For many Australian heritage-language families, the grandparents who speak the language most fluently live on the other side of the planet. That distance makes the job harder, but research suggests those relationships still matter more than almost anything else you can do.
1. Grandparents are one of the strongest influences on heritage language
Studies of heritage-language families consistently find grandparents play a central role in language transmission and maintenance, often with a stronger emotional pull than lessons or apps. One study of grandmother-raised children found the heritage language performed noticeably better than in households without that grandparental input.
💬 QUOTE
A grandparent doesn't need to be in the room to shape a child's relationship with a language. They need to be a regular, warm presence in it.
2. Distance doesn't erase the effect, but it does need active management
Research on multigenerational families overseas shows the relationship, not just the physical proximity, is what drives language use. Regular video calls, even short ones, count as genuine linguistic input, not just a nice gesture.
💡 PRACTICAL TIP
Give video calls a small job, not just "say hi to grandma." A shared flashcard game, a recipe read aloud together, or a regular bedtime story slot gives the heritage language a reason to be the language of the call.
3. Letting grandparents be the language's main authority takes pressure off parents
In households where grandparents are actively involved, parents often report feeling less solely responsible for keeping the language alive. Spreading that responsibility across more relationships tends to make the whole effort more sustainable.
📖 A NOTE FROM US
Not every family has grandparents willing or able to be involved this way, and that's alright. This is one strong lever among several, not a requirement for success.
4. Small, repeatable rituals travel well across time zones
The families who sustain this connection well tend to lean on rituals rather than trying to recreate an in-person relationship: the same story every Sunday call, the same song, the same handful of flashcards used on both ends of the call.
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FROM THE CARDS
Our Serbian, Greek, and Albanian flashcard sets travel well between households, a set at home and a matching set with grandparents overseas turns a video call into a shared activity rather than a stilted chat. Lingo Club members get early access to new language launches, including the upcoming Turkish, Persian, and Macedonian sets.
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Parent Q&A
Q: Can grandparents overseas really help with heritage language if they're not physically present?
A: Yes. Research shows the relationship and regular linguistic input matter more than physical proximity, and video calls provide genuine language exposure when used consistently.
Q: What can I do to make video calls with grandparents more useful for language learning?
A: Give the call a small shared activity, such as a flashcard game, a story, or a song, rather than leaving it as an open-ended chat. A consistent ritual builds language habit faster than free-form conversation.
Q: Does relying on grandparents for heritage language take pressure off parents?
A: Families where grandparents are actively involved often describe the effort as more sustainable, since the responsibility for keeping the language alive isn't resting on one person alone.
