Comments on: Teaching Kids a Foreign Language Frugally http://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/ Learning about frugality Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:11:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Tinahttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#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: Bonniehttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#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: Maxhttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#comment-3478 Max Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:00:31 +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"> <a href="http://www.foreignlanguagefriends.com</a>" target="_blank">www.foreignlanguagefriends.com</a></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

<a href="http://www.foreignlanguagefriends.com” target=”_blank”>www.foreignlanguagefriends.com

]]> By: pam munrohttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#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: CChttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#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: Kellyhttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#comment-3318 Kelly Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:00:19 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3318 @Shevy, Yes, I can imagine that a university course in biblical Hebrew would have a lot of relevant vocabulary for a five year old! I think another important component in kids learning language is modeling- do you have any adults with whom you can speak Hebrew in front of your daughter? I think that one of the reasons my kids speak English so well is that they see me speaking it with lots of other people- it's not an isolated phenomenon. @Shevy,
Yes, I can imagine that a university course in biblical Hebrew would have a lot of relevant vocabulary for a five year old!
I think another important component in kids learning language is modeling- do you have any adults with whom you can speak Hebrew in front of your daughter? I think that one of the reasons my kids speak English so well is that they see me speaking it with lots of other people- it’s not an isolated phenomenon.

]]> By: Shevyhttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#comment-3317 Shevy Sun, 04 Jan 2009 07:38:32 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3317 My hubby speaks Hebrew and English. I'm an English speaker with a smattering of several other languages. I speak Hebrew like a 3 year old and I did very well in French in high school but haven't used it since then. I want my 5 year old to speak Hebrew fluently but I end up speaking Hebrew to her more than my hubby does! (When you've been speaking English only for about 25 years I guess it's hard to remember to keep speaking Hebrew, although I know he certainly remembers how.) We have a few CDs that we play in the car, both adult music and kids stuff, and she knows some simple prayers and blessings. There has been a huge jump though since she started school this year, where half the day is generally done in Hebrew. The thing is, I know that by itself school is not enough. All 3 of my grown kids went through day school and high school and still can't speak Hebrew adequately. I'm currently doing a university level class in Biblical Hebrew, which is helping me with my biblical studies but is only moderately useful in terms of conversation. My biggest problem is a lack of vocabulary, particularly useful vocabulary that relates to a 5 year old's life. My hubby speaks Hebrew and English. I’m an English speaker with a smattering of several other languages. I speak Hebrew like a 3 year old and I did very well in French in high school but haven’t used it since then. I want my 5 year old to speak Hebrew fluently but I end up speaking Hebrew to her more than my hubby does! (When you’ve been speaking English only for about 25 years I guess it’s hard to remember to keep speaking Hebrew, although I know he certainly remembers how.)

We have a few CDs that we play in the car, both adult music and kids stuff, and she knows some simple prayers and blessings. There has been a huge jump though since she started school this year, where half the day is generally done in Hebrew. The thing is, I know that by itself school is not enough. All 3 of my grown kids went through day school and high school and still can’t speak Hebrew adequately.

I’m currently doing a university level class in Biblical Hebrew, which is helping me with my biblical studies but is only moderately useful in terms of conversation. My biggest problem is a lack of vocabulary, particularly useful vocabulary that relates to a 5 year old’s life.

]]> By: nikihttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#comment-3316 niki Sun, 04 Jan 2009 04:57:51 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3316 My friend is trying to teach a second language to her daughter and they borrow these great books and videos from the library. I think they are called Muzzy. The library is so full of treasures for us frugal folks! :) <abbr><em>niki´s last blog post..Sunday Link Love...To Regift or Not to Regift?</abbr></em> My friend is trying to teach a second language to her daughter and they borrow these great books and videos from the library. I think they are called Muzzy.

The library is so full of treasures for us frugal folks!

:)

niki´s last blog post..Sunday Link Love…To Regift or Not to Regift?

]]> By: Kellyhttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#comment-3305 Kelly Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:11:00 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3305 That's really funny, because I've tested it in a couple of different browsers and on different computers. Here's the link to when the post originally appeared: http://almostfrugal.com/2008/06/17/five-frugal-ways-to-help-kids-learn-a-foreign-language/ try looking there. Otherwise, it's not important- the images aren't important for the post! That’s really funny, because I’ve tested it in a couple of different browsers and on different computers. Here’s the link to when the post originally appeared: http://almostfrugal.com/2008/06/17/five-frugal-ways-to-help-kids-learn-a-foreign-language/ try looking there. Otherwise, it’s not important- the images aren’t important for the post!

]]> By: Frankhttp://almostfrugal.com/2009/01/03/teaching-kids-a-foreign-language-frugally/#comment-3304 Frank Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:10:27 +0000 http://almostfrugal.com/?p=2012#comment-3304 I have no problem with the pictures. I use IE on this computer, and they show up fine. <abbr><em>Frank´s last blog post..<a href="http://www.beblogger.org/index.php/caitlin-s-first-photoshoot" rel="nofollow">Caitlin's First Photoshoot</a></abbr></em> I have no problem with the pictures. I use IE on this computer, and they show up fine.

Frank´s last blog post..Caitlin’s First Photoshoot

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