In multilingual classrooms, alphabet cards are more than decorations—they’re daily reference points that shape how children learn, speak, and think about language. That’s why I created the Bilingual Alphabet Card Set: a visual tool designed specifically for dual-language learners in Dutch-English settings.
Each card features a word that starts with the same initial sound in both English and Dutch—like dolfijn and dolphin—helping children connect letters, sounds, and vocabulary across languages in a developmentally meaningful way.
Why Create Bilingual Alphabet Cards?
In many bilingual classrooms, alphabet cards are based on just one language—usually the language of instruction. This can unintentionally exclude children’s home languages, or even confuse learners when familiar letters are paired with unfamiliar sounds.
I noticed that in our Dutch-English setting, traditional alphabet lines didn’t support second-language learners effectively. English examples like “A is for ant” or Dutch ones like “B is voor boom” didn’t always resonate with all students—and often conflicted with what they were learning at home or in the other classroom language.
To bridge this gap, I developed a custom set of dual-language cards where:
Each word begins with the same phoneme in both English and Dutch (e.g., vis / van, lamp / lion)
The illustrations reflect recognizable objects or animals for young learners
The cards build on shared vocabulary, aiding transfer and reducing confusion
This simple shift made our classroom alphabet line more inclusive, cognitively supportive, and joyful.
The Theory: Language Transfer & Sound Awareness
Why does this work? Because early literacy depends not just on knowing what a letter looks like, but understanding what sound it makes—and how that sound maps onto meaning in more than one language.
According to phonological transfer theory, children who are learning two languages often try to apply known sound-letter relationships from one language to another. By using cognates—words that look and sound similar in both languages—we reduce cognitive load and make space for positive transfer (Durgunoğlu, 2002).
Research also shows that validating a child’s home language (also called “first language” or “heritage language”) supports metalinguistic awareness—the ability to think about and manipulate language as a system (Cummins, 2000). This is a key predictor of long-term literacy success.
When we offer learning tools that build bridges between home and school languages, we help students build stronger, more connected neural pathways for reading and writing.
How the Cards Were Used
In our classroom, the bilingual alphabet cards were displayed above the board as a visual reference and they received a smaller version of the whole chart. But they were far more than decoration—they became an active part of our routines and learning:
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We played “Find the Sound” games using objects from around the room
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We used the cards during phonics lessons in both English and Dutch
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Students practiced code-switching and sound recognition across languages using the cards
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Each card inspired mini-lessons, songs, or storytelling (e.g., “What would our octopus/octopus do if he lost a tentacle?”)
Eventually the children used the cards to spell out whole words!
The cards not only supported phoneme-grapheme correspondence, but also gave children a sense of linguistic ownership. They could point to the “P” card and say “Pigeon!” in English or “Poes!” in Dutch—and both were celebrated.
