dominant language quickly begins to take over.
Nursery, school, friends, television, books and social media – everything functions in the majority language. Even at home, parents often communicate with each other in that language because it is the one they both share. As a result, the child’s exposure to Polish may be limited to only a small part of the day – sometimes just a few hours a week.
At the same time, Polish is not an easy language in itself. Its rich inflection, complex case system and challenging pronunciation mean that when children have the option of choosing an easier way to communicate, they will naturally gravitate towards the majority language.
For this reason, one thing becomes crucial: making the Polish language attractive.
Not as an obligation.Not as an additional task.But as play, enjoyment and a shared experience.
In my work, I often use puppets and soft toys. When we are learning to play and sing a song about a little fox trying to catch a hen for breakfast, a small theatre appears beside the piano. The fox sneaks quietly, the hen runs away, and the child plays, sings and bursts into laughter each time the story repeats itself.
At that point, it is no longer simply a “language exercise”. It becomes a story.
The child does not just say the words – they see them. Sound connects with image, movement and emotion. When a word has its own little performance, it stays in the memory much longer. In this way, understanding the lyrics of the song becomes natural, and new vocabulary is absorbed without pressure.
Of course, this approach requires greater involvement from both the teacher and the parent. Props need to be prepared, imagination must be engaged, and sometimes you have to fully step into the role of the fox or the hen. But the results are worth the effort.
Month by month – and sometimes even from one lesson to the next – progress becomes visible. At first, children mix the two languages, switch between words and search for the correct forms. Over time, however, they learn to separate them. They begin to form sentences in Polish with increasing confidence and reach for the language more willingly.
This happens because Polish starts to be associated with something positive.
With music.
With play.
With time spent together – close to the teacher and the parent.
And when a language carries positive emotions, children want to use it.
That is the moment when true, conscious bilingualism begins.
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