Comments on: The Symbolic Role of Language in our Life: Is it Innate? http://spanglishbaby.com/2011/10/the-symbolic-role-of-language-in-our-life-is-it-innate/ Raising bilingual and bicultural kids Thu, 26 Jul 2018 07:12:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2 By: Andrew Weiler http://spanglishbaby.com/2011/10/the-symbolic-role-of-language-in-our-life-is-it-innate/#comment-226926 Andrew Weiler Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:28:58 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=15997#comment-226926 Oh yes as far as bilingualism is concerned. If you can adopt this following suggestion, I think it gives the best possible chance for strength in 2 languages to develop. have alternate days where wither 1 language or the other is used. On the day of L1, only that is is used – using L2 too will actually weaken the development of L1 and encourages translation. Translation being a tool that has its uses but not for the development of bilingualism. Infants show us that we are able to learn languages without translation and for that matter, explanation. Best not interfere with the enormous learning powers kids have. Hope that helps. Interested to hear how you go with it, if you try it.

]]> By: Andrew Weiler http://spanglishbaby.com/2011/10/the-symbolic-role-of-language-in-our-life-is-it-innate/#comment-226854 Andrew Weiler Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:52:49 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=15997#comment-226854 Interesting post and I do agree there has been that distinction made between learning and acquiring languages however I believe it is a confusing one. The reality is that babies are born with VERY few instincts like animals who are born with quite a few. Instincts preclude the need to learn that behaviour..so really it is like embedded learning. Something as complex as language could never be regarded as an instinct I believe. What we as humans do have is an AMAZING in built mechanism designed to learn. Babies cannot talk about their experiences or reflect on them as we do, but it does not mean they are not learning in a very similar way to how we are.
Just look at a baby and you will see an amazing being, living in pure awareness, untrammelled by the beliefs, the doubts the shoulds that we as adult sometimes labour under. Awareness is at the heart of learning. Without it we can learn nothing. Of course there are other elements to learning…but that is where it starts for babies. With adults the beginning is usually with need or desire which then triggers our awareness, etc.
As far as babies are concerned, the best thing we can do is love them ( is there an option! :-) ) and not interfere with who they are becoming, more than we need to. And they will learn everything they need to for their journey in this life.

]]> By: suzanne mateus http://spanglishbaby.com/2011/10/the-symbolic-role-of-language-in-our-life-is-it-innate/#comment-43069 suzanne mateus Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:45:37 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=15997#comment-43069 Thanks, Ana! They consistency it key—we shall see. Thanks for sharing your post. Ill have to go check it out ;)

]]> By: suzanne mateus http://spanglishbaby.com/2011/10/the-symbolic-role-of-language-in-our-life-is-it-innate/#comment-43068 suzanne mateus Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:44:41 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=15997#comment-43068 Hi Ana,

That is great that your kids got into an immersion school! My baby goes 2 mornings a week to a Spanish immersion school. My husband and I speak in Spanish to her, BUT speak to each other in English. It’s been really hard to change the language we have been using with one another since the day we met. I think she will still end up bilingual though AND yea I think she will end up speaking a lot of English too because we live in the US—its the language of power.

]]> By: Ana Lomba http://spanglishbaby.com/2011/10/the-symbolic-role-of-language-in-our-life-is-it-innate/#comment-43052 Ana Lomba Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:26:22 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=15997#comment-43052 Great post! I think it is time to reflect on the practices that we use to introduce our children to languages. Depending on what we do, we may or may not get where we intended to.

Here is a blog I wrote on the topic of flashcards/flashcard-style practices: “Are You Raising a Bilingual Genius or a Bilingual Dummy?”
http://www.analomba.com/anas-blog/are-you-raising-a-bilingual-genius-or-a-bilingual-dummy/
I’d love to hear your comments.
Best,
Ana Lomba

]]> By: AnaGloria http://spanglishbaby.com/2011/10/the-symbolic-role-of-language-in-our-life-is-it-innate/#comment-42947 AnaGloria Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:45:21 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=15997#comment-42947 I believe my children are are acquiring both English and Spanish simultaneously using OPOL. I only speak Spanish to them always and their Dad speaks English, plus we live in the USA and they went to an English-speaking preschool. Now they are in an Immersion school, but since not all of the other kids are bilingual, my kids still end up communicating a lot in English at school. At least the teachers only speak Spanish to them as that is the language of the classroom.
I agree that context has a big influence and that is one reason I started my Bilingual Tots Meetup, so that we would have a Spanish speaking environment with friends doing fun stuff.

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