Comments on: Teaching Kids a Foreign Language Frugally http://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/ Learning about frugality Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:49:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Tina http://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/comment-page-1/#comment-6976 Tina Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:55:58 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-6976 Great information here! What is ALL reference to? Great information here! What is ALL reference to?

]]> By: Bonnie http://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/comment-page-1/#comment-6955 Bonnie Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:36:55 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-6955 Great suggestions!! Trying to teach our kids Chinese. We are not native speakers so there have been some challenges! But I am all about expanding our horizons and frugality so thanks!! Great suggestions!! Trying to teach our kids Chinese. We are not native speakers so there have been some challenges! But I am all about expanding our horizons and frugality so thanks!!

]]> By: Max http://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/comment-page-1/#comment-3478 Max Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:00:31 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3478 Great article! As a bilingual parents and the directors of a child-focused foreign language learning center, my wife and I thought these were excellent tips. Obviously the more exposure children have to the target language, the more quickly they will learn. Like you said in the last paragraph, you should "... use ALL these strategies with [your] own children..." If you are really dedicated to helping your children learn a foreign language, it's important to be constantly thinking of foreign language alternatives to every activity. Try to find foreign language versions of the media your children consume. Our child watches all Disney movies with the Spanish or French language track and we always listen to Latin music in the car and around the house (Our 18 month daughter is already dancing salsa!). You can make things fun by hosting foreign language focused events, such as birthday parties, sleep overs, cooking parties, all with a foreign language theme. This is a great way to not only encourage language development, but your child and friends will also learn about the cultures where various languages developed. For example, you could have a French cuisine night, letting your children participate in the creation of authentic French foods. They'll learn kitchen and cooking words and they'll be really proud of their new found cooking skills! Anything and everything is a new opportunity to expose your children to a new language! Max Leitch <a href="http://www.foreignlanguagefriends.com" rel="nofollow">www.foreignlanguagefriends.com</a> Great article! As a bilingual parents and the directors of a child-focused foreign language learning center, my wife and I thought these were excellent tips. Obviously the more exposure children have to the target language, the more quickly they will learn. Like you said in the last paragraph, you should “… use ALL these strategies with [your] own children…”

If you are really dedicated to helping your children learn a foreign language, it’s important to be constantly thinking of foreign language alternatives to every activity. Try to find foreign language versions of the media your children consume. Our child watches all Disney movies with the Spanish or French language track and we always listen to Latin music in the car and around the house (Our 18 month daughter is already dancing salsa!).

You can make things fun by hosting foreign language focused events, such as birthday parties, sleep overs, cooking parties, all with a foreign language theme. This is a great way to not only encourage language development, but your child and friends will also learn about the cultures where various languages developed. For example, you could have a French cuisine night, letting your children participate in the creation of authentic French foods. They’ll learn kitchen and cooking words and they’ll be really proud of their new found cooking skills!

Anything and everything is a new opportunity to expose your children to a new language!

Max Leitch
http://www.foreignlanguagefriends.com

]]> By: pam munro http://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/comment-page-1/#comment-3431 pam munro Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:07:11 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3431 As a multi-linguist myself, and a lifelong language learner - I recommend several cheap gambits: (1) Take advantage of internet resources! There are all sorts of language-learning sites on the net GRATIS. Deutsche Welle (German Radio) even has a good introductory German course FREE. I also get language input from about.com's German and Spanish sites and Spanish word of the day from Collins and so on.... (2) There is a LOT of inexpensive language learning software sold on the net. I like the deals at Planet CD rom.com. (3) Sing songs in the language - it's a great way to learn vocabulary! (4) Play games in the language - (5) Use children's books at the starter level no matter what the age of the learner. They are user-friendly. Kids enjoy b ooks with lots of pictures, too. (6) Watch movies in the language with subtitles - (You can get TV close captioned in other languages, too.) My French is less rusty because I watch French flicks on the tube when I can. (7) Make sure your kids learn the educated or "high" level of the language as well as the "kitchen table" level. Many languages as spoken at home are really dialects with limited usage in the broad world. (This is espcially true of Spanish in its many variations.) Sometimes studying the grammar, verbs, etc. in a class in school despite speaking the language at home would be in order. (Remember that business is usually done in the more formal level of the language.) Encourage your children to advance to the literary level of the language and to develop their skills as much as possible. (http://www.myfrugallife.com/blog_pamphyila.html) As a multi-linguist myself, and a lifelong language learner – I recommend several cheap gambits: (1) Take advantage of internet resources! There are all sorts of language-learning sites on the net GRATIS. Deutsche Welle (German Radio) even has a good introductory German course FREE. I also get language input from about.com’s German and Spanish sites and Spanish word of the day from Collins and so on….
(2) There is a LOT of inexpensive language learning software sold on the net. I like the deals at Planet CD rom.com.
(3) Sing songs in the language – it’s a great way to learn vocabulary!
(4) Play games in the language –
(5) Use children’s books at the starter level no matter what the age of the learner. They are user-friendly. Kids enjoy b ooks with lots of pictures, too.
(6) Watch movies in the language with subtitles – (You can get TV close captioned in other languages, too.) My French is less rusty because I watch French flicks on the tube when I can.
(7) Make sure your kids learn the educated or “high” level of the language as well as the “kitchen table” level. Many languages as spoken at home are really dialects with limited usage in the broad world. (This is espcially true of Spanish in its many variations.) Sometimes studying the grammar, verbs, etc. in a class in school despite speaking the language at home would be in order. (Remember that business is usually done in the more formal level of the language.) Encourage your children to advance to the literary level of the language and to develop their skills as much as possible. (http://www.myfrugallife.com/blog_pamphyila.html)

]]> By: CC http://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/comment-page-1/#comment-3410 CC Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:09:45 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3410 I'm a Speech Pathologist in a high ELL school and I am always telling parents TEACH THE KIDS YOUR HOME LANGUAGE! So many "just" want the kids to know English and that is such a shame. I WISH my husband remembered his 1st language and could teach it to the kids. We do use ASL sometimes, but neither of us are truly fluent :( <abbr><em>CC´s last blog post..<a href="http://ifonlyihadsuperpowers.blogspot.com/2009/01/teaching-tuesday-my-childhood-favorite.html" rel="nofollow">Teaching Tuesday: My childhood favorite can still teach me things!</a></abbr></em> I’m a Speech Pathologist in a high ELL school and I am always telling parents TEACH THE KIDS YOUR HOME LANGUAGE! So many “just” want the kids to know English and that is such a shame.

I WISH my husband remembered his 1st language and could teach it to the kids.

We do use ASL sometimes, but neither of us are truly fluent :(

CC´s last blog post..Teaching Tuesday: My childhood favorite can still teach me things!

]]> By: Learning a new language, frugally « The Vegan Korean http://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/comment-page-1/#comment-3377 Learning a new language, frugally « The Vegan Korean Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:57:46 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3377 [...] 6, 2009 Interesting post on how to learn another language frugally (Almost Frugal blog).  Been reading all kinds of stuff on how to learn a language faster and cheaper, because I need to [...] [...] 6, 2009 Interesting post on how to learn another language frugally (Almost Frugal blog).  Been reading all kinds of stuff on how to learn a language faster and cheaper, because I need to [...]

]]> By: FBN Roundup- New Year Edition : Tight Fisted Miser http://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/comment-page-1/#comment-3328 FBN Roundup- New Year Edition : Tight Fisted Miser Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:36:12 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3328 [...] Frugal talks about teaching kids a foreign language frugally.  I wish I had learned a foreign language as a kid.  I’ve tried to learn Spanish as an [...] [...] Frugal talks about teaching kids a foreign language frugally.  I wish I had learned a foreign language as a kid.  I’ve tried to learn Spanish as an [...]

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