Comments on: Ask an Expert: Is it too late to reinforce the minority language at home? http://spanglishbaby.com/ask-an-expert/ask-an-expert-is-it-too-late-to-reinforce-the-minority-language-at-home/ Raising bilingual and bicultural kids Thu, 26 Jul 2018 07:12:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2 By: Beth Butler http://spanglishbaby.com/ask-an-expert/ask-an-expert-is-it-too-late-to-reinforce-the-minority-language-at-home/#comment-3019 Beth Butler Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:46:07 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=6080#comment-3019 Hola/Hi Natalia and all fortunate readers of SpanglishBaby ~

Although I am not a native Spanish speaker I have so many friends who struggle with this issue of maintaining the minority language with their children (and doing so with happiness and smiles/sonrisas!). Just yesterday while shopping my neighbors daughter-in-law, who is a Latina trying to keep her two daughters speaking Spanish in a mainly English community, stopped me to say that her children love the Spanish and English in the DVD they got from my company.

She admitted how embarrassed she is that she has allowed their Spanish to slip away, and how the introduction of the Spanish back into their lives via a fun medium might be the answer!

It’s what Barbara says about not making it a battlefield – keeping it fun both in the way we as adults approach the two language home as well as how the kids get involved.

Find ways to make it fun for all of you – then it will become part of your daily routine which is key!
.-= Beth Butler´s last blog ..Music Monday Shares Boca Beth Bilingual Music Video – MTV Meets Early Childhood! =-.

]]> By: livesimplylovestrongly http://spanglishbaby.com/ask-an-expert/ask-an-expert-is-it-too-late-to-reinforce-the-minority-language-at-home/#comment-3017 livesimplylovestrongly Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:38:33 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=6080#comment-3017 I have heard now several times that it is a mistake to speak to a child one wants to be bilingual in both languages. I am not sure how I feel about that. I speak to my daughter in Spanish at home which is most of the time. When we are out and about, we speak in English. I chose this method because this is who we are and what seems to fit for us. I imagine that my family and friends would feel a little uncomfortable if I only spoke with my daughter in Spanish when I was around them. For now, it’s working great. She is picking up more Spanish, but some English as well. I would guess that my situation may be different from others though, in that my daughter spends significant time with me speaking Spanish, meaning lots of input in that language. When she gets to be school age, we will either look for a dual language program, or I may consider homeschooling a few years in order to give her a more bilingual experience. I try to give my daughter an abundance of input in both languages, and lots of opportunities to speak both languages. I guess I won’t know until later if this approach will work for us, but I can’t imagine doing it any other way.
.-= livesimplylovestrongly´s last blog ..200 Words and Analysis =-.

]]>