Children learn to speak Tibetan best at home. Weekend school helps with reading and writing, but speaking grows from everyday family life, and small habits make a big difference.
Simple things that work
- Pick a Tibetan time. Dinner, the car ride or bedtime: one part of the day when the family speaks Tibetan.
- Mixing is okay. If your child answers in English, keep replying in Tibetan, without scolding. Research with Tibetan families in Canada found that mixing Tibetan and English helps children keep using Tibetan.
- Give grandparents a role. A weekly call or visit where the children ask them one question in Tibetan.
- Songs and stories at bedtime. Tibetan songs, prayers and family stories.
- Use the word of the week together. Say it at dinner and use it all week.
- Use family words. Pala, Ama, Pola, Mola, Ajo, Acha: children who use them every day keep them.
- Celebrate in Tibetan. Losar, birthdays and Lhakar Wednesdays: speak, wear and eat Tibetan.
- Praise the effort, not perfection. Children who feel shy about mistakes stop trying.
Busy schedule?
Many parents work long shifts. Ten minutes of Tibetan a day, a voice message from grandparents, or Tibetan radio in the car all help keep the language alive.
Classes and more
- Learn Tibetan: Sunday school, study groups and apps
- Youth page: events, volunteer hours and camps for your teens