OPOL System: (One Person – One Language)

There are many different opinions on this topic and compelling arguments can be found for all of them, as they are all linked to “good intentions”. As parents, we always want the best for our children. At iLanguage, we believe that the best strategy is to speak to your child in the language that seems most natural to you and in which you feel most confident. Remember that through language we show our children the world, communicate feelings and everything that is part of our lives. Authenticity is key! When a child enters the “why?” phase, they need immediate and natural answers. Creativity and patience are best expressed in a person’s language and therefore the answers will be able to satisfy even the most demanding questions. After this initial challenge, parents face a multitude of other challenges. During adolescence, parents are often speechless and their children do not communicate or communicate very little. Regardless of the challenges you face at each stage of your child’s development, it is crucial that you feel “at home” in your language. Your child will also sense this and therefore trust you more.

But what about language mixing?

In general, people who have adopted the OPOL system see the mixing of languages ​​as a mistake or a lack of mastery of a language. However, there are other reasons why children mix their languages. Today we know that mixing languages ​​is just another strategy typical of multilingual people. It is almost always used unconsciously and with the intention of communicating faster and more efficiently.

The mixing of languages ​​is mainly due to two factors:

– What is communicated in one language does not have the same “meaning” as the closest equivalent in the other language.

– the desired word is not known or is not remembered.

In this case, the individual will mix his languages ​​to maintain efficient communication, provided that his interlocutor has the same linguistic repertoire as himself. If this is not the case, he will make an effort to describe the missing word or to transform the word of one language into a typical word of the other language, or he will resort to other strategies that he has developed for himself. Any gesture or symbol that maintains the flow of communication, that is, is effective, will be used.

This phenomenon is known as the “lightning principle”, discovered in the research of Koblitz (2017), which describes how communication is like the natural phenomenon of lightning, always seeking the shortest, i.e. most effective, way to make an impact. In linguistic terms, this refers to the fastest and easiest way of communicating, which includes language blending, gestures, emojis and anything that helps us communicate faster and better.

For multilingual people, this starts with choosing the language they want to speak in. Often, people start the conversation in an agreed language, but then tend to switch to the language that both parties speak best, as this is the "shortest" way to communicate. Everything else then feels a bit "artificial" and therefore it will be a bit more difficult to communicate in a minority language.

We know that it can be difficult for multilingual people to stick to one language or the other, but that's perfectly normal. By being authentic, you'll be a good language role model for your children, so don't stress if you mix languages ​​at some point. It's just a fact of life when you have more resources at your disposal than a monolingual person.

It doesn't matter what system you use to speak to your children, what matters is that they feel comfortable and that they can experience beautiful moments in their own language(s). Remember that passing on a positive attitude towards multilingualism to our children is a gift that lasts a lifetime and makes them open-minded and adaptable to any situation and circumstance.

We'll read each other soon! 😉