Books, Music, and Television

From BilingualWiki

Books

Borrowing!

Your local library should have dual-language books which have an enormous empact on children and adults' learning of language. That means that each page tells the story in English and in the language you're teaching/learning. Even though your second language skills may be weak (or barely existent}, read them to your child. Books on tape at your library can also be wonderful. Many have music children will enjoy dancing or singing along to.

For buying books, check out...

1. The Language Lizard website. The site sells dual-language books for over 40 different languages (even Lithuanian-English and Panjabe-English!). The stories are multicultural and expose children to a wide variety of customs and ways of thinking.

If you need help deciding which books fit your child, contact the site's advisor before you buy, explaining your family's language situation and your child's interests.

This is really helpful for beginning learners because the story can be read in English first. Then at another time, read it to them in the second language. They'll already feel in the know about the gist of the story and will be ok with the few words they don't know. It's interesting to read an actual story, recorded August 6, 2007 where this was helpful to the parent and child.

2. The website, Books without Borders has books and stories with accompanying tapes and are careful to list the appropriate age of the child. The site has each book and you click on the pages to read.

3. New and used books for sale on amazon.com, searching for [http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-2039488-3608928?url=search-alias=aps