Comments on: My New Year’s Language Learning Resolution http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/01/my-new-years-language-learning-resolution/ Raising bilingual and bicultural kids Thu, 26 Jul 2018 07:12:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2 By: intensive Chinese class http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/01/my-new-years-language-learning-resolution/#comment-2399058 intensive Chinese class Mon, 29 May 2017 10:24:02 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=32214#comment-2399058 There are over a billion Mandarin Chinese speakers in China, and many more outside the country. In fact, just under a fifth of the planet speak Mandarin. After English, it’s one of the most widely spoken countries in the world – so learning Chinese is an instant entry pass into one of the biggest groups ever.

]]> By: The greatest gift http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/01/my-new-years-language-learning-resolution/#comment-458855 The greatest gift Wed, 06 Nov 2013 11:12:50 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=32214#comment-458855 [...] read the post on Spanglish Baby where one mother has made it her New Year’s resolution to learn German, one of her husband’s [...]

]]> By: Sunocean18 http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/01/my-new-years-language-learning-resolution/#comment-254993 Sunocean18 Sun, 13 Jan 2013 21:22:56 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=32214#comment-254993 Good for you! I think that is awesome. I am a native spanish speaker but now my stronger language is english. My husband speaks and write both languages very well, and he also speaks some Portuguese. He had encouraged me to learn it so that we may introduce a 3rd language, but I was lazy and said “No.” I just find myself too busy right now but maybe later on once my boys are older I will have the time.

]]> By: Stu http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/01/my-new-years-language-learning-resolution/#comment-252069 Stu Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:00:53 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=32214#comment-252069 I wish I had known about your website a few years ago. I would have connected with several like-minded folks.

My daughter is half-Brazilian, living in California, and grew up with Brazilian mother and babysitters speaking Portuguese and with myself teaching her English (and sign language). Though I speak some Portuguese, I do not speak it with her, leaving that to her mother and her mother’s Brazilian friends.

Recently I enrolled my daughter in Mandarin immersion and in some Mandarin-immersive art and dance programs for after her daytime kindergarten. I chose Mandarin instead of Spanish honestly because I figure she’ll learn Spanish easily when she gets older (Portuguese and Spanish are so close), but when I learned Mandarin as an adult, it was painstaking and, frankly, almost awful at times (in terms of demands, not the experience itself).

I have a decision to make and I have some opinions on it, but thought people here might have some thoughts that would broaden my mind and help my thinking. The question boils down to this: Brazil for the summer for her with her Brazilian family or staying here in California and continuing with Mandarin-based art and dance learning?

I am leaning toward letting her go to Brazil because she has family there and she will always have Brazilian identity. The last time she went (as a 4 year old at Christmas), she learned Portuguese really well and she discovered (based on my intuitive observations) that side of herself, her Brazilian side. Against this is not much, but still something: she would spend a summer with no Chinese right when she’s beginning to take off in the language. Also, is it a good idea to get her re-connected with her big happy Brazilian family just to pull her back to the US for school?

Do any of you have experience with yearly or semi-yearly visits to another country, say Mexico? How has it affected your child’s sense of him or herself? Did it have a positive effect on their personality? Was it tough when they were younger to get bonded with cousins and then pulled away again?.

Her mother and I are divorced and she would be with her grandparents for a month or two in summer. She’ll be 6 in April. Do you think this is too young for her to be away from home? She does know the family from her last visit.

]]> By: Beth Ortuño http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/01/my-new-years-language-learning-resolution/#comment-249944 Beth Ortuño Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:55:21 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=32214#comment-249944 Good for you Susan! And I think you have really hit on something. Being a living example is the most powerful thing we can do to lead our kids the direction we’d like them to go. Have you noticed to really check out the children’s book section of any library it seems like you always ending up sitting on the floor in front of the shelf? (After all, it’s designed for that height.) And anytime you get down there on their level the little ones are instantly at your shoulder wanting to know what you are doing…
As non-native speaker of the languages we are trying to speak in our house, I’m a big, big fan of reading kid’s books out loud. It really does help me especially as the kid gets into more complicated books. Every pronunciation challenge I work through just demonstrates to my little one that the best way to get more comfortable using the language is to simply to keep at it.

]]> By: Susan http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/01/my-new-years-language-learning-resolution/#comment-249878 Susan Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:00:53 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=32214#comment-249878 –These are the ones on my I-pad:
Mind Snacks Spanish
Qué Onda
Basic Spanish
abc mágico
Ana Lomba—La Gallina Roja
Snakestein’s Reading Game Lite
Spanish Word Wizard (more advanced; hangman in Spanish)
Lectura Mágica Spanish Reading Magic (a favorite of mine)
Talking Pocoyo
Pocoyo Duck Stuck
La Niña y su farol
Lingu Pinguin
Luca Pestañas
Dikie & Dukie Matematicas (a favorite of mine)
Dikie & Dukie Leer (a favorite of mine)
7 palabritas (challenging, for older children, adults)
Recommended by a conference that I attended
–Flow free
–sock puppets (make puppet shows in Spanish)
–Cramberry (flashcards)
–Flashcards + (flashcards can be made with pictures)

]]> By: Roxana A. Soto http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/01/my-new-years-language-learning-resolution/#comment-249845 Roxana A. Soto Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:07:24 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=32214#comment-249845 Hi Kelley! I’m sure Susan can recommend a few, but in the meantime, you can also check the whole sections we have dedicated to educational apps in Spanish. Here’s the link: http://spanglishbaby.com/find-category/educational-apps/

I’m sure you’ll find some really good ones in there!

]]> By: Kelley http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/01/my-new-years-language-learning-resolution/#comment-249766 Kelley Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:23:48 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=32214#comment-249766 Hi Susan, What Spanish apps do you recommend for the ipad? I have some apps already, but am always looking for more and better ones — especially ones that the kids will really enjoy. Thanks!

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