Is it too late to start German again?

I received this message through my Squidoo lens:

Ich habe zwei Kinder, P wird 6 im October und G. wird 3 im July. Ich habe nur Deutsch gesprochen mit P bis sie fast 3 Jahre alt war. Sie hat alles verstanden. Dann wurde es schwieriger mit Preschool, mein Mann ist Amerikaner, etc. G hat nur letztes Jahr in Deutschland deutsch gehoert. Ist es zu spaet wieder mit Deutsch reden anzufangen. Ich halte mich zurueck damit, weil ich angst habe dass sie mich nicht verstehen und es zu viel fuer sie wird!!?? Ich haette nie gedacht, dass ich NICHT Deutsch mit meinen Kindern reden wuerde. Aber es scheint einfach einfacher zu sein. Help :-(

(translation)

I have 2 children - P will be 6 in October and G will be 3 in July. I spoke only German with P until she was about 3 years old. She understood everything. Then it became harder with preschool and my husband is American, etc. G has only heard German in Germany last year. Is it too late to start speaking German again? I hesitate because I am worried that they won't understand me and that it will be too much for them!!?? I never thought that I would NOT speak German with my children. But it just seemed like it would be easier. Help :(

I can totally relate to your question. It is really hard to resist the forces of English! Speaking a foreign language comes naturally to some people, but I still find it a huge challenge to keep up given all the other things we have going on in life (school, sports, activities, etc.) But you have a huge advantage - your daughter has already had 3 years of German from you! That German knowledge is still with her and she will catch on very quickly. Your son is young and will probably pick things up quickly as well, especially if his sister is enthusiastic.

I spoke German with my oldest, NJ, until he was about 3, then stopped almost completely for about a year for similar reasons. When his little brother, ML, was born, I started speaking German again - I have this thing that I always speak German to babies, even babies that aren't mine :) It's a habit. So I spoke German to ML and English with NJ. This went on for about 2 years and then the German faded into the background until baby #3, JP, arrived. Now I've been speaking German with JP and a mix of English and German with the two older boys. But guess what? Everyone understands what I'm saying to JP since they've heard bits and pieces of it and because they had it themselves for a couple years.

Say things twice
In the beginning, they won't understand you; that's ok. You can say things in English and repeat yourself in German. After a while, the kids will get used to it and it won't seem odd to be constantly repeating yourself (trust me - I do this a lot!). Then you can switch to using German first and repeating in English where they need you to. With kids this age, I spend little to no time formally teaching. I just let them absorb throughout the day. This method is a lot easier - no preparation needed! - and mimics natural language acquisition. You can even do this with books - translate German books into English where needed as you read and English books into German.

Keep it fun
I think the key for you will be to offer German in a non-threatening and low-stress way. It should be light and fun. Music is a great ice-breaker for this kind of thing. We play CDs in the car and the kids hear them over and over. They don't expect to understand everything but they recognize the songs and now they are starting to ask me what specific words mean. Sometimes we stop a song and I'll tell them the words and tell them what they mean. I always keep my explanations ultra-short so they don't feel like it's an actual lesson. Teach them a few nursery rhymes (Alle meine Entchen) and then sing them wrong (schwimmen in dem Wohnzimmer) - the kids will think it's hilarious.

Pick a "German" time
Instead of going cold-turkey and trying to speak German all day long, pick a specific time of the day and try and use German then. You can have German breakfast or German bathtime or speak German when you're baking cookies (lecker!). Your kids will have focused exposure to a subset of vocabulary instead of having to deal with the entire language all at once. You won't get burned out if you can commit to just a small amount of time each day.

Is it too much?
I think if it's incorporated into the day in a relaxed way, it's not too much for kids. They are absorbing things all day long; they are learning machines! I'm not saying it won't be challenging - it certainly will; but if you can make a plan and start slow, you will see results.

I hope this helps a bit. In a future post, I'll talk about complaints and objections ("Mom, I don't know what you're saying!") Please let us know how it goes!

- Sarah

Pixi Wissen - Packed with Info

I was so excited to learn about the new series of Pixi books, Pixi Wissen (Wissen means knowledge). We love the Pixi format - pocket-sized books with full length stories. I keep several in my purse for entertainment when we're stuck waiting somewhere. Think long car rides and doctor's waiting rooms. Now we can enjoy non-fiction Pixis as well. I have ordered 3 titles to start - Pferde und Ponys (Horses and Ponies), Das Meer (The Ocean) and Die Erde (The Earth).

The books provide information like "Wie groß werden Pferde?" (How big do horses get?), a page on prehistoric horses and horses in mythology. Also included are puzzles, a maze, a quiz, and a glossary. Each book has about 30 pages packed with pictures and short facts. Here's a sample page:



The Pixi Wissen series is best for kids with intermediate to advanced German knowledge, although beginners will enjoy browsing through just for the pictures.

At $4.50, these books are a great deal!

Another Fingerspiel

Meine Hände sind verschwunden
habe keine Hände mehr.
Seht da sind die Hände weider,
Tralalalalalala.

(sung to the tune of Kommt ein Vogel geflogen)

Movement
Hide your hands behind your back. When you come to "Seht da sind die Hände,"
bring them forward and wiggle your fingers.

- From Fingerspiele

We have a new look!

Please stop by and see our new website! Let me know what you think! Easier checkout, a new wishlist feature, and much more.

Viele Grüße
Sarah

P.S. If you have Alphabet Points from the old site, send me a note when you order and I'll credit them.

Non-native Accents

We are preparing to sell our piano and so we had it tuned today. No one in the house has played the piano since I stopped taking lessons almost 20 years ago. It just so happened that the piano tuner is a native German. What a small world! She casually paid me the highest compliment -- she said I sounded like a native speaker. Oh wonderful day! When I was studying in Munich, this was a real badge of honor for us students - we were always hoping to be mistaken for native Germans as a sign of our excellent linguistic abilities. I don't think anyone was completely fooled by my accent LOL, but perhaps I could pass for some other nationality.

This leads me to think about what kind of accents my kids will develop. Their German exposure is native from my husband as well as my pretty good accent. They also hear native speakers in German music and on DVDs. They have a really hard time understanding our Oma and Opa, though (from the Black Forest). I, too, didn't understand much of my in-laws initially but have since adjusted to their version of German with it's Badisch bent.

My oldest son has a beautiful accent - he seems to have a real talent for languages. My four year old, however, has the funniest way of speaking. It's not so much an American accent, but it's not quite German either. I guess it will work itself out in time.

I think the key for me was the total immersion in native German I had while learning. (I didn't start studying German until college so I'm proof that you never are too old to learn!) Most of us won't be able to provide total immersion for our kids, at least not most of the time. That's when it's critical to find other ways to provide native German for your kids, either from native speakers or also from CDs and DVDs. My kids listen to the same stories over and over, and easily pick up words and phrases, intonation and all, and so this can be a great way to reinforce a good accent.

So now we have a tuned piano and we had a nice visit with a lovely piano tuner. After hearing her play, I am longing to play the piano again! Maybe we won't put it up for sale just yet :)

What she said...

I love Corey's take on bilingualism.

Watching German DVDs

German movies and TV shows are a wonderful way to increase the amount of German input your children receive. One of the most frequent questions I get from people is how to watch German DVDs.

Multi-Region Required
First, you must be aware that most (95%?) of all German DVDs require a multi-region DVD player. (For more technical information on all this multi-region stuff, see DVD Regions Explained) The good news is that you may be able to convert your own player to multi-region, if you don't mind a little research. Videohelp.com has "hacks" or instructions for many DVD players on how to "unlock" the multi-region capability for your DVD player. It all depends on the player - some are easy to do, some are harder, and some can't be changed.

If you don't want to update your own player, maybe your computer can play the DVDs! Most computer DVD players will play Region 2 (which is Europe) DVDs. The catch is that you have to switch between regions when you play different DVDs and the number of times you may switch is limited. This isn't a problem if you designate the computer as German (Region2) only. If you still want to be able to switch without limitation, you can install software which will bypass the region setting entirely. I use VideoLan for this purpose. It's not super-intuitive to use but it does the job.

In case none of the above options works for you, I do sell a multi-region DVD player on my website.

So grab some German episodes of Sendung mit der Maus, Biene Maja, Harry Potter and the like and have fun! It's an easy way to increase German exposure in your home.

Suggestions for Adult Learners

I frequently hear from adults who are learning German and are looking to use children's books as an addition to their studies. What a great idea! Children's books can be quite simple and are often more interesting and more affordable than materials written for German as a foreign language (DaF). Here are some suggestions for adults learning German.

Ich
A wonderful little book for people of all ages - simple and thoughtful, funny and sweet. An excerpt: Ich erfreue mich an den kleinen Dingen des Lebens... und natürlich auch an den großen.


See you - im nächsten Sommer. A German - English story
(Not very simple but the switching between German and English might make it possible for you to follow the story and it would be more interesting than a much simpler book. There are also 2 other books in this genre.

Bobo Siebenschläfer
Very simple stories written for toddlers. A good way to pick up everyday vocabulary. Sample pages on the website.

German Reader Set Level 1 (3 Books)
Books for beginning readers - these are fairly simple and would offer good practice.

Leseleuchte Winnie Puuh. Alles macht Musik. Level 1
A simple storybook

Free Downloads for Preschoolers

Carlsen Verlag has coloring pages, puzzles, and other easy-to-do projects. Viel Spaß beim Basteln!

Multilingual Living Magazine

The latest issue of Multilingual Living Magazine is available online, including the first few pages for free.


Some of the articles:

• The multiple benefits of multilingualism! You won't believe how many benefits there are!
• Balanced multilingual? Is it possible? Is it something to strive toward?
• Dual language program - Find out how you can start your own or at least help your school district get one going.
• A grandmother's perspective - what one grandmother of trilinguals has to say about raising children in more than one language.
  

Visit the Bilingual / Bicultural Family Network today for this inspiring magazine as well as a host of other resources for bilingual families.

OPOL4US: 7 Language Strategies

A nice, in-depth discussion on language strategies used by bilingual families. Even though there aren't that many different permutations of language use for bilingual families, I always like to hear how others work it out.

Visit OPOL4US

Hummel im Hintern?

Er hat Hummeln im Hintern. = He's got ants in his pants


This is a new one for me :) This and other important facts about animal sounds in German are available from German.About.com's Tierlexikon

Speaking German as a second language with your kids

I've just published a lens on Squidoo called "Speaking German as a second language with your kids." Lots of information for beginning bilingual families including the basics, myths on bilingualism and links to many resources.

Squidoo is a place for people to share their knowledge and passions with the world. What an excellent resource! If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the challenges of raising bilingual kids, I encourage you to check out my lens.

Ein kleines Fingerspiel

Zwei Zappelmänner

Zwei Zappelmänner

aus dem Sack!

Der eine heißt Schnick,

der andre heißt Schnack.

Schnick hat 'ne Mütze

und Schnack hat 'nen Hut,

und alle beide vertragen sich gut!

Hand movements: Hold the fists together, with thumbs hidden. At "aus dem Sack" the thumbs come out of their hiding place and are stretched up in the air. Then first the left thumb (Schnick) and then the right thumb (Schnack) bow to each other. Then, alternately wiggle the thumbs. Finally the thumbs touch each other gently. This game is also good with painted fingernails or little finger puppets.

This game comes from Fingerspiele, Klassiker und neue Ideen für Babys und Kleinkinder (the translation is mine). Viel Spaß beim Spielen!

Learning about Emotions

Being the mom of a kid with Asperger's syndrome and sensory integration dysfunction, I am always on the look-out for ways to discuss emotions and how to deal with them with my son. Asperger kids often have a low tolerance for frustration and a tendency toward perfectionism. His feelings frequently get the better of my son and using lots of stories and role-playing help him practice appropriate responses when he is unhappy, agitated, or just plain mad. The book, Ich und meine Gefühle, is a great resource for this topic.



The book reads:

Wenn ich traurig bin, muss ich manchmal weinen.
When I'm sad, sometimes I cry.

Wenn ich meine Gefühle kenne, kann ich oft auch die Gefühle von anderen verstehen. Es ist schön, zu spüren, dass ich anderen helfen kann.
When I know my own feelings, I can often understand the feelings of others. It is nice to know, that I can help others.

The book has a dynamic flow to it - large, vivid illustrations and short statements on each page. It might be a good book to read only a few pages at a time, allowing the child to discuss and digest the message of the book. All of us struggle with difficult emotions at times and reflecting on them can help us to master them instead of them mastering us. Every kid can benefit from discussion about feelings.

My special kid has come a long way since I first wrote about some of his unique challenges. This book will be an aid for him as he continues on the path to adulthood.

Ich und meine Gefühle. Emotionale Entwicklung für Kinder ab 5 from Alphabet Garten

A read-along adventure: Winnie Puuh

A story of a rainy, windy day in the Hundred Acre Wood where Puuh and Ferkel (Piglet) are blown about by gusty breezes and Puuh rescues Ferkel from a flood.


The pace and length of this story is just right for my 4 year old - a few sentences per page with accompanying sound effects and different voices for the characters. The page-turn signal allows him to listen without assistance from me and he can listen to the whole book in under 10 minutes. We particularly like the sweetly classic Pooh illustrations and gentle colors.

Winnie Puuh und das Hundewetter (storybook with audio-CD) from Alphabet Garten

New Titles in the Baby Boardbook Set

I'm very excited to announce the new titles in the Baby Boardbook set. With this collection, you receive Im Kindergarten, Auf dem Spielplatz (At the Playground), Bei uns Zuhause (At our House), and Beim Einkaufen (Going Shopping). The books are a bit bigger this time, 7 inches square, with lots of detail to look at in each double-page spread. The sturdy boardbook pages will withstand much loving from their readers!

This set is one of the top 5 items in the store - it's great for kids ages 1-4. If you don't speak German, you will find this is an easy choice for a gift - a great collection all ready to go.

Zum Geburtstag, viel Glück...!

My baby is 1 year old today! With 2 big brothers, he certainly doesn't need any toys or clothes. In fact, we have been trying to weed out all the extra stuff in the house. So I had no problem turning to my favorite indulgence, books! Or specifically, Bücher! And there was so much to choose from!

Have you seen Groß und Kleine - Wilde Tiere? It is the cutest book - perfect for my little guy who expects a book to have more than a story - it needs to do something. This book has a large puzzle piece with a wild animal baby on every other page and a picture of the baby and it's mama on the opposite side. The book is about 5 inches square, a bit on the chunky side, perfect for little hands and the boardbook pages are extra-thick and durable. I recommend loosening the pieces before giving it to the anxious recipient.

The new Max und Mini series is also a big hit - cut-outs in every page let you peek through to the next page. J is enjoying Max und Mini lernen die Gegensätze (opposites).

This last book isn't really for babies but the story is so sweet, that I decided to add it to our collection anyway. J has just started sitting still for short books so we'll work up to this one - Das kleine Blau und das kleine Gelb. In this story in verse, das kleine Blau (blue) and Gelb (yellow) play together and get all mixed up when they discover they can make green! When they go home, their parents don't recognize them until they separate again. With only a line or two on each page and large text, this is a great book for beginning readers. A fun way to talk about colors and friendship.

An excerpt:

Doch in der Schule, wie man sieht,
Sitzt alles brav in Reih und
Glied.

Kaum aber ist die Schule aus,
Geht's wie der Wirbelwind nach
Haus.

Happy Birthday, J!

Review: Geschichten vom Fussballplatz

Four short stories about Ole and his soccer team aimed at beginning readers. The stories are interesting, employing soccer specific vocabulary that will keep your young sports fan engaged and challenged. With pictures replacing main words in the text, and a glossary at the end of each story, it is a good way to introduce new vocabulary and longer words that might discourage a beginning reader. Part of the first level of the Loewe Reading l Ladder series, this Bildermaus book is targeted to beginning readers age 5 and above.

Geschichten vom Fussballplatz $14.20

Review: Kunterbunte 1-2-3 Minutengeschichten

A collection of 100 poems and short stories to entertain your little ones or challenge your more experienced readers. With so many choices, you are sure to find some favorite themes, and at only 1-3 minutes long, there is always time to read “just one more”.

Kunterbunte 1-2-3-Minutengeschichten

-- Hardcover: $30.95

-- CD $27.54