Talking, talking, talking...

•  Studies have shown that babies can hear your voice while in the womb, so just by talking you are already helping your baby become bilingual. Talking to your baby while she is in the womb can also be very helpful to you since it will give you an idea of what it will be like talking with your baby when he or she is on the outside.
If you are thinking of speaking to your infant in a language that you don't normally use, start talking in this language now since it will make the transition easier once your baby is born.
You might also want to take the time now, before your baby is born, to discuss this decision with your spouse and other family members so that you don't feel embarrassed or feel that you are creating any misunderstandings.

•  It might feel strange speaking with your baby in a second language, especially since at this stage you might feel like it consists solely of daily monologues. You might also feel that members of your community are raising their eyebrows when they hear you speaking in a different language from them.
This is the time when you need to be at your strongest to keep yourself motivated. Since your baby can't speak yet, it is hard to tell what is going on in his brain but don't worry, a lot is going on and soon it will all become apparent.
At around the 10 month mark, the stage of language learning moves into full swing. Babies at this age will begin to focus on imitating the sounds around them and when they notice that their sounds get reactions, they start making associations.

•  Once your baby starts speaking those first words, she will probably quickly start building up a vocabulary. But don't be concerned if your baby takes her own sweet time. She will reach her language milestones when she is ready.
Try also not to assume anything based on the language of her first words. If you speak a language at home and her first word is in the community language, try not to become frustrated. It could be that the word was easier for her to pronounce or maybe it is a word that she hears you and others saying in public a lot. No matter what the reasons are, she is putting together sounds, forming words and attaching meaning – an amazing feat!

•  The “terrible twos” don't always take place when a child is two but most likely you will start to see the beginnings of some defiance, independence and self-centeredness during this age. Your child's association with his language is no exception.
Your child will probably want to explore a bit with his language and this may mean using a different language when speaking with you. This may come as a surprise so try to be prepared if it happens.
Your child is coming into contact with other children and is starting to understand the differences between languages. He might even want to know the translation for a word in the other language or he might say that he only wants to speak one language and not the other. He might even go as far as to say he hates one language or the other. This is all part of this stage so try not to take any of it personally.
One of the best ways to work with a child who refuses to speak with you in your language is simply to repeat his sentences back in your language with a question at the end and then answering it: “You want to know where we are going? We are going to the store. You don't want to go to the store? You want to go to the park? We're going there after the store.”

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