Raising bilingual children: embracing Italian and English

In our household, Italian isn’t just a language; it is the heartbeat of our daily lives. When we moved to England, Elisa was 5 and a half, and Marco was just 2 and a half. From the very beginning, I made a conscious decision to speak only Italian to my children. It was important to me that they stayed connected to our roots and grew up fully bilingual.

Italian as our home base

For me, speaking Italian comes naturally. It is the language I think, dream about, express myself, and even argue in! That is why, at home, Italian is our default. Whether it is cooking together in the kitchen or chatting about our day, the words flow in the familiar rhythm of our native tongue. I have never spoken English to Elisa and Marco, even after all these years in the UK and the USA. My goal has always been to help them preserve our Italian heritage, even in an English-speaking environment.

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Pietro’s early english lessons

Even before we considered moving, Pietro began “teaching” English to the kids from the moment they were born. While dressing them in the morning or when we were out and about, he would casually introduce English words like “nose,” “mouth,” “ears,” “tree,” and “house.” We have always believed in the power of bilingualism, and this early exposure to English was part of our long-term plan, even if we didn’t know it at the time.

Pietro’s background played a big role in this. He spent five years in Australia between the ages of 3 and 8, so he has a solid grasp of the English language structure. On the other hand, I attended a commercial school in Italy and studied English for several years. However, the way English is taught in Italy, especially the pronunciation, is very Italian. When we moved to the UK and the USA, I (mostly) had to relearn how to pronounce many words correctly. But that’s a story for another post!

*Elisa and Marco during one of our beautiful walks in the UK (2017)*

Bilingual kids with a twist

Elisa and Marco have grown into confident, bilingual speakers. Their Italian is excellent, but you can hear the subtle influence of their English environment in their accents. It is a charming mix, fluent Italian with a hint of English pronunciation. Interestingly, they speak only English with each other, but when they know we are going to Italy or a relative is coming over, they switch to 100% Italian as if flipping a switch.

Accents and adaptations

As for me, my English accent is… let’s just say it is unmistakably Italian! While I can communicate just fine in English, my accent is a strong reminder of where I come from. I’m okay with that; it is part of who I am, and it is a connection to my homeland that I carry with me every day.

Preserving our heritage

Looking back, I am grateful we have managed to maintain Italian as the cornerstone of our family’s communication. It is more than just words – it is a way to keep our culture and traditions alive, even as we embrace our life in the UK and now in the USA. Every conversation, every story told in Italian, is a thread that ties us back to where we started, no matter where we are now.

Thanks for hanging out with me today!

Se you next time!

Valentina