Language Strategies – Best Methods for Raising Bilingual Kids

 

Language Strategies – Best Methods for Raising Bilingual Kids Learning another language is not something that happens by accident. However, it is not rocket science either. In order to teach young children more than one language, you will need some serious planning. What is the best language learning strategy for raising bilingual children? What methods work well in your family? To help you decide which language strategy is best for your kid, we are going to discuss 4 language strategies, their advantages and disadvantages, and some useful advice for each method.  Learning another language is not something that just happens by accident, but it is also not rocket science. Let's see what we need to do. Strategy 1: One Parent, One Language (OPOL) One Parent, One Language (OPOL) refers to a PERSON who is committed to teaching the language as part of the mamaestra program. Parents who are trying to raise simultaneous bilingual children often employ this language strategy. The OPOL approach involves one parent/person consistently speaking one language to the child and the other parent always speaking the other language. Mothers might only speak English to their children, while fathers might exclusively speak Spanish.   It would be ideal for families in which each parent speaks a second language fluently, or if one parent is learning it with the child (for non-Spanish speakers).   What language should I and my partner speak to my kids? The answer is that the language should be the language that you speak fluently or your mother language. Teaching your strongest language to your kids would help you to transfer the language much easier, and also, your kids can learn the best language skills from you. You will give your child plenty of exposure to both target languages at the same time. Teaching them a second language from birth using the OPOL method, it will reduce confusion or avoid them from refusing to speak a minority language. It may be difficult for your kids to have a conversation with both parents unless you and/or your partner can understand and speak each other's language. You or your partner may not always have time to speak to and teach your child. Let's say you decide to speak Spanish consistently to your child while your husband speaks English. The majority of your time is spent at home with your children. Your husband works full-time and is rarely at home to play with your child. It is possible that your kids will learn Spanish more quickly if you adopt OPOL consistently. As the child goes to school, he/she will be surrounded by the majority language, if you live in an English-speaking environment. The issue is solved. Solution As a result of the cons I mentioned above, kids will naturally start paying less attention to the less-used language, which will result in less conversation and connection with their father. Alternatively, you can use one or more of the following methods below to create a need for your child to use this language in order to improve this situation. In addition, organize a day (weekend) where dad catches up on the language at home. Strategy 2: Minority Language At Home (MLAH) A MLAH method involves everyone in the family speaking the minority language at home and using the majority or community language at school and daycare.   In families that have moved abroad or whose parents speak the mother tongue, this is very common to keep the language and culture within the family. It is also a highly effective and fail-safe family language system. Studies have shown that this method is highly effective. Due to the fact that your child is surrounded by the family language, he or she can learn it quickly.  For immigrants, this is an excellent way to preserve their culture, language, and identity. For kids, it is easier to figure out when, where, and what language to speak. Non-Spanish speaking families cannot use this method, as both parents might not have the same level. While it could be frustrating, it is not stable in the long run. It might lead the kids to feel that this language is not good for public speaking if the parents only speak it at home. Children's identification with minority languages may be affected. There is a possibility that the child will not catch up to his monolingual peers in the majority language. The limited knowledge of the language they have to deal with all day might cause them to feel nervous and have a difficult time. Solutions The MLAH is an effective and useful way to teach your children languages. The advantages and disadvantages of every language strategy, however, should be understood by us, as parents, so we can devise some solutions to address the problem.  You should not only pass on your language to your children, but also your pride in your language and culture to avoid them having negative feelings about speaking their family language in public.  Create fun activities related to your country, language, unique culture, and much more to engage your curious kids in learning your native language. As a result, not just a language, but a stronger connection and relationship is built between you and your children. As a result, the child will not regard the home language as inferior. Nonetheless, it is vital to find nanny's playdates or other types of communities where your child can immerse himself in the community language so he will catch up faster with his monolingual peers and start school more smoothly. Strategy 3: Time and Place (T&P) & Outside Resouce Families A Time and Place (T&P) language strategy involves separating and choosing certain languages used with the child either by time or by place (or both) or assigning a time and a place with special resources to explore the language at home.  Examples of T&P strategy based on the TIME factors: Use only one language in the morning, and another language in the evening Mamaestra encourages per activity, diapers change, clothing change, meal times, etc. Divide the languages into two groups: weekdays and social weekends. Speak one language calendar for example on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and the rest of the week is for another language (one day, one language) Use different languages during alternating weeks or months like immersion programs abroad. Special minority language afternoon activities.  Examples of T&P strategy based on the PLACE factors: Speak one language at home and another in the kitchen or every mealtime with family. Mamaestra Corner, a fully decorated tent with all our materials, music, and toys. Speak one language at home and another at school or the playground. Speak one language in general and another language in a private place in the house which is designated for that specific language. Examples of T&P strategy based on the Outside Resource Family: The planning is easy to adapt for families and the material is easy to follow. Based on the topics they are studying, families can integrate more resources. For families who do not speak Spanish, it is a great choice. It organizes the way native families approach the language. Schedule a time and place that is convenient and comfortable for you to speak a certain language. Changing languages in different places and at different times can help your kids practice more and gain confidence. The whole family learns together. Using this language method teaches youngsters where and when to speak each language by setting a specific schedule before. Cons and Solutions One language may have a limited amount of exposure. When deciding when and where to use each language, parents should be cautious and thorough. This will help to lessen the limited exposure to one language. Parents need to be very consistent with the schedule that they have planned so that their kids won’t be confused. Parents need to be very creative and fun to create excitement for the next class. School-aged youngsters find it difficult to conform to a strict routine. Strategy 4: Natural Mixing Languages Method Natural Mixing Languages Strategy: What is it? Essentially, the parents speak to their children in both languages frequently without making any plans. Families who don't like strict schedules or whose kids don't like those strategies should try this method. Introducing your kids to languages naturally can be achieved by using Natural Mixing Languages.    The most important thing here is to enrich language experiences through play, music, reading books, having fun conversations, and exploring new things about the culture, people, and country. Children will learn faster if they receive more practice and exposure. It all happens naturally without any planning or schedule You and your children will experience less stress and nervousness. This method is ideal for a family where one parent is overworked and has little time to teach the child. If the father is extremely busy, the mother can still use this strategy to teach the children multiple languages. Cons A child may prefer one language over the other, and as a result, one becomes their native language while the other languishes. Solution The two main keys to teaching new languages to bilingual or multilingual children are exposure and need. Natural Mixing Languages may cause your kids to prefer speaking one language (it could be the majority language) to the minority language right from the start. During the time you talk to them, if you feel that one language has less exposure than another or your kids keep talking in just one language that they feel more comfortable speaking in than another, it is now the time you should increase the quality input to your kids by finding more situations where you can speak the minority language to them.  Here are some activities you can do with your kids.  Grandparents or relatives can be contacted via video calls Talk about the videos you watched in your minority language afterward Use your minority language in a board game Get to know your minority language better by learning new songs and reading new books Teaching and playing with bilingual educational resources Make some fun language games and activities for kids to enjoy while learning two or more languages. Create a social circle with your kids. All those activities need to be done together with your children. You should talk and discuss what you are doing with them, listen to their feelings, and encourage them to express themselves in the target language. This is the best way to engage them with the minority language. Language acquisition will be faster when they feel relaxed and excited. There hasn't been a single method or strategy that has been deemed the best for raising bilingual children. Obviously, every strategy has its own advantages and disadvantages, and we should consider these carefully before deciding which one suits our family and supports our children's bilingual language development. In order to successfully raise bilingual children, you will need to invest a lot of time, effort, and patience in making sure they are exposed to both languages. We understand that raising a bilingual child is not easy and we are here to support you and your children.        Mamaestra Course

HOW ABOUT A SECOND LANGUAGE OR BABY SIGNS?

 

HOW ABOUT A SECOND LANGUAGE OR BABY SIGNS? The purpose of this is not to imply that baby signs are harmful to babies. Parents of young hearing children find this an enjoyable and useful way to communicate and bond. Sign language is a new trend in recent years. In contrast to spoken languages, sign languages are expressed with the hands, arms, and face, and understood with the eyes. Before they develop the muscle and motor skills in their vocal tracks needed for speaking, babies develop the muscle skills in their fingers and hands needed for signing. A baby can engage in two-way communication with caregivers much earlier when using signs than with spoken language, as advocates of baby sign language (and many parents) will tell you. There are certainly some benefits to this. Who wouldn’t love to have an eight-month-old sweetly sign “milk, more, cookie” rather than scream at the top of her/his lungs? If you plan to introduce baby signs to your child or are already enrolled in a program, you should also consider language learning opportunities after your child turns one. In your area, there may be ASL users, programs, or activities that require further development. A second spoken language, such as Chinese or Spanish, might be considered. In order for your child to learn a language other than English, you should not rely solely on baby signs. American Sign Language (ASL) is the basis for most (but not all) U.S. baby sign classes and materials. Deaf people in the United States and English-speaking parts of Canada use ASL, a complex and linguistically complete language. Many people born to Deaf parents speak it as their first language. Even though the signs taught in baby sign classes are usually based on ASL, it's important to understand that most babies who are learning baby signs are not learning ASL and they are not acquiring a complete language. Babies and their caretakers learn a simplified set of signs through baby sign materials and classes, typically focusing on basic needs and objects (such as more, milk, hungry, thirsty, tired, cookie, etc.). Consequently, these signs are not combined into linguistically complete utterances or sentences because they do not learn grammar. For example, most people would not claim to speak French simply because they can count to ten and name their five favorite foods!  As a result, most children (and their caregivers) stop signing once babies learn to speak once they have learned baby signs. On the other hand, there are very few instances in which children continue to develop their sign language skills (for example, if the child is regularly around a caregiver who uses ASL). Mamaestra MUSIC BUY OUR BOOK FROM AMAZON About Mamaestra de Español FREE TRAL COURSE Mamaestra Course Mamaestra Store Share our Work and Art

MAKING THE BEST LANGUAGE CHOICE FOR YOUR FAMILY

 

MAKING THE BEST LANGUAGE CHOICE FOR YOUR FAMILY   It is vital to weigh personal, local, and global factors when deciding which language to teach your children (not necessarily giving equal weight to each). At least for English-speaking parents in the United States, Spanish is the top choice. There are millions of Spanish speakers in all parts of the country, making Spanish the unofficial second language of the United States. Think about how often you have to press "one for English, two for Spanish" on automated telephone systems! As a result, there are many opportunities to form bilingual parent and child playgroups, to organize language-focused babysitting clubs, or attend cultural events in Spanish. Furthermore, most bilingual education programs in U.S. cities are Spanish-based (i.e., Spanish-English bilingual education). Likewise, bilingual high school students have an edge when searching for a summer job because there is a great demand for Spanish-English bilinguals. Some parents find another language better suited to their needs. The question for you is, "Is there a language I would like to learn with my child?" It would be a good idea to start here. You might want to try Chinese, French, Portuguese, etc. -In order to start with this challenge, should you invest in a bilingual daycare or a nanny? We will discuss why a nanny with special training is a good fit for a family who is looking for raising a bilingual kid. Let's take a look at some Chinese choices for parents: There are some parents who choose to hire a nanny who speaks the language. In the case of a nanny who is trained in teaching or has a passion for teaching, she could provide valuable input. The additional expense would be worth it. In order to hire a Chinese (or any other language)-speaking nanny, you may have to make financial sacrifices. Parents who believe Chinese will be the next hot language will pay a premium for a nanny who speaks Chinese.   Another reason this family chose Chinese was because the city where they live has a lot of Chinese speakers, so they could easily find a nanny and a replacement nanny, as well as schools and cultural activities to supplement their efforts as the child gets older. Other people may choose Italian because they live in a neighborhood where Italians live. etc. To keep going bilingual, there should be something that connects with you. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for every family and situation. Parents who are undecided, however, have good news as well. Children can gain a bilingual advantage from any two languages than one. There is no difference between Spanish-English, Croatian-Taiwanese, Arabic-French, or Portuguese-Japanese language pairings. The cognitive benefits of bilingualism accrue to children who reach high proficiency levels in two languages. In spite of this, there is some evidence that the more different the languages, the greater the advantages. Learning Russian, Mandarin, or Greek in conjunction with English might provide additional benefits, since these languages use entirely different scripts or writing systems, than English. Summary of Mamaestra It is a personal and intimate decision about which language is best for your child. It's also very important. It is important to consider all of the available resources of your home, neighborhood, and community carefully before you invest time, energy, and effort into language learning. Every family and every decision is unique, of course. In order to make the best language learning decisions, we must carefully weigh the personal (how do we feel about using this language? ), the local (what opportunities are available?), and the global (what incentives are available? ). Despite the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all answer out there for all families, there is the best answer for yours. POINTS TO REMEMBER: Choosing a language depends partly on the family (what language skills do the parents have and how do they feel about it?) and partly on the broader community (which languages offer opportunities and incentives?). There are many baby signs programs that focus on sign vocabulary but do not include sign grammar. The learning of baby signs is different from learning a second language unless your child has been exposed to a natural sign language like ASL. It is a deeply personal decision to choose a language.  It is important for parents to consider their own feelings carefully and speak honestly about these issues with everyone involved in their child's care. Choosing a language is not as important as sticking with it, as knowing a few words of a language has very few benefits. Mamaestra MUSIC BUY OUR BOOK FROM AMAZON About Mamaestra de Español Mamaestra Course Mamaestra Store Share our Work and Art