The family lives in a suburb north of Melbourne and self-publishes bilingual books at home. Bains said his initial motivation was a struggle to find bilingual story books that were also age-appropriate.
The Bains family read bilingual books together every day. Source: SBS
Working with his Australian-born wife Bethany, Bains decided to write stories based around family life, and in 2023 they co-founded Tiddu Books.
“Our books are transliterate, so any English-speaking person can say the words in Punjabi. It is an easier way for the kids to learn Punjabi,” he said.
“The feedback has been really positive,” she said. “A lot of people in this community are either of Punjabi background or have some kind of other language that they speak at home.”
The benefits of bilingualism
“Just looking at books and being around words helps children later on in life. So, we made that part of our routine every day.”
Bethany Bains started reading to daughter Anaiya when she was one week old. Source: SBS / SBS Punjabi
Researchers say bilingual children tend to have better problem-solving and analytical skills.
As professor Rauno Parrila from the Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy explained, these benefits last a lifetime.
Parrila also said adults who speak multiple languages seem to experience a slower cognitive decline as they age.
Rauno Parrila is the head of the Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy, which trains teachers and runs a language clinic. Source: SBS / Cameron Carr
Parrila comes from a multilingual household where his native Finnish was spoken, and his daughter Sofia grew up speaking several languages.
“So, in my case, the non-dominant language in the family was Finnish and it was very, very important that I kept on reading [Finnish] with my daughter,” he said.
“My advice to parents is to read regularly, and make sure that you read in both languages in those families where there are two or more languages spoken,” he said.
More than just education
“I think it’s really important that we teach our children about our country, and where we came from,” he said.
The Bains speaking Punjabi to relatives in Canada. Source: SBS
“She also speaks to her grandparents, who are overseas in Canada.
“And when we do a video call, she tells them the things that she learned in Punjabi, and she can easily communicate with them.”
In fact, as Anaiya improves her Punjabi, Bethany Bains says the whole family benefits.
“I get told off of buying new books for Anaiya,” she said. “But sharing language, sharing stories, it’s the way we express ourselves and have done since the start of time.”
The Tiddu story book called My Amazing Father. Source: SBS
The Bains’ bilingual book business is at an early stage, but the couple has big plans to grow.
This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Punjabi.