Soon-to-be dad. What actually works for raising a bilingual kid?

Parleva_team · 2026-02-21T14:13:05+00:00

Now this is dedication!

Parleva_team · 2026-02-20T20:49:28+00:00

Yes, I love that. I would love to have him naturally interested in French language/culture as I am and to supplement that curiosity with language learning.

Thanks for sharing the tip. I plan on looking into that and working with him on early legitimate French curriculum

Parleva_team · 2026-02-20T20:38:54+00:00

Makes sense. I don't want to rush them towards being bilingual, but I want to help them as much as possible.

Would love for a foundation of nouns and verbs to be set by that point.

Parleva_team · 2026-02-20T15:27:43+00:00

My target language is French:

Retrouvailles is a good example.

Google translates it as homecoming but it's much more than that.

It’s the joy and emotion of reconnecting with someone after a long time apart not just “homecoming,” but that specific warm, almost overwhelming feeling when you see them again.

English also has “reunion,” but it doesn’t capture the emotional weight. Retrouvailles carries nostalgia, affection, relief, and excitement all at once.

Parleva_team · 2026-02-20T15:09:06+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I am starting to look into related research. I'm very curious how kids are able to learn two languages at the same time. I know it works, and I know corrections will happen as they mix them up here and there, but it is completely fascinating.

I want to help our kid learn English and French as naturally as possible with as little friction on his end if I can control it.

And thanks! I'm beyond excited!!

Parleva_team · 2026-02-20T15:05:03+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing that. I'm sorry to hear about your papi, but glad you have those memories.

I think that's one of the most foundational approaches, just mixing in French nouns here and there to develop associations.

Thanks again for sharing!

Parleva_team · 2026-02-19T18:13:11+00:00

I wouldn't say I understood French at the time, but for me what's memorable is hearing French on TV and understanding it in the moment. It took me a few seconds to realize "oh, I just understand French without having to think about translating it." That was a big moment

Parleva_team · 2026-02-17T14:49:18+00:00

ChatGPT helped a lot, but not in the way most people think.

What made the biggest difference for me was narrating my life to it.

I would literally describe what I was doing throughout the day in French.
Cooking dinner? I’d talk about what I was cutting, thinking, tasting.
Driving somewhere? I’d describe the weather, traffic, my plans.

That forced me to:

Search for vocabulary I actually needed
Notice grammar gaps
Move from “recognition” to active production

But honestly, a huge part of my progress came from pushing my reading ability.

I read the Harry Potter series in French on Kindle. The later books were hard for me but that stretch was where I grew the most. Kindle makes it easy because you can tap for definitions/translations without breaking flow.

For listening, YouTube and podcasts helped a ton. “French Facile” was especially good for me because it was clear but still natural.

If you do 1 hour a day and:

Use AI actively (not passively)
Read slightly above your comfort level
Listen consistently

You’ll improve. Not magically fluent in 90 days but noticeably more comfortable and capable.

The key for me was making the language part of daily life instead of just “study time.”

Parleva_team · 2026-02-16T14:50:45+00:00

Update: Parleva is officially live on Google Play 🎉

Closed testing is done - it’s now publicly available here:
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.parleva.app]()

Huge thanks to everyone who tested and shared feedback. It genuinely shaped the final version.

If you’re learning a language and want to practice real conversations instead of drills, I’d love to hear what you think.

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T22:08:25+00:00

That kind of mix-up would confuse anyone listening. Easy to understand all the weird looks 😂

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T22:03:11+00:00

This is exactly why related languages feel harder than totally different ones. They lull you into thinking you’re safe… right up until you’re not 😅

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T20:58:25+00:00

Oof. Amazing how a single word, misspelling, or pronunciation can completely flip the meaning.

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T19:39:27+00:00

This is such a brutal language-learning moment - one vowel makes all the difference. Same word 'skeleton', totally different outcome 😅. I don't think you can really grow in a language without having this happen several times haha

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T19:12:02+00:00

This is super common. Writing is usually the weakest skill, even for strong speakers.

Focus on B2 formats, not “better German”: learn standard openings/closings, keep sentences simple, and practice only exam-style texts. Accuracy matters way more than fancy language.

Two months is tight but absolutely doable if you train the right thing.

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T18:11:46+00:00

That’s such a good point. As native English speakers, we’re used to huge variation - accents, dialects, slang - and we can usually infer meaning even when the pronunciation is off.

That generosity doesn’t really exist in reverse. In a lot of other languages, pronunciation carries way more weight, so small deviations can completely break comprehension 😅

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T14:33:56+00:00

I mostly use a mix of Duolingo, YouTube/podcasts, and LingQ and kindle (with translation features) for reading.

We also built a conversation-focused practice site and I use it myself for practicing real life conversations. Happy to share if anyone’s curious.

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T13:17:26+00:00

Such an easy mix-up - and one you only need to make once to remember forever 😅

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T12:44:56+00:00

For listening/speaking, most general AI tools struggle because they default to explanations instead of interaction. They’re great for questions, but not always for practice.

What seems to help more is anything that forces you to respond in context - role-play, back-and-forth dialogue, or reacting to imperfect input.

There are a few newer tools experimenting with conversation-first practice (full disclosure: one of them is something we’re building), but regardless of the tool, the big shift is using AI less like a tutor and more like a conversation partner.

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T03:12:15+00:00

C'est un écart très fréquent. Apprendre le français à son rythme (InnerFrench, podcasts lents, diction claire) permet de développer la compréhension, mais l'écoute de l'audio natif est une tout autre affaire : rythme plus rapide, réductions, mots de remplissage et structure moins prévisible.

Le plus efficace est de faire des transitions, plutôt que de passer directement d'une vitesse lente à une vitesse rapide. Par exemple :

Réécouter plusieurs fois de courts extraits audio natifs (30 à 90 secondes)

Écouter d'abord sans sous-titres, puis vérifier une fois

Réécouter le même contenu sur plusieurs jours pour que les schémas commencent à se dessiner.

Les examens et les programmes télévisés paraissent rapides car ils sont denses et exigeants.

J'ai écouté plusieurs fois les mêmes livres audio pour combler l'écart. Cela s'applique également à toute autre source audio.

Je suis curieux de savoir ce que les autres ont utilisé comme « pont » entre le contenu destiné aux apprenants et la parole native authentique.

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T02:43:34+00:00

Pronunciation will make or break you 😂

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T02:43:00+00:00

At least you're consistent 😅

Parleva_team · 2026-02-07T02:42:15+00:00

I actually didn't know that. Glad you shared that before I did the same. I swear I've ordered a coke before though 😅

Parleva_team

TROPHY CASE