Comments on: The mistakes we make

By: 5 Ways to Enrich Your Child’s Bilingual Vocabulary « SpanglishBaby

5 Ways to Enrich Your Child’s Bilingual Vocabulary « SpanglishBaby — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 05:06:30 +0000

[...] has proven that the best way for children to develop their language and reading skills is through dialogue. This is particularly important for bilingual children. It is a fallacy to think that just sitting [...]

By: The Beginner’s Guide to SpanglishBaby « SpanglishBaby

The Beginner’s Guide to SpanglishBaby « SpanglishBaby — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:26:15 +0000

[...] The Mistakes we Make [...]

By: priommete

priommete — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:20:59 +0000

hm.. bookmarked

By: bilingualmama

bilingualmama — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:03:04 +0000

great post! great tips! I would only add one more "don't"--don't let the language be a chore for _you_ either. your child will pick up on your hesitation and start to question if it is all worthwhile if you do. bilingualmama’s last blog post..Cool CD giveaway!

By: Dominique

Dominique — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:30:39 +0000

I too find that it is very important to continuously expose my kids to the various languages so that they get comfortable with it. Am in the midst of writing an e-book on how to raise multilingual kids. Am currently schooling my 2 and 4 year old in languages and they can effectively communicate in Mandarin, English and Cantonese. We will be adding in Japanese this year to their language exposure. Dominique’s last blog post..My Favourite Game

By: Florencia

Florencia — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:55:34 +0000

I wish I'd discovered this site before! So glad there's a place where we can talk about this issue. My 27 month old is learning slowly but surely, but many many many times I just slip right back into English. My whole family lives in Chile and my husband doesn't speak Spanish so I "live" in English and it's hard for me to keep speaking Spanish to her, but I do it every day because I can't imagine my child not speaking Spanish. Everyone in my family speaks Spanish, English, and many also speak French so this is what is natural and normal to me. Thanks for the article! Florencia’s last blog post..Is it February already?

By: tati

tati — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:36:08 +0000

This was wonderful to read! Yes! I have thought many times about giving up, especially in stressful situations or when my kids never answer me in Spanish. I made myself do it and then just around the corner, they made great progress! I suggest making it as fun as possible: have a dance party, invite someone over that speaks the language, go to a party somewhere or a fun storytime in Spanish. It might give you enough motivation to keep going. Also, keep track of all the successes. I actually made a word document to put all the successes and I can go back and read them (it will be fun for them to see someday also!) tati’s last blog post..Juego del Jueves: ¡Agua va!

By: diane

diane — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:17:55 +0000

Great post! You give sound and encouraging tips. I was getting down on myself for being “too late.” I exposed my kids to French when they were babies and toddlers, and even arranged regular French playdates with native speakers. But other parenting concerns took center stage and the second language took a second seat. My guys are now 3 and 6, and I’m making bilingualism a priority again. (And I’m advocating for decent language programs in the schools, too.) But you’re right–it has to be natural and fun. As a teacher I know that motivation and positive emotions have the greatest impact on learning. My kids resist sometimes, so I don’t force it in those moments. They always surprise me with snippets of language when I least expect it. I have to remind myself that I didn’t even start learning a second language until I was 14, but I’m bilingual. It’s never too late. Although my kids aren’t speakers yet, I’m thrilled with all of the French and Spanish they DO know.