Malik & Emiko

From: 🇵🇰 Pakistan + 🇯🇵 Japan

Ages: 38 & 32

Languages Spoken: Urdu, Japanese, English

Current Location: London, UK

Child: Aiko, age 2

Story: A trilingual toddler raised in Urdu (Dad), Japanese (Mum), and English (nursery). They mix lullabies from all three cultures at bedtime.

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¿Puedes describir los antecedentes lingüísticos de tu familia?
Malik grew up speaking Urdu and English in Pakistan, while Emiko was raised in Japan speaking Japanese and some English in school. We both work in international fields, so English became our shared language, but we knew we wanted to pass on our native languages to our daughter.

¿Qué idiomas utilizáis, cómo y dónde y cómo decidisteis esa mezcla?
We use Urdu with Dad, Japanese with Mum, and English comes in from nursery, playdates, and friends. It was a conscious choice—each language represents a part of who we are and who Aiko is.

¿Por qué es importante para usted enseñar esos idiomas?
It’s how we stay connected to our roots. Language isn’t just about communication—it carries emotion, culture, history. We want Aiko to feel proud of both sides of her heritage and confident in any environment.

¿Cuándo decidió por primera vez criar a su hijo de forma bilingüe?
Pretty much from day one. We talked about it during pregnancy and agreed that we’d speak our native languages to her right from the start.

¿Seguiste una estrategia específica (por ejemplo, OPOL, ML@H) o evolucionó naturalmente?
We’ve followed OPOL (One Parent, One Language) fairly consistently. Malik only speaks Urdu to Aiko, Emiko speaks Japanese, and English is just part of life in London.

¿Cuáles fueron sus mayores preocupaciones al principio y cómo se desarrollaron con el tiempo?
Our main worry was whether she’d get confused with three languages. But the research reassured us, and honestly, she’s absorbing them like a sponge. The only challenge is keeping all three balanced.

¿Qué te ayudó a mantener la constancia en el uso de ambos idiomas? ¿Cuál es tu rutina?
We built language into everyday routines—bedtime, mealtimes, nappy changes. Lullabies are multilingual in our home. We also FaceTime family regularly, which keeps the motivation strong.

¿Ha cambiado su enfoque a medida que su hijo crece?
Slightly. We’re now introducing books and short cartoons in all three languages. We’re more mindful of rotating exposure so one doesn’t dominate too much.

¿Cómo maneja usted la resistencia o cuando su hijo prefiere un idioma?
At two, it’s mostly repetition and mood. If she refuses to respond in a certain language, we don’t force it. We just keep speaking it and trust the input will sink in.

¿Ha experimentado algún momento de avance o de orgullo en su desarrollo del lenguaje?
Yes! One night she sang parts of a Japanese lullaby and then asked for water in Urdu. We just looked at each other like, “It’s working!”

¿Qué papel ha desempeñado su familia extendida o su comunidad al apoyar (o desafiar) sus metas?
Family is hugely supportive. Emiko’s mum sends Japanese books and recorded audio stories, and Malik’s sisters call in Urdu. Our community in London is very multicultural, so it feels normal.

¿Tienes una anécdota divertida o inesperada de tu experiencia bilingüe? Nos encantaría escucharla.
She once mixed all three languages to tell us she wanted a banana, then shouted “hai!” when we handed it to her—classic toddler trilingualism!

¿Alguna vez has sentido presión (interna o externa) por tus objetivos bilingües?
Definitely. Sometimes there’s pressure to “focus on English” so she doesn’t fall behind in school later. But we believe she’ll be stronger for having the foundation in all three.

¿Sientes que tu hijo se conecta emocional o culturalmente con ambos idiomas?
Yes. She has different facial expressions when switching between Japanese and Urdu. And she’s already recognising which songs or foods “belong” to which side of the family.

¿Cuál ha sido el desafío más inesperado?
Finding quality children’s materials in Urdu has been tougher than we thought. Japanese resources are easier to access. We’ve had to get creative.

¿Qué es lo que más te ha sorprendido de forma positiva?
How early she understands who to speak which language with. Even her teachers noticed that she “codes” people by language—it’s intuitive for her.

¿Qué tecnología u otros recursos utiliza para apoyar el aprendizaje de idiomas?
YouTube Kids (curated carefully), digital storybooks, and language-specific playlists on Spotify. We also use translation buttons in some bilingual books to reinforce audio with visual.

¿Los entornos escolares o de cuidado infantil han ayudado o dificultado el proceso?
Helped! Her nursery is supportive of multilingual families. They let her bring books from home, and one teacher even learned a few words in Japanese to welcome her.

Si pudieras hacer una cosa diferente ¿qué sería?
We’d start documenting more—recording video or audio of her speaking each language. These early stages fly by and it’s easy to forget the progress.

¿Qué consejo le darías a otros padres que están empezando?
Stay consistent, but don’t panic if it’s not perfect. Language learning is a marathon, not a sprint. Make it joyful and part of your family’s rhythm—not a chore.

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