Playtime and Game Night – Fun for All!

A key way to ensure your child remains interested in learning a world language is to make it fun, informal and light. In addition to her class time once a week, it is important to give her an opportunity to show off her new language skills at home with her siblings and/or parents while having fun at the same time. One very quick and easy way to accomplish this is to take one of the games you already have at home and give it a foreign language twist. Younger children may find it “funny”; older children may find it “challenging”. Both scenarios make for an enjoyable time for all. It is an interactive and natural way for your child to review colors, numbers, age-appropriate vocabulary, animals, and shapes. It also helps them start thinking in the target language.

For parents who are not fluent in the target language, no worries! Children love to be on the teaching end and will welcome the opportunity to teach you what they know.

Some classic games you can play at home with children who are learning a foreign language are listed below. For most of us, there is no need to go out and buy them; they are probably collecting dust in the play room.  For those not familiar with these games or living overseas, please go to the Resources tab on my blog for a description and tips on how to use them to complement your child’s language learning. These games are usually available outside of the U.S. – sometimes under different names.

• Candy Land
• Chutes and Ladders
• Colorama
• Parcheesi
• Uno
• memory games
• matching games

For additional or more advanced games, I encourage you to “follow” my blog to continue receiving updates which will address more advanced learning tools for older children.

Have fun, in any language!!!

How to Choose a Language Program for Your Little One

Introducing our children to a world language is the easy part. How to ensure our child is enjoying the experience and how to keep our child interested is a bit more challenging. For those contemplating whether to embark on this endeavor, you are probably considering signing your child up for group lessons; hiring a part-time or full-time caregiver who will speak to your child in the target language; or signing up for an immersion summer camp.  All of these are excellent ideas, but the key is to ensure that it is the right fit for your child.

Spanish interactive immersion program that incorporates music, dance, art and movement. imbilingual.com

Arts and crafts portion of a children’s German cultral event. DHKids at NYU

Here are some tips on how to select a language program for your toddler or pre-schooler.

• Does your child have an interest in any specific language? At this early age, it does not matter which language the child begins to learn. The idea is for him to have fun while learning, develop an ear for languages, pick up the native accent, and feel empowered by learning how to say words in another language. If your child has expressed interest in a specific language, go with it and nurture his interest.

• Once you have decided on the specific language, consider the pedagogical approach of the language program. What is your child’s learning style? Does your child love music and dance? Does he enjoy arts and crafts? Does he love playing games or listening to stories? Many language programs successfully incorporate most of these learning styles in their 45 minute to hour-long classes. On the other hand, some children really know what they like and don’t like. If a child does not like to sing and dance, a music based language program is not the ideal setting for him. Take time to find out the pedagogical approach (play group, arts-based, sports-based, full immersion, bi-lingual, etc)  and ensure it’s the right fit.

• Is the class age-appropriate for your child? Be diligent and find out the age of the children in the class before enrolling. It is more fun and productive for your child to be in a class with peers who are reaching similar developmental milestones. Inquire about vocabulary being taught. Ideally, you would like your child to learn vocabulary words that are in line with what he is learning at home or at school in his first language. This connection will give your child a sense of pride when he realizes he knows the same words in two languages!!

• If you are considering hiring a caregiver to speak to your child in the target language, always consider the person’s educational background and how much they know or understand about early childhood education (among other qualifications, of course). Merely speaking and reading to a child in a target language is not sufficient for the child to develop a love for the language and to experience the positive emotions that will lead to piquing his interest and desire to learn more.

Early Childhood – The Optimal Time to Dive into World Languages

Welcome to World Languages for Toddlers and Children blog! This blog is meant to encourage parents to start (or continue) exposing their children to quality, fun and age-appropriate foreign language programs early in their development, but most importantly, this blog is designed to provide parents of both toddlers and school-aged children the tools, resources, inspiration and motivation to help their children embrace and enjoy learning a second language, develop a knack for languages as they get older and succeed in their overall learning process.

In the competitive academic world and professional world we live in, it is crucial to look ahead and envision what tools our children will need to succeed in school and college.  Most children love to play, run and practice sports. Just as we encourage our children to get involved in physical activities that foster valuable team building and problem solving skills, we should ensure that we complement that development by exposing them to a second language that will improve their cognitive learning and verbal skills that are also vital to success in college, their careers and life.

Studies have shown that children who learn a second language between the ages of 0 and 8 gain a structural, functional and cognitive advantage over monolingual peers. They become creative thinkers, increase their critical thinking skills, and attain a near-native pronunciation among other benefits.  Cognitive gains, associated with early language learning, benefit children during their early, middle and high school years and well into old age.

Let’s help our children become world citizens and stay ahead of the curve in the future by  getting our little ones involved in world languages and providing our school-aged children with enthusiastic support in their current language programs.

This blog will assist bilingual or multilingual parents as well as monolingual parents in getting started and embarking on this enjoyable and invaluable endeavor of studying a world language as well as provide parents with the tools, guidance and support to stay onboard for as long as your children require.