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

FAQ: Raising Bilingual Children

Why want bilingual children?

There are many reasons, but the two most common are:

1) The parents speak different languages (say, an American woman and a Turkish man).

2) The parents speak the same language, but live in a community where most people speak something else (say, a Korean couple living in the USA).

In the first case, both the mother and father may want to be able to use their own language when talking to their children. This is the bilingual home situation. In the second, the parents may want to be able to use their own language at home even though their children also need to function in the world outside the front door. 

Don't children get confused when they hear two languages spoken around them?

The short answer is no. Children are incredibly sensitive to the different ways people speak. Even when they only hear one language, they learn very quickly about differences between the way men and women talk, the difference between polite and impolite ways of talking, and so on. For children, the bilingual situation is just a matter of another difference between people!

Fifty years ago educators throughout North America used to tell immigrant parents that it was better for their children's schooling if they spoke English at home. Some researchers thought that early exposure to two languages put children at a disadvantage. Newer research tells us that this is not so, and there may be advantages to being bilingual (in addition to knowing more than one language), such as more flexible thinking. The disadvantages that earlier research found were generally economic disadvantages, linked to the hardships of immigrants' lives.

Bilingual development sometimes results in slightly slower language development than for some monolingual children. 

Don't bilingual children ever mix their languages up?

Like adult bilinguals, bilingual children often use words from one language when speaking the other. (This is called code-switching.) But this doesn't mean they are confused about which language they are speaking.  Yet in speaking to monolinguals, bilingual children are careful to use only the relevant language.

So how do we start teaching our children two languages?

The main thing to keep in mind is that parents don't really "teach" children to speak, any more than they teach them to walk or smile. The most important things in language development are exposure and need. If children are exposed to a language in a variety of circumstances with many different people from the time they are born, and if they feel they need the language to interact with the world around them, they will learn it. If they are exposed to two languages in varied circumstances with different people from the moment they are born, and if they need both languages to communicate with the people around them, they will learn both.

Do you really mean that if our children are exposed to two languages from birth they will learn both, just like that?

No, but children can do this with no difficulty, and it doesn't do them any harm. The hard part is making sure they have enough natural exposure to both languages. Most of the time, one of the two languages you want them to learn will be "more important" somehow, and the trick is to provide enough opportunities for them to use the "less important" one in a way that isn't forced or artificial. The best way, if you can manage it, is to put children in situations where only the "less important" language is used so that there is no temptation to mix languages or revert to the "more important" language.

What do you mean by saying that one language is "more important"?

One language is likely to seem more important to children when that language is needed more frequently than the other. For example, suppose the American woman and Turkish man in the bilingual home speak English with each other. The children will notice that English is used in cases where Turkish isn't and think that English is "more important". But if the same family moves to Turkey, the children will notice that Turkish is used in lots of cases where English isn't, and may decide Turkish is "more important". Some children are very sensitive to these differences and may be reluctant to use the "less important" language—especially if other children don't use it. Others don't seem to mind.

When we talk about one language being "more important" here, we're only talking about the children's point of view! Nonetheless, many adult bilinguals are "dominant" in one of their languages. Even if the differences between their two languages are subtle, most bilinguals feel slightly more at home in one language than the other in certain settings or for talking about certain topics.

Would it be better to start teaching the second language after children have a good start on the first?

No, definitely not, especially in the bilingual home situation where the second language is likely to seem "less important" to the children anyway. Introducing the second language later is just about guaranteed to make them think it's less important and not worth the effort.

On the other hand, in the bilingual setting situation (say, the Korean couple living in the United States), there isn't any harm in letting children's exposure to English begin naturally and gradually. As long as the family stays in the US and the children go to American schools, there is no risk that they will fail to learn English. Actually, the more common problem with the bilingual setting situation is that the children sometimes reject their home language in favor of the outside language.

My partner and I speak different languages. Should we only speak to our children in our own language if we want them to be bilingual?

Many experts recommend the "one-parent-one-language" method for a bilingual home. The idea is that Mommy (or Mamma, or Mutti) always speaks her own language with the children, and Daddy (or Papa, or Vati) always speaks his own language with them. This is a good basis for a successful bilingual home, but it's not the only one, and even one-parent-one-language can go wrong.

What are some of the problems with one-parent-one-language?

One problem can be balanced. Children need to hear both languages often and in a variety of circumstances. If they never hear the "less important" language except from one parent, they may not get enough exposure for that language to develop naturally. It is especially true that when both parents understand the "more important" language, the children don't feel they need the "less important" one. In these cases, it is essential to find other sources of exposure and other ways of creating a sense of need. Monolingual grandparents can be especially helpful! Can you enlist a cousin or grandmother or a paid babysitter who speaks the other language to look after the children? Is there a daycare or playgroup where they can hear the other language? Can you get videos and story tapes in the other language? All of these can make a big difference—especially exposure that involves interaction with other people, not just watching TV. When our children were small, we did things like this to reinforce Italian in a largely English-speaking setting.

Another problem is keeping the situation natural. If children feel that they are being forced to do something weird or embarrassing, they will probably resist it. Explicit rules—say, speaking one language on some days and the other on others—can be very hard to enforce and can help create a negative attitude.

Still another problem is exclusion. If one of the parents doesn't speak the other's language (in our example, suppose the American woman doesn't speak Turkish), the children will know that every time they say something in Turkish to their father they are excluding their mother from the conversation. This may make children reluctant to speak one of the parents' languages when both parents are present. In our experience, a bilingual home is more likely to succeed if both parents at least understand both languages—that way, nobody is ever excluded from a family conversation.

What about siblings?

The arrival of a second child can upset the language balance in a bilingual home, and it's common for a second child to be less fully bilingual than the first. Usually the first child speaks to the second in the "more important" language, increasing the exposure the second child gets to that language and decreasing the sense of need for the "less important" one. Think about what you want to do about this in advance. Come up with a strategy that fits your own situation—but it's probably worthwhile to try to enlist the older child or children to promote the "less important" language in your home situation.

My children used to speak our home language just fine, but now that they're going to school, they mix it up with English all the time. What can I do?

Relax. Language mixing is normal when everyone speaks both languages. It doesn't mean that the children will forget one language, and it doesn't mean that they can't tell the difference any more between two languages. If you scold them for speaking English it may create a negative attitude about the home language and actually make things worse. Instead, create natural situations where the children really need the home language — like calling on those monolingual grandparents again!

You can understand this kind of language mixing if you keep in mind that simple exposure is an important ingredient of children's language development. When your children were small, they were probably more exposed to your home language — say Korean — than they were to English. Now that they are going to school, they are exposed only to English for hours a day, and they are learning all kinds of new words and new ways of using language — but only in English. They probably don't know the Korean word for "notebook" or "social studies" or "principal". When they use an English word in a Korean sentence, tell them what it's called in Korean rather than worrying that they're losing their home language. Remember, even if they end up with English as their dominant language, they can still be perfectly competent Korean speakers as well.

Source: https://www.linguisticsociety.org/resource/faq-raising-bilingual-children

Should I raise my child bilingually after divorcing my husband?

 

View this email in your browser Should I raise my child bilingually after divorcing my husband? When there is a will, there is a way, and even when the will is somewhat lacking, there is still a way to overcome the bilingualism challenge. Remember, knowing more than one language has many advantages, including cognitive benefits, cultural understanding benefits, and, for Latinos, the ability to connect with a part of their heritage in the future. Divorce is also common and can negatively affect raising a bilingual child. Upon divorce, a mother might wonder if her plans to teach her child the language went out the window (along with her marriage) when her husband is gone. Parents may want to consider bilingualism even when things aren't going smoothly (due to moves, lost jobs, sick parents, or the birth of another child). Raising a bilingual child doesn't require expensive resources. Mamaestra has one expense and you have material for a year. We encourage talking to your child daily using our material, sharing experiences in our local circle times and asking for their input is the most important thing you can do for them.  Even if a parent has ambivalent feelings about a particular language (associated with a now less-than-beloved ex-spouse), he or she should still consider the child's perspective and needs. The child may want to stay in touch with the parent who does not have custody even if the parent does not want to see their ex again. In some cases, periodic contact may be required by the court. It may be best to keep the child's ability to communicate in the other parent's language. Take a deep breath and remember that language learning is a lifelong process. It is not a total disaster to take a short break. It may take some time for you and your children to adjust to new routines, but new routines can be a good thing.   Let´s keep going... Mamaestra MUSIC BUY OUR BOOK FROM AMAZON About Mamaestra de Español Mamaestra Course Mamaestra Store Share our Work and Art

Your bilingual ability makes you or your child stand out in a crowd?

Your bilingual ability makes you or your child stand out in a crowd? In most of the United States, monolingualism is still the norm. The Census Bureau reports that only a small percentage of Americans speak both their native language and another language fluently (compared to Europeans). Using a language other than English will probably cause you or your child to feel WEIRD or WOW in one way or another. In this case, there is a tíamaestra (aunty-teacher) who is working hard with her niece. Having almost achieved the goal, the aunty and niece are proud of themselves for becoming bilingual.  In terms of her experience as a parent (caregiver), we invite you to talk more out. We call this the “grocery store showtime” Most parents (caregivers) feel comfortable communicating privately with their children in languages other than English; however, others like to keep practicing the new language outdoors like in public—for example, in the grocery store checkout line—family parties— park rides— restaurants— They can become much more self-conscious about their new power. The tiamaestra explained, “I just feel like I’m sort of being ‘hoity-toity’ or something—I mean here I am, this Anglo woman, who using Spanish in Stores with my niece. As it’s clearly not my first language, I finished my advanced Spanish program. I know that if I don't use it I will lose it. I just sometimes feel a little show-off-y or something but I love showing what I know.”   Dear Mamaestras,  I think it's fine and fun. Don't be afraid to show off what you know and what you've accomplished with all your hard work 😓 . Show off time! Whenever possible, use the language and this will help other moms. Today, bilingualism is a necessity, not a trend. You might stand out a bit at the checkout line or at children's birthday parties if you speak a language other than English. During such occasions, you may want to speak up about your work was To be heard by other kids and mothers… NOTE: You should check when your child is ready for it and also if he or she shares the same enthusiasm. In the case of the TíaMaestra, the little girl was always proud of her Spanish. About Mamaestra de Español Mamaestra Course Mamaestra MUSIC Mamaestra Store Share our Work and Art