Every young child loves reading time. It’s a chance to learn, have fun and bond with their parents.
For parents, reading time is a perfect chance to teach their child important cognitive development skills. However, many parents raising a child in a bilingual environment are concerned that focusing on reading in the child’s first language will affect proficiency in their second language.
Most people assume that it’s easy for children to master two languages, but this is simply not true. Bilingual children often have unbalanced language skills. Words and phrases used in the language of their school environment often differ from words and phrases used in their home language.
Experts agree that one of the best ways to ensure your child is balanced in both languages is to teach them to read in both languages at the same time.
Bilingual language books allow parents to help their children become bilingual in a natural and fluid way. They help children and parents to compare and contrast their first and second languages, which helps children build a deep knowledge of how all language works.
Most important of all, learning to read with a bilingual book is fun!
Here’s a list of useful bilingual English Korean children’s books that will help you to take an active role in your child’s language education:
1. Boxer and Brandon, by Inna Nusinsky
This is a touching story of friendship between a dog and a little boy. When one of them needs help they are always there for each other. This is what true friendship means.
2. My Bilingual Book Taste, by Erdem Secmen
This playful and educational series of bilingual books is ideal for helping children to learn languages. The Senses books highlight the five senses and combine rhyming text and colorful illustrations. Each spread includes the text in both English and the second language, in clear, bold print.
3. I Love My Mom, by Shelley Admont
Everybody loves their Mom, no matter what their age. In this bedtime story, the little bunny Jimmy and his older brothers try to find a perfect present for Mom’s birthday. They want to show how much they love her. What creative solution did they find to express their feelings?
4. My First Book Of Korean Words, by Kyubyong Park and Henry J. Amen
My First Book of Korean Words is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces young children to Korean language and culture through everyday words.
The words profiled in this book are all commonly used in the Korean language and are both informative and fun for English-speaking children to learn.
5. Goodnight, My Love!, by Shelley Admont
