As a Japanese individual who’s made Korea home, I’ve often marveled at the rich tapestry of linguistic diversity that my family’s life represents. My wife, a native Korean, and I have brought into the world twin bundles of joy who are now 10 months old. These days, we are witness to their first attempts at vocalizing thoughts, a fascinating period of murmurings and sounds.
As any new parent will tell you, observing the milestones in a child’s growth is nothing short of magical. For our twins, this journey takes on an added layer of complexity, given that they are immersed in both Japanese and Korean. Their babblings, a mix of random sounds and imitations, are the building blocks of speech and language. As I hear them murmur, I often find myself wondering: Are they picking up sounds from Japanese, Korean, or both?
Linguists assert that children raised in bilingual environments have a unique advantage. Their neural pathways adapt to accommodate two languages, often giving them greater cognitive flexibility in the long run. While some parents worry about potential confusion or delay in speech development, most studies suggest that bilingual children catch up to their monolingual peers by school age.
Being surrounded by both languages daily, our twins are exposed to a multitude of sounds, tones, and rhythms specific to Japanese and Korean. Their tiny brains are hard at work distinguishing, processing, and attempting to reproduce these sounds. Even in their incoherent murmurs, there might be hints of this bilingual foundation being laid.
For now, their vocalizations might sound like mere baby talk. But soon, these will transform into discernible words, and eventually into full-fledged sentences in both Japanese and Korean. As parents, our role is to provide a supportive environment where both languages can thrive. This involves conversing with them in our native tongues, singing bilingual lullabies, and exposing them to stories from both cultures.
As our twins grow older, I anticipate challenges – instances where they might mix both languages or prefer one over the other. But these are mere steps in their bilingual journey. The end reward? Two culturally rich languages that will open doors to a world of opportunities and understanding.
To all parents raising bilingual children, I say: Embrace the journey. Cherish every murmur, every mixed-up word, and every sentence. For in these moments, you’re witnessing the incredible adaptability and potential of the human brain.
In our home, Japanese and Korean coexist, not just as languages, but as bridges to our ancestral roots and stories. Through our twins, we hope to pass on this legacy, one word at a time.
Atsushi's Life in Korea 