Are you a Slovak parent of a child living abroad or in a multicultural family and struggling with the idea of whether you should teach your child to speak Slovak? Do you have the following questions and doubts on your mind?
“Should I start teaching my children Slovak?”
“The child has a full program of afterschool activities, sports and hobbies, she/he is overladed…”
“Can this affect his delayed talking? ”
“The child speaks other languages, won’t it confuse him? “Will she/he have a problem at permanent school when we speak Slovak at home?” “
“Our lives and careers abroad are so well established that we do not plan to return to Slovakia.”
“I can’t see our child’s future in Slovakia, what advantages can Slovak bring him? “
“After all, the future is in English, Chinese, Spanish, etc…”
Believe me, you are not alone! But try to forward your mind from the present to a possible future that you can hardly imagine today. Are you living the life your parents imagined for you?
How about helping children create opportunities so that they can adequately consider and decide their own options for the future? We have prepared for you 10 reasons why we think that learning Slovak is worthwhile, even if you live abroad.
1. The possibility to communicate with family, grandparents, children of your friends. To know and understand our roots, our culture/traditions and of course our way of thinking, humor, etc..
2. The opportunity to make new friendships, meet new and interesting people in Slovakia, or people in your neighborhood who also have Slovak roots. A common language or similar background can help develop lifelong friendships, which is certainly a goal worth striving for.
3. Scientifically proven positive mental stimulus. Research suggests that multilingualism is a great way to train and develop the brain. Multilingual people usually have a better memory, are more creative and can solve problems more easily. These advantages not only make it easier to learn more languages, but also make it easier to study anything else.
4. An opportunity to learn / understand another language from the group of Slavic languages, which have a similar linguistic base and rules to Slovak. If you know Slovak, adding one of these languages is relatively easy. We mean the languages of countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, etc.
5. Strengthening self-identity and self-confidence. Knowing one’s own identity is a basic prerequisite for a peaceful and meaningful life. Everyone wants to know who they are, where they come from and where they are going. Do you know how many people with Slovak roots abroad search for information about Slovakia as adults, search for long-lost relatives, or decide to study Slovak, get to know their roots, or even obtain citizenship? Every child sooner or later wants to know the culture, language, values and customs of their parents. Allow him to know yours – Slovak from an early age.
6. The possibility of studying in Slovakia for free or at discounted tuition fees. Every year, Slovakia becomes more attractive for studying at universities in fields such as computer science, software engineering, medicine, psychology, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, economics and others.
7. The possibility of living in Slovakia, in a country with one of the fastest economic growth in the EU. Life in the center of Europe, in a strategic location close to other major cities such as Vienna, Prague, Budapest, offers many personal and career opportunities.
8. The possibility of work and career. Slovakia offers many employment opportunities for young graduates, it is a country with a high number of fast growing companies and startups. In addition, there are many companies abroad that directly or indirectly cooperate with Slovakia where knowledge of Slovak could be considered an exceptional advantage in career application.
9. An opportunity to get to know one of the most beautiful countries in Central Europe. Slovakia is a country with beautiful nature, rich history, varied culture, interesting folklore and traditions. Slovakia offers endless possibilities of year-round attractions to tourists from all over the world. Imagine, how wonderful can it be to get to know this country when you can communicate with the locals, understand and speak in Slovak?
10. Possibilities of investment, business, cooperation in all developing industries and locations, in the field of tourism, real estate, services, in scientific fields or on academic grounds. Slovakia offers a unique combination of factors, thanks to which it is an ideal investment location offering a number of emerging opportunities. With knowledge of the language, even your children can open up to endless possibilities for investment or business in Slovakia.
Did some of the reasons convince you that learning Slovak can be worthwhile? Especially when it’s so natural for a child whose parent is Slovak and when approached with respect and care, it is also quite easy?
Because the education and future of our children matter….
Yours Marieta Gundová
