Teaching Yourself and Your Child a Second Language

From BilingualWiki

Contents 1 Amazing Benefits 2 Myths Surrounding Adult and Childhood Bilingualism 3 Other Parents Questions and Challenges 4 Learning Alongside your Child 5 Methods for Teaching Yourself and Your Child 6 Confronting the Challenges 7 Share Your Experiences as a... 8 References

Amazing Benefits

• Breadth of the Human Mind
• Cognitive Flexibility
  • Divergent Thinking and Learning
  • Pronunciation
  • Language Sensitivity
  • Language Storage in the Brain
  • Ability to Stay Focused
  • Cultural Understanding
  • Significant Delay of Memory Loss in Adulthood

Myths Surrounding Adult and Childhood Bilingualism

• Misinformed Responses to "I'm Teaching my Child my Second Language"
• A Myth is Grounded in the Truth
• But I'm Not a Language Person
• I Won't Have the Time
• What about Post-Partum Depression?
• My Child Will Be Confused
• But I'm Not a Native Speaker!
• My Kid's Already Too Old
• Equal Proficiency is Required in Both Languages
• Two Languages is the Limit

Other Parents Questions and Challenges

• Other Parents' Stories

Learning Alongside your Child

• Getting Mentally Prepared
  • Confidence
  • Motivation
• Methods
• Resources for Adult Learning

Methods for Teaching Yourself and Your Child

• Start with Flexible Goals
• One Parent One Language
• Customized Plans Just for You
• Learn from Other Parents
• Talk Early, Talk Often
• Relaxed but Consistent
• Books, Music, and Television
• Games
• Childcare
• Others who Speak the Language
  • Playdates
  • Overhearing Dialogue
  • Playgroups and Parties
  • Consider a foreign exchange student or foreign au pair
  • Writing to Speakers of the Other Language
• Reading and Writing
• Maintaining Language from Preschool/Elementary Classes
• Math!

ADD WEB RESOURCES

Confronting the Challenges

• Naysayers
  • Spouses and relatives
  • Friends
  • "Professionals"
• Other Parents in the Same Boat
• Motivation
  • Your Child's
  • Your Own

Share Your Experiences as a...

• Child Growing up Bilingually
• Parent-teacher
• Spouse Who Doesn't Speak the Language
• Friend or Relative Who Doesn't Speak the Language

References

1. Peter Coveney and Roger Highfield. "Frontiers of Complexity. The Search for Order in a Chaotic World," New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1995, p. 279.