The OPOL approach emphasises the need for parents to monitor children’s language closely and correct them if they mix the two languages. In practice, many parents speaking the minority language are bilingual themselves – so they understand what their children are saying even when they do mix the two. In addition, parents feel it’s problematic to keep correcting children when they mix languages. This is particularly the case when children show annoyance at being corrected. The parents believe it is a lot more important to have a meaningful conversation with their children.

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