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How important is it to you that your dc learn a foreign language in elementary school? For me it's really critical and I just can't believe how many private schools don't introduce from the get go. It is so much easier to acquire languages in the early years.
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It was extremely important to me and I knew I could not rely on the school to do it. Honestly, even schools that introduce language early, don't do it with enough frequency to acquire any actual knowledge. I hired a Spanish speaking only caregiver and all 3 of my dc are fairly fluent in Spanish (I don't speak a word).
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That's awesome. I hope to do this as well. I'm glad to hear that it worked for your family.
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When your caregiver isn't around, do the kids initiate conversations amongst themselves in Spanish? Does the caregiver speak Spanish with them when out and about (like activity drop off) or just when alone with them? Do you have books and movies and toys in Spanish?
[ Reply | Options ]No, they don't speak in Spanish unless they "have" to. My oldest is 9yo and has the most natural language ability. She speaks Spanish voluntarily at times. But for my 7yo, I have to make sure his nanny speaks ONLY spanish or he always defaults to English. The rule for nanny is ONLY spanish at all times even if I'm around. Her English is poor which I had to do to make sure the kids speak Spanish. Yes, lots of books in Spanish. Movies and music when #1 was young, but now they won't listen to those much. That's why it's a real challenge and has required a strong committment from us as parenst because the kids do fight it at times.
[ Reply | Options ]^sorry, but for books they don't read in Spanish alone. Nanny reads to toddler in Spanish lots. #1 can read/write some Spanish, but #2 not so much. Mostly verbal fluency. They get Spanish classes in school, but they help only a little.
[ Reply | Options ]Good info, thanks. How are you reinforcing the reading/writing (or do you plan for them to learn to speak at home and then do writing later in school)? My experience with kids who speak a different language at home is that they don't know anything about writing and spelling in that language. Sorry for all the questions.
[ Reply | Options ]We used to do a lot of reading and writing, but it just became too difficult to do it well. So I decided to focus on the verbal as it was too much of a burden for my nanny to manage the more advanced teaching. I looked into tutors or classe, but they were simply too expensive. They do see and read basic written Spanish in school classes and when they read to younger sib at night, but I can't do more than that now. Wish I could.
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the only schools with good lower school language programs are UNIS and the Lycee.
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I think there is a value in an immersion type of program. But the reality is that unless it's a bilingual school, the programs are exposure only, which does not lead to the acquisition of the language.
[ Reply | Options ]I started french in 3rd grade with a book/record combination (waaay back). I loved playing the record and reading the stories. By 7th was advanced, by 10th grade reading camus, sartre etc in original subjunctive french. To this day, with all the other brain cells evacuating my brain, somehow I still remember most of my french.
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I am bilingual and my dd is not. It's not a big deal. Kids can learn a second language whenever. Unless they can really do immersion, one hour a day or a week is not gonna do much, imo. It might make you feel good, but you can't really learn that much or even develop ears for it unless you do immersion.
[ Reply | Options ]You may not think it's a big deal now, but DC might in 20 years. It's much easier to learn a 2nd language as a DC that it is to try and learn it as a teenager or an adult and learning two languages as a DC makes it easier to learn other languages as an adult. Two of my closest friends were raised by bilingual parents and didn't learn Spanish as DCs - as adults they really regret not learning it better - they understand what is said to them, but they cannot speak much Spanish at all. My Mom feels the same way - her father spoke 5 languages (Yiddish, Hebrew, Polish and Russian learned as a boy, English when he moved to the US at 22) - she never learned any of them. One hr a week will not help, but insisting on speaking the non-English language at home will.
[ Reply | Options ]I agree. It is SO much easier for kids to learn. I wish my parents had raised us bilingual or hired bilingual caregivers. That is what I plan to do with my kids. My uncle married a woman who is from another country and fluent in the language. She speaks it constantly with her siblings and parents but only occasionally with her boys. They, therefore, don't know much of the language at all. What a shame - especially since she was a SAHM and could have been speaking it to them all day.
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np: Although there is SOME debate, it is generally accepted that language acquisition is affected by age for the vast majority of people. Some have an innate ability to acquire language at any age, but for most of us it is much easier to learn a language before 6yo and the ability to speak with a native accent quite difficult if learned after 12yo. There are also lots of interesting studies to support tons of advantages in bilingual vs monolingual young children including possibly higher IQ - still tons of room for research but all signs point to earlier is better for 2nd language. I do agree that immersion is key, however.
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It is extremely important to me. While studying abroad I realized just how much English is taught in other countries (about 8 hrs/week in South America) compared to schools in the U.S. We are considering LFNY or La Scuola d'Italia for this very reason. I just don't feel that a few classes a week to learn numbers and colors is adequate.
[ Reply | Options ]ITA. First language was Mandarin, then English, I studied Latin for 6 years, then German in college. To this day I can get us around in Germany with a little brush up, China too (I doubt ancient Rome though). DH who studied French and German extensively into graduate school can't string together a sentence, he's hard wired into speaking and thinking in just English.
[ Reply | Options ]Small children can learn up to 3 different language at the same time and learn them perfectly as if they were their mother tongue. So, an Au pair from overseas is the way to go for you. She can introduce another language to your kids and they won't have a problem picking it up as long as she is being consistent in speaking it with them. If you'd like help with pre-screening and the whole matching process, have a look at "Au pair Selection Advice". A comprehensive website for 'everything au pair'.
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