Raising a Trilingual Kid in Korea: How Our Child Learned Korean After Moving from Vietnam

Our child was born in Vietnam, lived there until kindergarten, and moved to Korea at age 3 (5 in Korean age at the time). On the day we arrived, our child could not speak a single word of Korean. The short answer to how that changed: daycare in Korea did most of the work, and it happened much faster than we expected. Today our child speaks Korean naturally, understands Vietnamese, and speaks English better than most kids the same age.

A little background: my wife and I met in Australia, where I lived for 14 years and she lived for 10. We studied and worked there, dated, and even had our wedding there. So English has always been our family language at home, even though I am Korean and she is Vietnamese.

If you are a multicultural family worried about your child's language when moving to Korea, I hope our story helps.

1. Where we started

TimeOur child's languages
Born in Vietnam (2019)Vietnamese around them every day, English at home between us parents
Kindergarten in VietnamVietnamese and some English, no Korean at all
Moved to Korea (February 2023)Could not speak or understand Korean
After starting daycare in KoreaPicked up Korean quickly
Now (elementary school)Korean fluent, understands Vietnamese, English above peers

2. The first months: no Korean at all

When we arrived, I honestly worried. Our child could not talk to other kids, could not tell a teacher what they needed, and could not understand Korean TV. For a parent, that is hard to watch.

But young children are different from adults. They do not "study" a language. They absorb it when they need it to play, eat, and make friends.

3. What changed everything: daycare

Once our child started going to a Korean daycare (어린이집), Korean came surprisingly fast. Every day, our child heard Korean from teachers and friends for many hours. Within a short time, our child was speaking Korean, and soon it became the language our child used most.

If you are wondering whether to send your child to daycare soon after moving, our experience says: yes, the sooner the better. It is the most natural Korean environment a young child can get.

Tip: To enroll in daycare, a child usually needs a Korean resident registration number first. If your child was born abroad, see my post about reporting a birth abroad and why the ID number shows only 6 digits.

4. What happened to Vietnamese and English?

This is the part many parents ask about. Here is where our child is now:

  • Korean: Speaks naturally. It is now the strongest language.
  • Vietnamese: Understands it well, but answers mostly in Korean. This is very common and is called passive (receptive) bilingualism.
  • English: Not as strong as Korean, but better than most kids the same age in Korea. We think this is simply because our child has heard English between us parents every day since birth.

When a child moves to a new country, the new language often becomes the main one, and the home language can become "understand but don't speak." That is not a failure. Understanding a language is a strong base, and speaking can come back with practice.

5. Tips for multicultural parents in Korea

  1. Start daycare early. It is the fastest way for a young child to learn Korean.
  2. Do not panic about the quiet period. Many children listen for a while before they start speaking.
  3. Keep the home language alive. The parent from abroad can keep speaking their language at home, even if the child answers in Korean.
  4. Use the language you already share. In our home, it is English, because that is how my wife and I talk. A language the parents naturally use with each other is the easiest one for a child to keep.
  5. Check your local Family Center. Many Family Centers (가족센터) run bilingual programs for children of multicultural families. See my post about Family Centers for how to start.
  6. Talk with daycare teachers. Tell them your child is new to Korean. Most teachers are very understanding.

Quick summary

  1. Our child came to Korea at 3 with no Korean.
  2. Korean daycare made Korean come fast.
  3. Now: Korean fluent, Vietnamese understood, English above peers.
  4. English at home (our family language from Australia) kept English strong.
  5. Keep the home language at home, and use Family Center bilingual programs.

Every child is different. This post is based on our own family's experience, not professional advice. If you are worried about your child's language development, talk with a pediatrician or a specialist.

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