An Inspiring Conversation with a British Dad Successfully Raising Bilingual (Chinese + English) Kids in the UK!
- Ka Yee Meck
- Jul 4
- 3 min read
As a mum raising trilingual kids in the UK, I’m thrilled to share my very first interview on the channel — and it’s with someone truly inspiring.
Meet Karl Baker, a British software developer and father who’s successfully raising his children to be bilingual in Chinese and English — right here in the UK!
In this honest, insightful conversation, Karl shares how he and his Chinese wife are navigating the bilingual journey with their two daughters, including practical strategies, unexpected challenges, and the deep cultural benefits of raising kids with more than one language.
If you’re a parent (or future parent!) interested in bilingual or multilingual parenting, this interview is a must-watch.
Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/t4wF3BEDgVM
In this blog post, I'll share the 5 key takeways from our conversation!
5 Key Takeaways from Karl’s Bilingual Parenting Journey
1.Siblings Can Be The Best Teachers
Karl noticed his 9-year-old daughter, who did not come from a Chinese background, picked up Chinese rapidly simply by playing with her younger sister, aged 3.
Peer-to-peer learning within the family can be surprisingly powerful!
Creating Immersion At Home Is Essential
While they live in the UK, Karl and his wife create immersion through family visits, cultural activities, and consistent exposure at home. Language immersion can happen anywhere, if you’re intentional. Having said that, extended stays in China definitely play a huge role in their success – his experience made me even more determined to take my kids to China soon!
It’s Never Too Late to Start
Karl’s eldest child (who is 9 years old as of 2025) didn’t grow up bilingual from birth – but with the right support and environment, she’s now confidently using Chinese.
So, if you’re wondering “Is it too late?” – Karl’s story says a clear no: it's never too late to take action!
Mixing Languages Is Normal
Their 3-year-old daughter blends Mandarin with Chongqinghua, a regional Chinese variant (also referred to as a "dialect") spoken in the Chongqing region – and that’s completely okay. Code-mixing and accent blending are a natural part of learning, especially in multilingual homes.
Learning Your Partner’s Language Can Transform Your Family
Karl didn’t stop at encouraging his kids – he learned Mandarin himself! This commitment strengthened not just his parenting, but also his relationship and family bond. Language learning is about connection, not perfection. He told me that his goal when it comes to Chinese language learning is simple: to "keep up with his daughter"!
I've made a video exploring how my husband and I navigate our trilingual parenting journey, speaking two different languages ourselves. You can read the blog post or watch the video!
Bonus: A Mandarin App Built by a Bilingual Dad
Karl is also the creator of Mandarin Mosaic, a language app designed to support Mandarin learners in building real, usable language skills. As a Mandarin teacher, I can personally vouch for it — it’s an excellent tool for learners at any stage.
Check out Mandarin Mosaic: https://mandarinmosaic.com/
Free Resources to Support Your Journey
If Karl’s story has inspired you and you’re ready to start your own bilingual parenting adventure, I’ve created a completely free 45-minute video course that covers the fundamentals of raising multilingual kids.
You’ll also get a 48-page downloadable guide for free.
🆓 Free 45‑minute Bilingual Parenting Course – https://youtu.be/fqIjBD994qw
🆓 48‑page Guide to Raising Bilingual Kids – https://www.multilingualfamilyhub.com/freeguide
Check Out My Books
I have nothing to upsell – no expensive courses, or anything like that.
However, if you want to support my work/ dive deeper into multilingual parenting, feel free to check out my book Bilingual and Trilingual Parenting 101, and a series of beautifully illustrated bilingual picture books that my sister and I created – I truly believe these books will add immense value to your family!
Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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