When there is insufficient exposure to one language, the use of video tapes and television programs may be a helpful supplement to a child's language diet. Parents often buy language minority video tapes to encourage their children to grow in the minority language. They feel it important that the minority language and not just the majority language is identified with high status mass media images. Another example is when French speakers in English-speaking areas buy in French videos or obtain French television channels by satellite. Not only does a child receive language experience by such enjoyable and captivating means, the language itself may be raised in status inside the child's eyes by being attached to this important modern image.
There are limits to parental power concerning television choice. Children at a very early age become adept at tuning to the channel of their (and not their parent's) choice. Watching a favourite cartoon becomes more important than the attempted language engineering of the parent. This occasionally works to the advantage of bilingualism. Watching Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny is important, watching it in German, French, Japanese or English can become relatively unimportant to the child. In many family situations, the child votes for their television language experience with their finger on the remote control rather than via the guiding hand of the parent.
Since languages are not mixed on television, there seems an advantage for children to watch television in either of their languages. Watching one program in German and the next in French seems to be valuable since there is no confusing of the two languages.
However, the value of television in children's language development should not be exaggerated. While it may help to a limited extent in extending the language versatility of the child, television is essentially a passive medium. A child does not practice or use their language with a television set. The child is the recipient of language rather than the producer of language. A child's listening vocabulary may be extended, but television does not usually produce direct opportunities to extend speaking performance. At the same time, television has some input in a child's literacy, however small. Titles and subtitles, lists of football teams, teletext, subtitles with the news may give the child language experience that is small but valuable.
Another danger with television is that it often extends a child's stronger language rather than their weaker one. The tendency of children is to watch television in majority languages - particularly English. Lesser-used languages in the mass media have relatively few hours of television prime time. Therefore, the danger is that the television diet does not provide the appropriate language vitamins to encourage fluent bilingualism.