One of the biggest challenges we face in our bilingual journey is being consistent and finding ways to nurture the minority language outside the home. No matter which method your family chooses to use–OPOL (One Parent, One Language) or mL@H (Minority Language at Home)–it’s important to have resources and strategies to immerse your child in the second language in fun and playful ways.
I know, for a fact, that my daughter, Camila, is learning words much faster from her little friends at daycare than she is at home, even though she only spends two days a week with them. We also have an English-speaking playgroup we meet with every week and other activities in which she actively takes part in. Most of them in English. I know, my bad.
Make the Second Language Cool
Why is it “my bad?¨ Well, because I know, from all the reading and research I’ve done on the topic of raising bilingual kids, that one of the most important ways to enforce language learning is for your kids to engage in activities with other children in the language you want to promote. In our case, that would be Spanish. Simply put, my daughter needs to feel that Spanish is cool (yep, even at 18-months she can figure out what’s “cool” for her) and widely accepted by participating in situations where she can easily express herself while also having a blast. After all, children learn best through play–especially with other children. Parents, and “their” language, soon enough become “not cool.”
So, how to do it? What are some of those outside-the-home, cool activities in which children can engage in to stimulate language learning? Here’s our list:
1. Playgoups, Playgroups, Playgroups!
Perhaps the most important and enriching activity for both child and parent is a playgroup in the second language. Why? Because it exposes your kids to others his same age speaking his same language and gives you a chance to meet parents going through the same things you are. Plus, it’s free! Preferably, try to find a group which will commit to speaking only Spanish, or whichever language might be your case, around the kids. A good idea is to structure the playgroup to include music or storytelling in Spanish. Can’t find a playgroup in your area? Start one! You might be surprised at the response you’ll get. Very soon, Roxana will be writing about tips on how to start your own playgroup. She’ll interview a Denver mom who made it happen and now has over 40 members in her group.
2. Storytime in the Second Language
Recent research suggests that children learn more vocabulary when being read to than through normal conversation. Of course, you can read to them anytime, but you can also make it more special by incorporating it into their regular activities. Storytime allows them to interact with peers as well. Many local libraries and bookstores have storytime in Spanish, check with those in your area. If you can’t find one, call and suggest it. Libraries are always eager for volunteers, so why not volunteer to read a story to kids every other week or so? Major bookstores are also open to anything that will bring them traffic. I recently talked to the children’s section coordinator of a major bookstore chain about the possibility of starting a Spanish storytime with them and she loved the idea. Of course, I need to help spread the word and find a storyteller, but they will provide the venue, the books, art supplies for crafts and snacks.
3. Structured Language Classes
There are many music and arts classes designed especially to motivate children’s learning through interactive play. Music is an excellent way to motivate language learning as it is repetitive and a great whole-brain exercise. You can also reinforce it by playing the CDs at home and in the car.
4. Heritage Festivals in Your Area
One thing is for sure: we Latinos like to party and we have our share of festivals to prove it. Just to name a few: Cinco de Mayo, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Hispanic Heritage Month, Posadas, Carnaval, and so on. Mark the dates on your calendar and check your local listings for celebration events. This is a great way to transmit part of your cultural heritage to your child, while enriching him with new experiences. Talk to him about the foods, the beliefs, the traditions. Plan arts and crafts projects related to each festival. Feeling his second language connects him to a wider aspect of his family that will nurture his learning.
5. Travel to your Native Country
I know times are difficult and this might not be a realistic option for all of us at this time, but if you only plan one trip a year, try to make it to a country that speaks your child’s minority language–especially if there’s monolingual family to visit. Being absolutely immersed in the language will leave her no option but to speak the language and eventually boost her confidence. Travel will also broaden her horizons and give her global and cultural perspectives which are priceless.
In short, make language learning interactive and fun for both of you. Actively search or start your own activities. It will be rewarding for the two of you.
Share with us the ways you promote language learning outside the home? Have you started your own playgroup, circle or storytime? We’d love to hear about it. Let’s motivate each other through this process.
Tell us, what are your reasons for teaching your child Spanish?
Encuentra este y más de nuestros artículos favoritos en español en el blog Mamás Latinas: Hijos Bilingües en Discovery Familia.
{first image by Veronica Rose Photography }
Ok, this is not exactly “outside the home” but I find it helpful to hire childcare workers who speak Spanish to my children. Again, the more people they love who speak the language, the more they are likely to speak it.
Of course, finding good help is a challenge, but worth the effort.
These ideas are great, and we’ve used most of them when the kids were younger. But now they are in elementary school, and it’s difficult to keep language “cool’, and find the time to use it when there is so much competition from English – i.e. homework, sports teams, playdates with classmates. How do others keep the 2nd language when the kids reach elementary school and above?
@Thea-Thanks for bringing up such a great point! Any elementary school mothers out there want to share your tips? We´d LOVE to hear them.
I absolutely agree that children need to be connected with their cultural roots to learn to appreciate them. My children are Mexican, Chileian, Bolivian and Japanese. We attend events, festival, restaurants and a variety of family events where the language (spanish and english) will be the primary language that is spoken. The more exposure they have to the variety of languages the easier they grasp it.
I enjoyed this post, thank you for all the wonderful ideas. My daughter and I love our full immersion Spanish class, we like it so much that we attend twice a week! She is only 18 months, but she is sure learning quickly. I speak 100% in Spanish, we attend Spanish classes twice a week, and recently we started playing together in the computer http://www.foreignlanguagefriends.com for even more reinforcement. She cannot get enough of this site. She loves the song, animations, and games. She is able to play almost all by herself… I sure hope that she continues to show this much interest about the foreign language as she gets older.
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