Have you ever noticed how kids can pick up lines from their favorite TV shows and recite them verbatim at exactly the perfect time in a conversation? Sometimes I may not even realize my kids are quoting from a show until later. They are able to do it with such finesse. They absorb the words, phrases, timing and rhythm of these little bits and pieces and store them away for future use.
You may not want to go around quoting TV shows, but did you know that you can use this same strategy to improve your own German?
Learning more German is high on the list for many parents who are teaching German to their kids, even though they aren't fluent themselves.
They are often frustrated when they want to say something that they don't have the knowledge for. Or they can't get the words to come quickly enough. They may not always be able to spend time in personal study. What I tell them is that they can take advantage of a regular German lesson every day, all for the price of reading a book to their child.
Simply reading German books every day with your kids can bring you a surprising effect on your own German fluency.
When you read a German children's book, you get to enter the mind of the author. You have access to her favorite words and phrases, her sense of timing, her style with grammar and sentence structure. As her words are spoken by you, you internalize her style, little by little. You start to take ownership of the words used in the story. It’s almost like you have a tape recorder in your brain which will offer up these “taped” words later when you need them.
Of course all this happens auf Deutsch. So you’re reading, hearing, pronouncing, and absorbing high quality German language (assuming you’ve chosen quality stories). You may find yourself using a phrase later on in the day. Or you'll learn a new word just by hearing it in the context of the story.
Reading is easier than having a conversation.
When you read, you don't have to formulate the sentences yourself. As you read, your brain receives practice speaking German more quickly and with less effort than when you speak spontaneously. If you’re not fluent, you may find it difficult to express yourself or keep up with a more accomplished speaker. When reading you don’t have to retrieve the right words, worry about gender and case, etc. With a book, you can just focus on the story. Your mind gets a bit of a break from the hard work and gets to enjoy some excellent German.
You’re not the only one who benefits from a daily reading session.
Of course your child is getting the same benefits you are. Your child is absorbing German sentence structure, style, rules about gender and case, all wrapped up in the pretty package of a good story. What a fantastic and fun way to learn!
Why is it important for parents to read books to their kids daily?
Daily reading is important for so many reasons, but in the context of this article, the regular practice is key for you (and your child) to maintain the progress you’ve made and keep moving forward. You’ll need to see a new word several times before your brain can easily remember the word, know how to use it, what gender it is, etc. If you don’t read every day, you lose momentum and your progress will suffer.
What should I read?
What you read is not as important as how regularly you read and picking something enjoyable for your child to hear. Pick books on your child’s favorite topics or look for popular stories for your child’s age. Make sure to tailor your pace [liNK] so that your child gets the maximum benefit from the reading session.
What if I don't understand everything we're reading?
Keep going anyway. Just as your child doesn’t have to understand every word of a conversation to know what’s going on, so too, you don’t have to understand every word in a sentence to follow the story. If you must, keep a piece of paper handy to jot down any unfamiliar words so you can look them up later. But don’t stop to look anything up at this point. Stopping during a story will interfere with your momentum and get you out of the groove.
What if my child wants books that are too easy for me? Will I still benefit from them?
Your child may want to hear Augen zu, kleiner Tiger for the 17th time – that’s OK. You’ll probably still find something in the story you hadn’t noticed before. As your child grows, he’ll want longer and more complicated books and your skills will be more challenged by his needs.
Conclusion
Take advantage of your mind’s ability to “record” the books you read aloud. Your read-aloud times with your kids will do double-duty as quality time and German lessons. Then you, too, can quote from the books you read and become a more accomplished German speaker.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Why the confidence wave is so important to bilingual kids.
My middle son, Max, is a bit of a perfectionist. Some things come very easy to him and consequently, when he doesn't get something right the first time, he collapses into a puddle of frustration. It was like this when he was learning to ride his bike and like this when he is practicing math facts (his choice - Max loves math problems - weird for a 5 year old, isn't it?!) Anyway, we're working to dispel his perfectionist tendencies and encourage a bit more perseverance. However, I've also realized he has a confidence problem.
You'd think a perfectionist would have all the confidence in the world.
But some young perfectionists don't get much practice working hard at things. They may subconsciously stick to their comfort zones. If everything is easy, they don't know what to do when something turns up that challenges them, as it inevitably will.
Confidence can also be a big issue with kids learning German.
Learning a second language can be a source of frustration for some kids. If they are new to the language or if they aren't exposed to a lot of German, they may feel insecure or hesitant to use what they do know. Perhaps they were criticized or embarrassed by a particular mistake they made. Even well-meaning criticism can be hurtful at times. Confidence can also wax and wane from day to day.
Once a child's confidence is damaged, he may find it harder and harder to keep learning.
When my son is having a low-confidence moment (aka meltdown), there's nothing I can do to help him continue learning the skill at hand. I just have to wait it out and see if he recovers and wants to keep going. Your child may not get all the way to a meltdown, but you may see other signs of low confidence - a hesitancy to speak German around others, or complaining that the German books you're reading are too hard, although they were fine the day before. The child may resist going to German class or talking on the phone with Oma. You may notice he's not increasing his vocabulary or improving his accent at the same rate as before.
The chicken or the egg?
Which comes first? The low confidence or the struggle to learn? Well, one will certainly trigger the other and it doesn't really matter which comes first. The important point is to recognize that it will be more difficult to learn when you're struggling with confidence. This is the important time not to give up on the study. Things will eventually get easier again and confidence will improve.
Why is confidence so key? What about talent?
Think about a time when you had a major accomplishment. For the rest of your day, didn't everything else you did seem effortless? Didn't you feel talented? This is because your confidence was sky-high as a result of your accomplishment. You then were able to approach other tasks with the feeling that nothing could stop you. And nothing did. You were riding the confidence wave.
Talent is overrated.
When you're riding the wave, minor setbacks are no big deal and you navigate through them without batting an eye. You aren't suddenly a more talented cook, parent, or German speaker. It's the confidence wave, not some intrinsic talent. Eventually the wave comes back to shore and you are just you again; not superhuman any more.
My son does have a bit of an aptitude for numbers. But it's his confidence that will make or break him when it comes to mathematic accomplishments. If he doesn't learn to work through periods of low confidence, he will probably decide that he's no good at math and it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Similarly, a child who is "talented" with languages but experiences great frustration and low confidence won't progress nearly as far as one who is "not" talented, but who works steadily to improve.
So we now know that building confidence is critical. But how do I do that?
1. Recognize a confidence problem when you see it.
2. Be a good model - show your kids it's OK to make mistakes. Be willing to laugh at yourself when you do something wrong.
3. Pick one specific thing your child does well and praise him for it. Watch him glow with pride and see his internal confidence meter rise.
4. If he's sensitive, find gentle ways to correct his errors. Don't criticize him in front of others. Help him work on his accent if it's a source of embarrassment for him. Make sure that he feels safe speaking German and making mistakes. If he never makes any mistakes, he's not getting out of his comfort zone.
5. Let your child overhear you bragging about his latest German advance. Kids just love this!
6. Make sure German in your house is low pressure and fun. Nobody's perfect and your child shouldn't expect perfection from himself.
Summary
Once you understand the importance of confidence related to learning, you will find all kinds of applications for this knowledge. You can't always keep your child's confidence high. More important is for him to know that a time of low confidence is only temporary and doesn't mean he's lost his knack. Help him to keep working and rebuild his confidence and you'll see the results in improved German.
I'm reminding Max of times when he did work hard at something and persevered. His big brother went through a similar phase and is now more willing to work through a problem rather than give up. I'm hoping the same change is on the horizon for Max and he can start to ride the confidence wave once more.
You'd think a perfectionist would have all the confidence in the world.
But some young perfectionists don't get much practice working hard at things. They may subconsciously stick to their comfort zones. If everything is easy, they don't know what to do when something turns up that challenges them, as it inevitably will.
Confidence can also be a big issue with kids learning German.
Learning a second language can be a source of frustration for some kids. If they are new to the language or if they aren't exposed to a lot of German, they may feel insecure or hesitant to use what they do know. Perhaps they were criticized or embarrassed by a particular mistake they made. Even well-meaning criticism can be hurtful at times. Confidence can also wax and wane from day to day.
Once a child's confidence is damaged, he may find it harder and harder to keep learning.
When my son is having a low-confidence moment (aka meltdown), there's nothing I can do to help him continue learning the skill at hand. I just have to wait it out and see if he recovers and wants to keep going. Your child may not get all the way to a meltdown, but you may see other signs of low confidence - a hesitancy to speak German around others, or complaining that the German books you're reading are too hard, although they were fine the day before. The child may resist going to German class or talking on the phone with Oma. You may notice he's not increasing his vocabulary or improving his accent at the same rate as before.
The chicken or the egg?
Which comes first? The low confidence or the struggle to learn? Well, one will certainly trigger the other and it doesn't really matter which comes first. The important point is to recognize that it will be more difficult to learn when you're struggling with confidence. This is the important time not to give up on the study. Things will eventually get easier again and confidence will improve.
Why is confidence so key? What about talent?
Think about a time when you had a major accomplishment. For the rest of your day, didn't everything else you did seem effortless? Didn't you feel talented? This is because your confidence was sky-high as a result of your accomplishment. You then were able to approach other tasks with the feeling that nothing could stop you. And nothing did. You were riding the confidence wave.
Talent is overrated.
When you're riding the wave, minor setbacks are no big deal and you navigate through them without batting an eye. You aren't suddenly a more talented cook, parent, or German speaker. It's the confidence wave, not some intrinsic talent. Eventually the wave comes back to shore and you are just you again; not superhuman any more.
My son does have a bit of an aptitude for numbers. But it's his confidence that will make or break him when it comes to mathematic accomplishments. If he doesn't learn to work through periods of low confidence, he will probably decide that he's no good at math and it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Similarly, a child who is "talented" with languages but experiences great frustration and low confidence won't progress nearly as far as one who is "not" talented, but who works steadily to improve.
So we now know that building confidence is critical. But how do I do that?
1. Recognize a confidence problem when you see it.
2. Be a good model - show your kids it's OK to make mistakes. Be willing to laugh at yourself when you do something wrong.
3. Pick one specific thing your child does well and praise him for it. Watch him glow with pride and see his internal confidence meter rise.
4. If he's sensitive, find gentle ways to correct his errors. Don't criticize him in front of others. Help him work on his accent if it's a source of embarrassment for him. Make sure that he feels safe speaking German and making mistakes. If he never makes any mistakes, he's not getting out of his comfort zone.
5. Let your child overhear you bragging about his latest German advance. Kids just love this!
6. Make sure German in your house is low pressure and fun. Nobody's perfect and your child shouldn't expect perfection from himself.
Summary
Once you understand the importance of confidence related to learning, you will find all kinds of applications for this knowledge. You can't always keep your child's confidence high. More important is for him to know that a time of low confidence is only temporary and doesn't mean he's lost his knack. Help him to keep working and rebuild his confidence and you'll see the results in improved German.
I'm reminding Max of times when he did work hard at something and persevered. His big brother went through a similar phase and is now more willing to work through a problem rather than give up. I'm hoping the same change is on the horizon for Max and he can start to ride the confidence wave once more.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Are you feeling the need for some bilingual support? Why not form a German playgroup?
My mother laughs because I never follow a recipe 100%. My favorite dishes never turn out the same twice. I often substitute because I'm out of a particular ingredient and I hate making last-minute trips to the store. So I use what I have and make do. No buttermilk for the biscuits? No problem - just put a dash of vinegar in some milk and 5 minutes later you have sour milk ready to whip up fluffiest biscuits you can imagine. Frequently my substitutions are better than the original recipe and turn into new favorites.
I'm the same way with other aspects of my life too. I love to use what I have and make do. Making do means creatively making the best of the circumstances you're in. If it's raining, you can't change the weather, but you can make do by using old things in the basement to come up with new games for your kids. If you want to expose your kids to nature but you live in the city, don't pine away for a house in the country. You can make do with a birdfeeder, and window box full of wildflowers, and regular trips to the park.
Now take this strategy one step further.
Are you concerned that you're the only source of German for your bilingual children? Are you many miles from the nearest German Saturday school? Not to worry - why not make do and form your own Spielgruppe (playgroup)?
Playgroups are fun. Playgroups with other German speakers are fun with a purpose.
Playgroups can run the gamut from quite structured with a theme, agenda, crafts, and such, to completely unstructured where kids just play and parents chat. If you don't have a large extended German-speaking family nearby, a German playgroup can fill in as your major support system. You know how important a support system is, don't you?
When you meet weekly with other German speakers, you build relationships that may even last a lifetime.
Parents with older kids can give advice on language challenges younger families are facing. You can share or trade German books and CDs. Parenting advice will surely be freely exchanged. And, perhaps most importantly, your kids will see that there are others who speak German, too - not just Mom and Dad.
Why are German playgroups so helpful?
For a lot of us, the lack of a local German-speaking community is the greatest challenge we face in raising bilingual kids. It doesn't take much to have a productive group - even 3 families meeting weekly will provide motivation and support for parents and bilingual playmates for the kids. Sure, the Internet is great for support, but it still doesn't take the place of real life friendships.
Starting your own playgroup.
You may be lucky enough to find a group already established in your area. But more likely, you'll have to make do and form a new group yourself. It's really not that hard and the rewards are tremendous. Here are a few things to consider when forming a playgroup:
1. What is the maximum group size? Once the group gets too big, you can split it into subgroups.
2. Where and how often will we meet? (group members homes, nearby park, library).
3. How much time do I want to invest in forming and maintaining the group?
4. Will it be structured or unstructured? What kind of activities should we do?
5. Are beginners welcome or should we require one of the parents to be fluent? If all the parents are beginning German speakers, you may find it too difficult to maintain any conversation in German.
Once you've answered these questions, spread the word. Tell your friends and neighbors. Create some flyers and hang them up at the library, post office and school. You might be surprised at how quickly you gain a few members. If no one responds at first, keep trying for a few months. It may take time for the word to get around.
Anticipate problems with bilingual playgroups
Besides the typical problems you might expect when kids play, you might find that the children don't speak German to each other. Especially if the children aren't confident with German, they may find it much easier to speak English. You can choose to not worry about this or to encourage more German from the children. Another potential problem is if a parent isn't committed to speaking German, she may sidetrack the goal of the group.
As the group grows, it's important to make sure the burden of the group doesn't rest on just one person.
To help share the load, you can pass around a sign-up sheet for people to bring snack or host the group or have a group leader position that rotates every few months or so.
How do I encourage the kids to speak German to each other?
You could start the group off with a song or a story to set the mood and establish the group as a German time. If you have activities and a theme, parents can prepare a bit beforehand by familiarizing their children with vocabulary. For instance, if you have a pirate day, you can learn a bunch of pirate words and do pirate crafts.
The Seattle Kinderstube
Some ambitious parents in Washington state wanted a German community for the kids and formed the Seattle Kinderstube. Their membership now numbers over 300 families! Can you imagine having that kind of network for your budding bilinguals? Your playgroup may not reach that level but you are sure to learn and grow by participating in a group.
Summary
So I encourage you to take stock of your needs. If you're feeling the need for a German-speaking community, don't fret that you don't live near the Kinderstube in Seattle! Make do with what you have - form a German playgroup! You may discover new friends you didn't know you were missing and find that the reward of organizing a group is far greater than the effort needed.
I'm the same way with other aspects of my life too. I love to use what I have and make do. Making do means creatively making the best of the circumstances you're in. If it's raining, you can't change the weather, but you can make do by using old things in the basement to come up with new games for your kids. If you want to expose your kids to nature but you live in the city, don't pine away for a house in the country. You can make do with a birdfeeder, and window box full of wildflowers, and regular trips to the park.
Now take this strategy one step further.
Are you concerned that you're the only source of German for your bilingual children? Are you many miles from the nearest German Saturday school? Not to worry - why not make do and form your own Spielgruppe (playgroup)?
Playgroups are fun. Playgroups with other German speakers are fun with a purpose.
Playgroups can run the gamut from quite structured with a theme, agenda, crafts, and such, to completely unstructured where kids just play and parents chat. If you don't have a large extended German-speaking family nearby, a German playgroup can fill in as your major support system. You know how important a support system is, don't you?
When you meet weekly with other German speakers, you build relationships that may even last a lifetime.
Parents with older kids can give advice on language challenges younger families are facing. You can share or trade German books and CDs. Parenting advice will surely be freely exchanged. And, perhaps most importantly, your kids will see that there are others who speak German, too - not just Mom and Dad.
Why are German playgroups so helpful?
For a lot of us, the lack of a local German-speaking community is the greatest challenge we face in raising bilingual kids. It doesn't take much to have a productive group - even 3 families meeting weekly will provide motivation and support for parents and bilingual playmates for the kids. Sure, the Internet is great for support, but it still doesn't take the place of real life friendships.
Starting your own playgroup.
You may be lucky enough to find a group already established in your area. But more likely, you'll have to make do and form a new group yourself. It's really not that hard and the rewards are tremendous. Here are a few things to consider when forming a playgroup:
1. What is the maximum group size? Once the group gets too big, you can split it into subgroups.
2. Where and how often will we meet? (group members homes, nearby park, library).
3. How much time do I want to invest in forming and maintaining the group?
4. Will it be structured or unstructured? What kind of activities should we do?
5. Are beginners welcome or should we require one of the parents to be fluent? If all the parents are beginning German speakers, you may find it too difficult to maintain any conversation in German.
Once you've answered these questions, spread the word. Tell your friends and neighbors. Create some flyers and hang them up at the library, post office and school. You might be surprised at how quickly you gain a few members. If no one responds at first, keep trying for a few months. It may take time for the word to get around.
Anticipate problems with bilingual playgroups
Besides the typical problems you might expect when kids play, you might find that the children don't speak German to each other. Especially if the children aren't confident with German, they may find it much easier to speak English. You can choose to not worry about this or to encourage more German from the children. Another potential problem is if a parent isn't committed to speaking German, she may sidetrack the goal of the group.
As the group grows, it's important to make sure the burden of the group doesn't rest on just one person.
To help share the load, you can pass around a sign-up sheet for people to bring snack or host the group or have a group leader position that rotates every few months or so.
How do I encourage the kids to speak German to each other?
You could start the group off with a song or a story to set the mood and establish the group as a German time. If you have activities and a theme, parents can prepare a bit beforehand by familiarizing their children with vocabulary. For instance, if you have a pirate day, you can learn a bunch of pirate words and do pirate crafts.
The Seattle Kinderstube
Some ambitious parents in Washington state wanted a German community for the kids and formed the Seattle Kinderstube. Their membership now numbers over 300 families! Can you imagine having that kind of network for your budding bilinguals? Your playgroup may not reach that level but you are sure to learn and grow by participating in a group.
Summary
So I encourage you to take stock of your needs. If you're feeling the need for a German-speaking community, don't fret that you don't live near the Kinderstube in Seattle! Make do with what you have - form a German playgroup! You may discover new friends you didn't know you were missing and find that the reward of organizing a group is far greater than the effort needed.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
How serving a German "Diet" to your kids can improve their German
Imagine you live in Minneapolis and your child is just starting her first day in a German immersion kindergarten. She will spend the day with Frau Schmidt gently guiding her, expertly coaching her toward a future as a German speaker. You beam with pride as you pick her up and she shares with you the new words she's learned and the beautiful picture she painted of Neuschwanstein. Ahh, isn't it wonderful to have access to such a wonderful school?
But wait! You don't live in Minneapolis and there is no German immersion school in your area. There is no Frau Schmidt and if you want your daughter to speak German, it's largely up to you, non-native German speaker that you are.
Well, it may be up to you, but that doesn't mean it's an impossible goal. It just means you need to get on a German Diet.
What's a German Diet?
No, I'm not talking about Bratwurst and Bier (although enjoy them if you wish!). I'm talking about enjoying nutritious "servings" of German throughout the day. Serve a hearty helping of German Kinderlieder on the CD player in the morning. Share tasty Bilderbücher with your child after lunch. Pick a German time or two each day [liNK HERE] and give them a concentrated dose of conversation auf Deutsch. Hand out German DVDs like snacks after school. Your kids will eat them up!
Why does the German Diet work?
Like any good diet, the keys are patience and forming good habits. When you offer your kids some German every day and encourage them to participate with you, they will "digest" the language a bit at a time. Over time you'll start to see the fruit of your efforts - not in a healthier body but with a better grasp on German.
Lots of kids hear and use German in "helpings" throughout the day.
Kids in immersion school do get an extra large serving but they, too, may be switching back to English for some subjects. You may not be able to provide the German-filled diet these kids get but your own child will certainly benefit from a lighter offering.
How much German should I "serve"?
This is entirely up to you. Obviously the more German you can provide, the better. If you are not a native speaker, you may decide to start with an hour or two a day, broken up into a few sessions. You should start at a level that is comfortable for you and that won't stress you out. Speaking German all the time is exhausting if you're not used to it! You don't have to start at 100%.
What if I'm make mistakes? Will my child pick up on them?
Maybe, maybe not. If your child has other people who speak native German with her, she will most likely correct you. If you don't have access to other native speakers, she may learn a few incorrect things from you. But that's ok! You don't have to be a math professor to help your child with arithmetic. By the same token, you don't have to be fluent in German in order to teach it to your child.
Your child can always take a class later on and iron out any errors she's picked up. She'll still be way ahead of the rest of the class who are starting from scratch. Don't let your own inadequacy stop you from offering what you do know.
Parents can improve too, you know.
If your German is rusty, it will certainly improve with use. As you read children's books, you'll learn new vocabulary and sentence structure (really! I'm not kidding!) As you listen to audiobooks and CDs with your child, you'll hear correct pronunciation and your own listening comprehension will go way up.
The key is the consistency.
The critical component of this method, just like a successful diet, is that you have to stick with it. You can't do it for a week, stop for a week, and expect to pick up where you left off. You have to keep it up day in and day out in order to experience optimal learning for yourself and your child. Cheating on this diet will just sabotage your past efforts.
Summary
Even if you don't have Frau Schmidt to rely on and even if you're not a native speaker, you can still raise a bilingual kid. When German is on the menu day after day, you'll be on the right track to bilingualism.
But wait! You don't live in Minneapolis and there is no German immersion school in your area. There is no Frau Schmidt and if you want your daughter to speak German, it's largely up to you, non-native German speaker that you are.
Well, it may be up to you, but that doesn't mean it's an impossible goal. It just means you need to get on a German Diet.
What's a German Diet?
No, I'm not talking about Bratwurst and Bier (although enjoy them if you wish!). I'm talking about enjoying nutritious "servings" of German throughout the day. Serve a hearty helping of German Kinderlieder on the CD player in the morning. Share tasty Bilderbücher with your child after lunch. Pick a German time or two each day [liNK HERE] and give them a concentrated dose of conversation auf Deutsch. Hand out German DVDs like snacks after school. Your kids will eat them up!
Why does the German Diet work?
Like any good diet, the keys are patience and forming good habits. When you offer your kids some German every day and encourage them to participate with you, they will "digest" the language a bit at a time. Over time you'll start to see the fruit of your efforts - not in a healthier body but with a better grasp on German.
Lots of kids hear and use German in "helpings" throughout the day.
Kids in immersion school do get an extra large serving but they, too, may be switching back to English for some subjects. You may not be able to provide the German-filled diet these kids get but your own child will certainly benefit from a lighter offering.
How much German should I "serve"?
This is entirely up to you. Obviously the more German you can provide, the better. If you are not a native speaker, you may decide to start with an hour or two a day, broken up into a few sessions. You should start at a level that is comfortable for you and that won't stress you out. Speaking German all the time is exhausting if you're not used to it! You don't have to start at 100%.
What if I'm make mistakes? Will my child pick up on them?
Maybe, maybe not. If your child has other people who speak native German with her, she will most likely correct you. If you don't have access to other native speakers, she may learn a few incorrect things from you. But that's ok! You don't have to be a math professor to help your child with arithmetic. By the same token, you don't have to be fluent in German in order to teach it to your child.
Your child can always take a class later on and iron out any errors she's picked up. She'll still be way ahead of the rest of the class who are starting from scratch. Don't let your own inadequacy stop you from offering what you do know.
Parents can improve too, you know.
If your German is rusty, it will certainly improve with use. As you read children's books, you'll learn new vocabulary and sentence structure (really! I'm not kidding!) As you listen to audiobooks and CDs with your child, you'll hear correct pronunciation and your own listening comprehension will go way up.
The key is the consistency.
The critical component of this method, just like a successful diet, is that you have to stick with it. You can't do it for a week, stop for a week, and expect to pick up where you left off. You have to keep it up day in and day out in order to experience optimal learning for yourself and your child. Cheating on this diet will just sabotage your past efforts.
Summary
Even if you don't have Frau Schmidt to rely on and even if you're not a native speaker, you can still raise a bilingual kid. When German is on the menu day after day, you'll be on the right track to bilingualism.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Summer break coming soon
We're closing for summer break on Monday, August 4. If you'd like to order this weekend, please do so by Sunday at noon.
Any orders placed after noon on Sunday will be shipped on Monday, August 17.
Happy summer, everyone!
Any orders placed after noon on Sunday will be shipped on Monday, August 17.
Happy summer, everyone!
Monday, July 27, 2009
When kids respond in English, why not play the goof?
"Alle meine Entchen, schwimmen in den See, schwimmen in den See,
Köpfchen in das Wasser, Schwänzchen in das Bett."
At these last words, your child will probably take great delight in correcting you. "No, Mommy - Schwänzchen in die Höhe!" This is your cue to insist you are right and make further "enhancements" to the song. You make it even sillier. So then you sing "Alle meine Hunde, sitzen in das Auto, sitzen in das Auto, Nasen in meine Tasche, Schwänzchen auf den Boden." (or something equally funny and obviously falsch).
What is going on here? This is a quick instance of "playing the goof."
If your bilingual household has a large proportion of English in it, your child may respond mostly in English.
This is ok - if she is responding to your German, even if it's in English, it's an excellent sign that she understands what's being said. You should congratulate yourself on having made it to this point. However, if you've been at this stage for a while and you'd like to hear more German from your child, you may want to actively encourage her. After all, if she understands so well, she should be able to start actively using German. Sometimes kids need a little push.
That's when it's time to play the goof.
Playing the goof means that you take something very simple that they already know and mess it up. For instance, you sing "Alle meine Entchen" like I wrote at the top. Or you take a familiar poem and change a word or two. The more ridiculous, the better. You make it very obvious and invite them to correct you.
This game isn't just for songs. You can also do this by using the wrong word in a simple request. You can ask "Gib mir bitte die Katze" while pointing at the butter. When your child insists that the cat is on the floor and you're pointing to the butter, you again feign ignorance and insist that your child is pointing to a horse, not a cat. You get the picture. Some kids will find this game hilarious. And this is a good time to gently insist that they correct you in German. You can put a silly spin on this, too. "Wie bitte? Hast du Nase gesagt? Nein? Katze? Ich kann dich nicht verstehen."
How does playing the goof encourage kids to use German?
First of all, it makes them feel smart. This is important for a kid who may be a little insecure about speaking German. She knows the correct word and she probably won't hesitate to use it. This is a bit of an ice breaker for the reluctant German speaker. Plus, it's fun to correct Mom or Dad. Between school, music lessons, or sports, kids get corrected all the time. They like it when the tables are turned and they get to be the expert.
When you play the goof, everybody has fun.
Don't discount the value of fun when teaching your kids German! The more times you can find quick ways to have fun with the language, the more interested your kids will be and the more they will enjoy themselves.
Just don't overdo it.
Sometimes you will miss the unspoken signal that the game is over and your kids will roll their eyes at each other. Then it's time to leave the game for another time. You (and they) know they love it and will be very happy to giggle again later at how silly their mother is and how much German they know.
So be on the lookout for your next opportunity to play the goof. Your kids will love it and they won't even realize they're learning! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go sing a silly song.
Köpfchen in das Wasser, Schwänzchen in das Bett."
At these last words, your child will probably take great delight in correcting you. "No, Mommy - Schwänzchen in die Höhe!" This is your cue to insist you are right and make further "enhancements" to the song. You make it even sillier. So then you sing "Alle meine Hunde, sitzen in das Auto, sitzen in das Auto, Nasen in meine Tasche, Schwänzchen auf den Boden." (or something equally funny and obviously falsch).
What is going on here? This is a quick instance of "playing the goof."
If your bilingual household has a large proportion of English in it, your child may respond mostly in English.
This is ok - if she is responding to your German, even if it's in English, it's an excellent sign that she understands what's being said. You should congratulate yourself on having made it to this point. However, if you've been at this stage for a while and you'd like to hear more German from your child, you may want to actively encourage her. After all, if she understands so well, she should be able to start actively using German. Sometimes kids need a little push.
That's when it's time to play the goof.
Playing the goof means that you take something very simple that they already know and mess it up. For instance, you sing "Alle meine Entchen" like I wrote at the top. Or you take a familiar poem and change a word or two. The more ridiculous, the better. You make it very obvious and invite them to correct you.
This game isn't just for songs. You can also do this by using the wrong word in a simple request. You can ask "Gib mir bitte die Katze" while pointing at the butter. When your child insists that the cat is on the floor and you're pointing to the butter, you again feign ignorance and insist that your child is pointing to a horse, not a cat. You get the picture. Some kids will find this game hilarious. And this is a good time to gently insist that they correct you in German. You can put a silly spin on this, too. "Wie bitte? Hast du Nase gesagt? Nein? Katze? Ich kann dich nicht verstehen."
How does playing the goof encourage kids to use German?
First of all, it makes them feel smart. This is important for a kid who may be a little insecure about speaking German. She knows the correct word and she probably won't hesitate to use it. This is a bit of an ice breaker for the reluctant German speaker. Plus, it's fun to correct Mom or Dad. Between school, music lessons, or sports, kids get corrected all the time. They like it when the tables are turned and they get to be the expert.
When you play the goof, everybody has fun.
Don't discount the value of fun when teaching your kids German! The more times you can find quick ways to have fun with the language, the more interested your kids will be and the more they will enjoy themselves.
Just don't overdo it.
Sometimes you will miss the unspoken signal that the game is over and your kids will roll their eyes at each other. Then it's time to leave the game for another time. You (and they) know they love it and will be very happy to giggle again later at how silly their mother is and how much German they know.
So be on the lookout for your next opportunity to play the goof. Your kids will love it and they won't even realize they're learning! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go sing a silly song.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Why you must study German every day to become fluent.
If you have young children, you can probably cook dinner one-handed while balancing a baby on your hip, supervise a mischievous preschooler, and listen to a CD, all without breaking a sweat. Simple right? You do it every day, and without too much fuss. Your childless friends probably wonder how you do it all. But think back to when your first child was a newborn and everything took hours and required absolute concentration. Bathing your first newborn probably required at team of 2-3 adults and coordination rivaling an Indy 500 pit stop. And forget about finding the time to take cook a real dinner.
Learning to manage life as a new parent is exhausting and not just from lack of sleep. You're learning a whole new set of skills. This learning requires lots of practice before it becomes second nature.
In the same way, learning a second language requires lots of practice before it becomes second nature.
Of course you already knew this. No one expects to learn a new language overnight. But did you realize that how often you study is as important as what you study?
Daily practice is absolutely critical when learning a new language.
In some form or other, you must study daily in order to make your learning "stick." Whether it's reading, doing grammar exercises, having a conversation in German, or writing a letter, you absolutely must exercise these new German skills your brain is learning on a daily basis.
When you first learn a new fact, word, skill, etc., your brain ingests that information but after a while, it can only take so much and it starts to protest. That's why you get tired at the end of a German lesson or after reading a particularly challenging book. You don't need more sleep; you need to stop. Your brain is "full." And of course you're not going to remember or understand everything you just learned. But when you encounter the same concepts, words, and nuances the very next day, they're no longer new to you. Your brain recognizes them. "Hey! I've heard this before!" And this time the word, fact, or skill doesn't tire you out so much and you understand it a little better. This sense of familiarity makes German seem almost easy. When you wait too long to get back to your study, you'll start over at square one.
Your brain won't recognize the material as familiar and you'll go through the same struggle you did last time trying to memorize or understand a concept. Making your brain start back at square one is very tiring. Without daily practice, those new words that you were starting to remember, that grammar concept you thought you had mastered, or the verb you conjugated perfectly at the end of your last session is now a distant memory.
Daily practice isn't always easy.
Sure you'd love a few days off from being a new parent - imagine sleeping more than 3 hours in a row! And while you may leave the baby for an afternoon, you know without thinking twice that experienced parents are the result of hours and hours of dedicated and often thankless work and you cannot postpone your parenting duties until you are completely refreshed. The show must go on and through trial and error, parents figure out what works best and life settles down.
So, too, you may not want to open that German book or listen to that audio or go to class day after day. Hey, everyone needs a break now and then, don't they? Well, yes, sure but you can have your break when you're done studying . If you study a half an hour a day, you can take the rest of the day to allow your brain to digest the information you've learned and gear up for tomorrow's session. This means weekends, too! We're not talking about marathon training here! And once you've tried this for a while, you'll see the tremendous benefit you get from daily practice.
Getting started is the hardest part.
This is always the truth, isn't it? Whether it's getting out of bed early on a cold morning, giving a speech in front of a crowd or taking that jog, getting started is always the hardest. Once you're moving (or studying), it's not so bad and you're usually glad you did it, or at least glad it's over.
Daily practice is the secret to real progress whether you're a beginning German speaker or already very advanced.
This is why college language courses are usually scheduled for 4 or 5 days a week. This is why people who "dabble" in German a little here and there will eventually get bored or frustrated and give up. This is also why if you have made a commitment to improve your German, you need to practice every day!
Once again, don't forget:
1. Daily practice is essential.
2. Getting started is the hardest part.
If you want to learn German, be sure to add the critical ingredient of daily practice to your German study. Just like as a parent, you will gain skill with practice. You may be surprised at how fast you outgrow the beginner stage. And maybe you'll find out that you're zipping through your German lessons and German is fun!
Learning to manage life as a new parent is exhausting and not just from lack of sleep. You're learning a whole new set of skills. This learning requires lots of practice before it becomes second nature.
In the same way, learning a second language requires lots of practice before it becomes second nature.
Of course you already knew this. No one expects to learn a new language overnight. But did you realize that how often you study is as important as what you study?
Daily practice is absolutely critical when learning a new language.
In some form or other, you must study daily in order to make your learning "stick." Whether it's reading, doing grammar exercises, having a conversation in German, or writing a letter, you absolutely must exercise these new German skills your brain is learning on a daily basis.
When you first learn a new fact, word, skill, etc., your brain ingests that information but after a while, it can only take so much and it starts to protest. That's why you get tired at the end of a German lesson or after reading a particularly challenging book. You don't need more sleep; you need to stop. Your brain is "full." And of course you're not going to remember or understand everything you just learned. But when you encounter the same concepts, words, and nuances the very next day, they're no longer new to you. Your brain recognizes them. "Hey! I've heard this before!" And this time the word, fact, or skill doesn't tire you out so much and you understand it a little better. This sense of familiarity makes German seem almost easy. When you wait too long to get back to your study, you'll start over at square one.
Your brain won't recognize the material as familiar and you'll go through the same struggle you did last time trying to memorize or understand a concept. Making your brain start back at square one is very tiring. Without daily practice, those new words that you were starting to remember, that grammar concept you thought you had mastered, or the verb you conjugated perfectly at the end of your last session is now a distant memory.
Daily practice isn't always easy.
Sure you'd love a few days off from being a new parent - imagine sleeping more than 3 hours in a row! And while you may leave the baby for an afternoon, you know without thinking twice that experienced parents are the result of hours and hours of dedicated and often thankless work and you cannot postpone your parenting duties until you are completely refreshed. The show must go on and through trial and error, parents figure out what works best and life settles down.
So, too, you may not want to open that German book or listen to that audio or go to class day after day. Hey, everyone needs a break now and then, don't they? Well, yes, sure but you can have your break when you're done studying . If you study a half an hour a day, you can take the rest of the day to allow your brain to digest the information you've learned and gear up for tomorrow's session. This means weekends, too! We're not talking about marathon training here! And once you've tried this for a while, you'll see the tremendous benefit you get from daily practice.
Getting started is the hardest part.
This is always the truth, isn't it? Whether it's getting out of bed early on a cold morning, giving a speech in front of a crowd or taking that jog, getting started is always the hardest. Once you're moving (or studying), it's not so bad and you're usually glad you did it, or at least glad it's over.
Daily practice is the secret to real progress whether you're a beginning German speaker or already very advanced.
This is why college language courses are usually scheduled for 4 or 5 days a week. This is why people who "dabble" in German a little here and there will eventually get bored or frustrated and give up. This is also why if you have made a commitment to improve your German, you need to practice every day!
Once again, don't forget:
1. Daily practice is essential.
2. Getting started is the hardest part.
If you want to learn German, be sure to add the critical ingredient of daily practice to your German study. Just like as a parent, you will gain skill with practice. You may be surprised at how fast you outgrow the beginner stage. And maybe you'll find out that you're zipping through your German lessons and German is fun!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Why you need to tailor your pace when you read aloud
I used to drive a red 1996 VW Golf. I loved that car. What I loved most about that car was the manual transmission. Having the control to rev the engine in 3rd gear or downshift around corners was so much more fun than driving an automatic with its almost unnoticeable shifting.
Nowadays I drive an automatic, but I still find the need to control and fine tune my speed. My reading speed, that is. This concept of up- and downshifting is especially useful when reading aloud.
Kids will give clues when they need a change of speed.
Have you ever started reading a German book to your child only to be interrupted 50 times with "Ich verstehe nicht" (I don't understand), (I don't like this book) "Ich mag dieses Buch nicht," or (I'm hungry) "Ich habe Hunger." What your child is really saying to you is that you need to change your pace. The way you're reading the book isn't fitting his needs at that time.
Fit the reading to the child.
Just as you consider the child when you're selecting a book, you need to consider the child when you're setting the pace. Don't just read on "automatic." Get ready to shift. If you've got an antsy toddler on your lap, you will read differently than if you have a spellbound youngster who is glued to the page. Of course - you already knew that. But are you adjusting as needed during the reading?
If you follow these simple guidelines, you will find your reading sessions more enjoyable and more productive and have your kids asking for more.
Wiggle worms need to be actively involved.
If your listener is young and not likely to sit still for long, you're likely already choosing bright and colorful books to keep his attention. In addition, help keep him engaged by using different voices for the characters, asking him to find things in the picture or just turn to the next page for a change of scenery. He will reward you with more interest in the book and the reading session.
If he starts to fidget, the language may be too difficult for him.
In this case, you may choose to stop and explain a word or a concept or you may point to something in the picture that will help your child understand what's being said.
Simplify when needed.
There are no "read-aloud" police! Feel free to substitute simpler words, paraphrase, or skip entire sentences if the book is too challenging for your child. You can always read more at the next session. It's better to allow your child to enjoy a story and have a feeling of closure than to be frustrated and not want to listen in German the next time.
When you see the child's attention starting to drift, ask them a question to bring their attention back to the book. Ask them to find something in the picture or ask them about a character in the story. Ask them what they think will happen next.
Kids can listen and play at the same time.
Some kids may enjoy building with Legos or coloring while listening to stories. Some kids may be able to be moving all around the room and still pay attention to the story. Don't assume that they're not listening if they aren't sitting still. You may find they remember more and listen longer when they are engaged with an additional activity during storytime.
Stop before they tire out.
It is critical to stop reading before a child is over-extended or unhappy. You may find a few shorter reading sessions per day are more enjoyable than 1 long time. If you're reading a longer book and your listener is still engaged, you may choose to stop at a particularly exciting part to build suspense and keep her excited for the next time you sit down together.
You can use these techniques with kids of any age to make reading in German more enjoyable.
So next time you're reading to your kids, remember to pay attention to the "terrain" and speed up or downshift as needed. The ride will be so much more fun for you and your passengers!
Nowadays I drive an automatic, but I still find the need to control and fine tune my speed. My reading speed, that is. This concept of up- and downshifting is especially useful when reading aloud.
Kids will give clues when they need a change of speed.
Have you ever started reading a German book to your child only to be interrupted 50 times with "Ich verstehe nicht" (I don't understand), (I don't like this book) "Ich mag dieses Buch nicht," or (I'm hungry) "Ich habe Hunger." What your child is really saying to you is that you need to change your pace. The way you're reading the book isn't fitting his needs at that time.
Fit the reading to the child.
Just as you consider the child when you're selecting a book, you need to consider the child when you're setting the pace. Don't just read on "automatic." Get ready to shift. If you've got an antsy toddler on your lap, you will read differently than if you have a spellbound youngster who is glued to the page. Of course - you already knew that. But are you adjusting as needed during the reading?
If you follow these simple guidelines, you will find your reading sessions more enjoyable and more productive and have your kids asking for more.
Wiggle worms need to be actively involved.
If your listener is young and not likely to sit still for long, you're likely already choosing bright and colorful books to keep his attention. In addition, help keep him engaged by using different voices for the characters, asking him to find things in the picture or just turn to the next page for a change of scenery. He will reward you with more interest in the book and the reading session.
If he starts to fidget, the language may be too difficult for him.
In this case, you may choose to stop and explain a word or a concept or you may point to something in the picture that will help your child understand what's being said.
Simplify when needed.
There are no "read-aloud" police! Feel free to substitute simpler words, paraphrase, or skip entire sentences if the book is too challenging for your child. You can always read more at the next session. It's better to allow your child to enjoy a story and have a feeling of closure than to be frustrated and not want to listen in German the next time.
When you see the child's attention starting to drift, ask them a question to bring their attention back to the book. Ask them to find something in the picture or ask them about a character in the story. Ask them what they think will happen next.
Kids can listen and play at the same time.
Some kids may enjoy building with Legos or coloring while listening to stories. Some kids may be able to be moving all around the room and still pay attention to the story. Don't assume that they're not listening if they aren't sitting still. You may find they remember more and listen longer when they are engaged with an additional activity during storytime.
Stop before they tire out.
It is critical to stop reading before a child is over-extended or unhappy. You may find a few shorter reading sessions per day are more enjoyable than 1 long time. If you're reading a longer book and your listener is still engaged, you may choose to stop at a particularly exciting part to build suspense and keep her excited for the next time you sit down together.
You can use these techniques with kids of any age to make reading in German more enjoyable.
So next time you're reading to your kids, remember to pay attention to the "terrain" and speed up or downshift as needed. The ride will be so much more fun for you and your passengers!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Stocking your library without breaking the bank
If you've made German a priority for your family, you'll want to offer your children books and other media (CDs, DVDs) to support their learning. But German books can be expensive and it can be a bit intimidating to select something on a budget. Here are a few ways to get the most bang for your buck (or Euro).
Consider your home library an investment
First and foremost, understand that a commitment to a foreign language is going to require an investment in books. Most libraries don't have a selection of German books for children and so you'll probably have to build a home library yourself. Make sure that the quality of your library matches the priority you've set on bilingualism.
Plan for re-use.
If your preschooler demands to hear Der Buchstabenbaum 10 times, you've cut the cost / read to $1.34. If you play a Conni CD in the car twice a week for a month, the cost is negligible. If you have more than one child, you can pass on the books from one to the next.
Select quality over quantity
A few excellent stories published well-made books will provide you more value than a pile of cheap books that no one wants to read again.
Not all German books are expensive.
You can always find books and smaller titles that are under $30. This is comparable to most English books. This is comparable to most English books.
Consider compilations and collections.
While these books are more expensive than smaller volumes, you get many times the reading material. For instance, Das Grosse Buch zum Lesenlernen contains 4 stories and 110 pages compared with the individual Lesemaus zum Lesenlernen series which is half the price but contains 1/4 of the stories. Plus, compilations are usually hardcover which increases their durability.
Make sure the books you buy are ones that will interest your child
A favorite book will be read over and over and treasured by a child. Buying books in your child's favorite topics will help make it more likely that you'll pick a winner.
Request gift certificates
If you tell friends and family that you're building a German library, they may be glad to help you out with gift certificates for your children's birthdays.
Yes, furnishing your German library does take careful consideration and an investment of money.
But if bilingualism is your goal, than you're sure to find it an excellent use of your money.
Consider your home library an investment
First and foremost, understand that a commitment to a foreign language is going to require an investment in books. Most libraries don't have a selection of German books for children and so you'll probably have to build a home library yourself. Make sure that the quality of your library matches the priority you've set on bilingualism.
Plan for re-use.
If your preschooler demands to hear Der Buchstabenbaum 10 times, you've cut the cost / read to $1.34. If you play a Conni CD in the car twice a week for a month, the cost is negligible. If you have more than one child, you can pass on the books from one to the next.
Select quality over quantity
A few excellent stories published well-made books will provide you more value than a pile of cheap books that no one wants to read again.
Not all German books are expensive.
You can always find books and smaller titles that are under $30. This is comparable to most English books. This is comparable to most English books.
Consider compilations and collections.
While these books are more expensive than smaller volumes, you get many times the reading material. For instance, Das Grosse Buch zum Lesenlernen contains 4 stories and 110 pages compared with the individual Lesemaus zum Lesenlernen series which is half the price but contains 1/4 of the stories. Plus, compilations are usually hardcover which increases their durability.
Make sure the books you buy are ones that will interest your child
A favorite book will be read over and over and treasured by a child. Buying books in your child's favorite topics will help make it more likely that you'll pick a winner.
Request gift certificates
If you tell friends and family that you're building a German library, they may be glad to help you out with gift certificates for your children's birthdays.
Yes, furnishing your German library does take careful consideration and an investment of money.
But if bilingualism is your goal, than you're sure to find it an excellent use of your money.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Are your language goals sinking in the swamp of lost opportunity?
This year I fully intended to grow a vegetable garden.
Visions of juicy ripe tomatoes, crisp green beans and cool cucumbers filled my head. I perused the seed catalogs and checked out the large inventory of gardening paraphernalia in the garage. Winter turned to spring and spring turned to summer - what July already? Where had the first half of the year gone? And, you guessed, it, I was no closer to a vegetable garden than a lone potted tomato plant.
It's not hard to see where I went wrong.
I neglected to plan out my garden. All the dreams in the world won't plant a garden. It takes a little planning, preparation and timing to make it happen. The same is true when raising a bilingual family. If you don't plan your way to bilingualism, you may find time has slipped through your fingers and it's a lot harder to accomplish your goals than you expected.
Why should I plan?
To articulate your expectations, hopes and dreams.
When you say you're raising a bilingual family, what does that mean to you? Do you want your child to be able to converse as a tourist in a German-speaking country? Do you want him to be comfortable with German friends and family? Do you expect to move back to Germany in the future? Should he be able to read and write in German? Bilingualism has different levels and each family will have it's own set of goals. If you haven't thought about your goals, you may realize you're on a path that won't satisfy your expectations.
To get each parent's goals in the open.
If you haven't thought out and planned for your family's bilingualism, than how can your spouse know what you're working toward? When each parent participates in the planning process, you can work together to find the best expectations for your family. When everyone is on the same page, it's much easier to prioritize and budget for any materials you need, make decisions about schooling and plan overseas trips.
To see any gaps and fill them in.
It's a lot of work to raise a bilingual child and the more support you have the better. If there isn't a local community, you can plan upfront to substitute trips, German lessons or extra German language books. If you're not planning, you're just hoping that things will work out and you may be missing important work that you'll need to help your child progress toward your goal.
To give yourself and your family the best chance to achieve your goals.
If you write down a goal, you're more likely to make it happen. The act of writing it down makes your brain give it a whole lot more attention. When a goal is "on your radar screen" you'll be a lot more likely to work toward it.
OK - so how do I plan for bilingualism in my family?
Goal-setting and planning can be as simple as a conversation about hopes and dreams and a few sheets of paper. Pinpoint some language goals you'd like to see for your child's future. Consider reading, writing, conversation. How fluent would you like your child to be and can you realistically get them there? Then think about how to get there. Is there a German school nearby? Can you make regular trips to Germany? Do you have enough German books and CDs? Is there a German playgroup nearby or can you start one?
You should end your session with a few action items. Assign dates to them and give them top priority.
You may want to keep the notes from your brainstorming and planning session in a binder. You should update your goals and action items yearly. It's also nice to write up a progress report for your child every year or so. It will surely be fun in the future to look back and see how things have progressed.
But I hate to plan!
It can be intimidating to think about planning out such an important aspect of your family's future. But your plan doesn't have to be written in stone and you can always change it along the way to suit your needs. Remember, your plan is supposed to help you, not stress you out. In fact, this is another important benefit of a plan - it may bring up unrealistic expectations. If your goals and plan are causing you a lot of stress, you should revisit your plan and make some changes.
Think about it. If you are going on vacation, you don't just get in the car and drive in any random direction. No - you pick a destination, map your route, buy your tickets and pack your bags. Neglecting planning out your family's route to bilingualism is like going on vacation without a destination. You're likely to get lost.
How can I plan so far ahead?
You can only take your best guess. You don't have to write out a detailed plan for the next 15 years of your child's life. Your plan should fit your family and suit your needs. It can be as specific or as general as you want it to be. It will certainly change over time. But if you neglect to make a plan at all, you may not achieve your goals and you might not even realize it until it's too late.
Summary
1. Planning forces you to articulate your goals.
2. Planning gets parents on the same page.
3. Planning gives you a greater chance of success.
4. Look for gaps and fill them in.
5. Revisit your goals and plan yearly.
Planning now saves time later and rescues your goals from the swamp of lost opportunity.
This time next year, I plan to be harvesting a bumper crop of tomatoes. My garden planning will begin with plenty of time in the winter. But my planning for language goals has already begun. I want to give my kids the best possible chance at bilingualism that I can. How about you? Are you planning for bilingual success?
Visions of juicy ripe tomatoes, crisp green beans and cool cucumbers filled my head. I perused the seed catalogs and checked out the large inventory of gardening paraphernalia in the garage. Winter turned to spring and spring turned to summer - what July already? Where had the first half of the year gone? And, you guessed, it, I was no closer to a vegetable garden than a lone potted tomato plant.
It's not hard to see where I went wrong.
I neglected to plan out my garden. All the dreams in the world won't plant a garden. It takes a little planning, preparation and timing to make it happen. The same is true when raising a bilingual family. If you don't plan your way to bilingualism, you may find time has slipped through your fingers and it's a lot harder to accomplish your goals than you expected.
Why should I plan?
To articulate your expectations, hopes and dreams.
When you say you're raising a bilingual family, what does that mean to you? Do you want your child to be able to converse as a tourist in a German-speaking country? Do you want him to be comfortable with German friends and family? Do you expect to move back to Germany in the future? Should he be able to read and write in German? Bilingualism has different levels and each family will have it's own set of goals. If you haven't thought about your goals, you may realize you're on a path that won't satisfy your expectations.
To get each parent's goals in the open.
If you haven't thought out and planned for your family's bilingualism, than how can your spouse know what you're working toward? When each parent participates in the planning process, you can work together to find the best expectations for your family. When everyone is on the same page, it's much easier to prioritize and budget for any materials you need, make decisions about schooling and plan overseas trips.
To see any gaps and fill them in.
It's a lot of work to raise a bilingual child and the more support you have the better. If there isn't a local community, you can plan upfront to substitute trips, German lessons or extra German language books. If you're not planning, you're just hoping that things will work out and you may be missing important work that you'll need to help your child progress toward your goal.
To give yourself and your family the best chance to achieve your goals.
If you write down a goal, you're more likely to make it happen. The act of writing it down makes your brain give it a whole lot more attention. When a goal is "on your radar screen" you'll be a lot more likely to work toward it.
OK - so how do I plan for bilingualism in my family?
Goal-setting and planning can be as simple as a conversation about hopes and dreams and a few sheets of paper. Pinpoint some language goals you'd like to see for your child's future. Consider reading, writing, conversation. How fluent would you like your child to be and can you realistically get them there? Then think about how to get there. Is there a German school nearby? Can you make regular trips to Germany? Do you have enough German books and CDs? Is there a German playgroup nearby or can you start one?
You should end your session with a few action items. Assign dates to them and give them top priority.
You may want to keep the notes from your brainstorming and planning session in a binder. You should update your goals and action items yearly. It's also nice to write up a progress report for your child every year or so. It will surely be fun in the future to look back and see how things have progressed.
But I hate to plan!
It can be intimidating to think about planning out such an important aspect of your family's future. But your plan doesn't have to be written in stone and you can always change it along the way to suit your needs. Remember, your plan is supposed to help you, not stress you out. In fact, this is another important benefit of a plan - it may bring up unrealistic expectations. If your goals and plan are causing you a lot of stress, you should revisit your plan and make some changes.
Think about it. If you are going on vacation, you don't just get in the car and drive in any random direction. No - you pick a destination, map your route, buy your tickets and pack your bags. Neglecting planning out your family's route to bilingualism is like going on vacation without a destination. You're likely to get lost.
How can I plan so far ahead?
You can only take your best guess. You don't have to write out a detailed plan for the next 15 years of your child's life. Your plan should fit your family and suit your needs. It can be as specific or as general as you want it to be. It will certainly change over time. But if you neglect to make a plan at all, you may not achieve your goals and you might not even realize it until it's too late.
Summary
1. Planning forces you to articulate your goals.
2. Planning gets parents on the same page.
3. Planning gives you a greater chance of success.
4. Look for gaps and fill them in.
5. Revisit your goals and plan yearly.
Planning now saves time later and rescues your goals from the swamp of lost opportunity.
This time next year, I plan to be harvesting a bumper crop of tomatoes. My garden planning will begin with plenty of time in the winter. But my planning for language goals has already begun. I want to give my kids the best possible chance at bilingualism that I can. How about you? Are you planning for bilingual success?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
How to teach your kids about German culture even if you didn't grow up there.
What do fireworks on the Fourth of July, baseball games, knock-knock jokes, the Pledge of Allegiance all have in common? They are all very typisch American things, and all things that you might not understand or fully appreciate if you didn't grow up in the United States. Cultural things like this allow us to have a shared experience even with a person we've just met.
A language learned without some cultural aspects is like a pancake without the baking powder.
It may have 99% of the right ingredients but without this key aspect, it will be flat. In the same way, if you want your children to fully understand the German language, you must also teach them German culture. Kids need to learn that learning German is not just another way of speaking - it's intertwined with a whole different world. Germany and Europe are different than the U.S. They have different values and norms. Kids need to know a bit about Germany's history within Europe, that pretzels are much loved in Bavaria, and about how stores and restaurants have much different hours than in the U.S. Things like this make a place so much more interesting for us and make the language come alive.
Culture is a tricky subject to teach, especially if you don't know a lot about it yourself.
If you've only spent minimal time in a German-speaking country, chances are good that you don't know a whole lot about German culture yourself. The good news is that you can seek it out and learn it together if you keep your eyes open and make it a priority to learn.
Holidays are a great place to start.
Food, music, crafts, activities - holidays are ready-made cultural learning experiences. You and your children can immerse yourselves in the sights, sounds and smells of traditional German activities. Take the time to ask a German relative or immigrant about their memories of a particular holiday or event.
When reading books, look out for cultural differences that you can point out to your children.
Even if you something is new to you, you can point it out and discuss it, perhaps making a note to research a bit later. The Lesemaus series is a great place to look for culture. In Ich habe einen Freund, der ist Bäcker, you learn about all sorts of baking and many traditional German baked goods are mentioned. The corner bakery is as common in Germany as a convenience store in America. These little bakeries are everywhere! Pretzels are produced piping hot on the hour. School children pick them up on their way home in the afternoon. This is a topic you can discuss with your children.
Keep an eye out for the opportunity to point out German culture
You may discover an aspect that is completely new to you, yet that is common knowledge to many Germans (and Swiss and Austrians) and have that much richer of an experience for it.
Would you like a headstart in discussing culture?
Our Trip to Germany Unit Study is a great way to introduce culture to your children. Books, lessons, activities, and websites are all coordinated in this extended unit study.
A language learned without some cultural aspects is like a pancake without the baking powder.
It may have 99% of the right ingredients but without this key aspect, it will be flat. In the same way, if you want your children to fully understand the German language, you must also teach them German culture. Kids need to learn that learning German is not just another way of speaking - it's intertwined with a whole different world. Germany and Europe are different than the U.S. They have different values and norms. Kids need to know a bit about Germany's history within Europe, that pretzels are much loved in Bavaria, and about how stores and restaurants have much different hours than in the U.S. Things like this make a place so much more interesting for us and make the language come alive.
Culture is a tricky subject to teach, especially if you don't know a lot about it yourself.
If you've only spent minimal time in a German-speaking country, chances are good that you don't know a whole lot about German culture yourself. The good news is that you can seek it out and learn it together if you keep your eyes open and make it a priority to learn.
Holidays are a great place to start.
Food, music, crafts, activities - holidays are ready-made cultural learning experiences. You and your children can immerse yourselves in the sights, sounds and smells of traditional German activities. Take the time to ask a German relative or immigrant about their memories of a particular holiday or event.
When reading books, look out for cultural differences that you can point out to your children.
Even if you something is new to you, you can point it out and discuss it, perhaps making a note to research a bit later. The Lesemaus series is a great place to look for culture. In Ich habe einen Freund, der ist Bäcker, you learn about all sorts of baking and many traditional German baked goods are mentioned. The corner bakery is as common in Germany as a convenience store in America. These little bakeries are everywhere! Pretzels are produced piping hot on the hour. School children pick them up on their way home in the afternoon. This is a topic you can discuss with your children.
Keep an eye out for the opportunity to point out German culture
You may discover an aspect that is completely new to you, yet that is common knowledge to many Germans (and Swiss and Austrians) and have that much richer of an experience for it.
Would you like a headstart in discussing culture?
Our Trip to Germany Unit Study is a great way to introduce culture to your children. Books, lessons, activities, and websites are all coordinated in this extended unit study.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Giving my children the bilingual advantage.
I've been speaking to my children in German and English since they were born. The reasons for this are many. My husband immigrated from Germany and we wanted our children to understand and embrace their roots. Their grandparents don't speak English. These are really important reasons. But beyond this aspect of culture and heritage, is the cognitive advantage bilingualism will give my children.
Being bilingual teaches kids to be more flexible in their thinking
Bilingual kids are familiar with two different sets of grammar rules (even if they don't explicitly understand them). They are used to perceiving more subtle differences and nuances than monolingual children and are found to be more aware of meaning and structure in language since they experience so much more language input. A monolingual child only has to deal with one set of sounds when she's learning to speak. Bilingual kids will eventually have to differentiate when to use a German pronunciation for a word and when an English one is required. All this boils down to a higher level of flexibility and awareness that kids may extend to other areas of their lives (math, logic, etc.).
Bilingual kids can see that the world goes beyond just the United States.
Children who speak more than one language inherently understand that there is a wide variety of people in this world and not everyone speaks English. Their bilingualism may make them feel a bit different at first but many kids soon realize that their knowledge of two languages is something special.
How can I help my children become bilingual?
The best thing you can do is to start as early as possible. An early start helps establish habits you'll be able to carry on as your children grow. If you already speak German (or another language), you have a huge headstart, but it's not an absolute requirement. Many parents decide to learn a language right along with their children. You can create an at-home immersion environment with books, CDs, DVDs in German. If there are other German-speakers in the area, find out about social opportunities, join a German school or join (or start up) a German playgroup.
How do I know that this will work with my child?
Well, it all depends on your own circumstances and the level of immersion you'll be able to provide your child. Children have been growing up with 2 or more languages for thousands of years! It's not a new trend and it doesn't require expensive software or advanced study. If you or a family member is bilingual (or even has some compentance), start conversing in German, reading books, listening to music. Let it grow from there.
Won't learning two languages confuse my child?
Children have an amazing ability to learn languages almost effortlessly. You see it in a language explosion of a monolingual child from ages 2-4. It seems they they learn new words and phrases every day! Some children may mix their languages together for a time and others differentiate from a very early age. Even if a child mixes languages, it doesn't mean that the child is confused. It just means that perhaps he couldn't think of the right word in the target language so he substituted what he did know. For most kids, this sorts itself out on its own. I recently interviewed a mother of bilingual toddlers and she noted that her children have always used the "correct" language when speaking (German with her, English with her husband).
Consistency is key
The most important thing to do is to be consistent with your language usage. If you choose to speak German 100% of the time with your kids, than try as much as possible to stick with that. Some families speak German at home and switch to English when they're out and about. Others speak German at breakfast and then switch to English for the rest of the day. Whatever you can do to ensure regular German input on a consistent basis will help to move your children along the road to a greater knowledge of German.
You won't regret it!
So to help kids think "outside the box" and gain a greater understanding of the world around them, help them to become bilingual. You'll be giving them a lifelong headstart in so many areas while providing connections to the past and other places. It is a great investment of time and energy but I guarantee that you won't regret it.
For more information on bilingual parenting, see 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child, available from Alphabet Garten.
Being bilingual teaches kids to be more flexible in their thinking
Bilingual kids are familiar with two different sets of grammar rules (even if they don't explicitly understand them). They are used to perceiving more subtle differences and nuances than monolingual children and are found to be more aware of meaning and structure in language since they experience so much more language input. A monolingual child only has to deal with one set of sounds when she's learning to speak. Bilingual kids will eventually have to differentiate when to use a German pronunciation for a word and when an English one is required. All this boils down to a higher level of flexibility and awareness that kids may extend to other areas of their lives (math, logic, etc.).
Bilingual kids can see that the world goes beyond just the United States.
Children who speak more than one language inherently understand that there is a wide variety of people in this world and not everyone speaks English. Their bilingualism may make them feel a bit different at first but many kids soon realize that their knowledge of two languages is something special.
How can I help my children become bilingual?
The best thing you can do is to start as early as possible. An early start helps establish habits you'll be able to carry on as your children grow. If you already speak German (or another language), you have a huge headstart, but it's not an absolute requirement. Many parents decide to learn a language right along with their children. You can create an at-home immersion environment with books, CDs, DVDs in German. If there are other German-speakers in the area, find out about social opportunities, join a German school or join (or start up) a German playgroup.
How do I know that this will work with my child?
Well, it all depends on your own circumstances and the level of immersion you'll be able to provide your child. Children have been growing up with 2 or more languages for thousands of years! It's not a new trend and it doesn't require expensive software or advanced study. If you or a family member is bilingual (or even has some compentance), start conversing in German, reading books, listening to music. Let it grow from there.
Won't learning two languages confuse my child?
Children have an amazing ability to learn languages almost effortlessly. You see it in a language explosion of a monolingual child from ages 2-4. It seems they they learn new words and phrases every day! Some children may mix their languages together for a time and others differentiate from a very early age. Even if a child mixes languages, it doesn't mean that the child is confused. It just means that perhaps he couldn't think of the right word in the target language so he substituted what he did know. For most kids, this sorts itself out on its own. I recently interviewed a mother of bilingual toddlers and she noted that her children have always used the "correct" language when speaking (German with her, English with her husband).
Consistency is key
The most important thing to do is to be consistent with your language usage. If you choose to speak German 100% of the time with your kids, than try as much as possible to stick with that. Some families speak German at home and switch to English when they're out and about. Others speak German at breakfast and then switch to English for the rest of the day. Whatever you can do to ensure regular German input on a consistent basis will help to move your children along the road to a greater knowledge of German.
You won't regret it!
So to help kids think "outside the box" and gain a greater understanding of the world around them, help them to become bilingual. You'll be giving them a lifelong headstart in so many areas while providing connections to the past and other places. It is a great investment of time and energy but I guarantee that you won't regret it.
For more information on bilingual parenting, see 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child, available from Alphabet Garten.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Announcing a Trip to Germany!
Have you been wishing for a trip to Germany this summer but it's just not in the cards? Well, why not join us instead?
No, this is not a real trip - this is a virtual trip that you take with your kids right in the comfort of your own home on your own time, and for way less than the cost of a plane ticket.
Grab your books and get ready to depart.
Grab your books and get ready to depart.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Non-native German with Hugo
Sarah interviews Laura Hoyer who is speaking non-native German with her two-year old son, Hugo.
Sarah: Hi Laura, thanks for taking the time to do an interview with me. So you have a two-year-old, right?
Laura: Yes, he just turned two in March. Hugo.
Sarah: Same age as my Jack pretty much…
Laura: Well, I have to say, I love your website! I don’t know what I would do without it.
Sarah: Really? Oh, fantastic!
Laura: Yeah, because before it, I guess you’d have to order it somewhere else, right? But yet you have it all there, it’s so organized, I love it.
Sarah: Oh, thank you! That’s fantastic. How long have you been a customer?
Laura: For two years. My mom found you actually. I don’t know how – she lives in New Jersey also and I think it was something to do with a New Jersey link or maybe you were in the paper… I don’t know what it was, but she found it, and she did the first order, and then I’ve been addicted ever since.
Sarah: Oh, wow, that’s so cool! Yeah, it’s undergone a lot of changes and we’re working really hard to kind of take it to the next level and really serve, especially people like you who are not native German speakers. I think that’s where we try to bring a lot of value – just to help you make things easy to find books that are going to be great and exciting, and you don’t have to wait for the stuff to come from Germany.
Laura: Exactly. And you give a good description, too, so it’s just easy. Easy shopping.
Sarah: Wow, that’s great to hear.
Laura: Yeah, I love it.
Sarah: That’s what I’m going for.
Laura: You’re doing everything right, so don’t worry.
Sarah: Oh, wow, well thank you. There’s always room for improvement, but thanks! So you said that you speak some German, your mom’s from Germany, is that right?
Laura: Right, so she watches him two or three days a week, and she speaks almost all exclusively German.
Sarah: Oh, that’s fantastic!
Laura: Yeah, so then I do half and half. You know, when I’m tired, I just give up. But my husband, he doesn’t speak any German at all. But I have to say he’s learning so much just from hearing me speak to him, having to read the books to him and everything. So it’s funny – he’s picking up a lot.
Sarah: Wow, that’s cool. So did your mom speak German to you growing up, or like half and half?
Laura: Not really. A little bit, and then, I have a younger brother, and when he came along, she didn’t do anything anymore really. I don’t know why, but yes, she didn’t, so she’s definitely making up with it with Hugo.
Sarah: Well, so how did you learn German then?
Laura: I guess it started with my mom a little bit, and then, in school. And then, even after school, then I joined like a little speaking group and reading group. It was small, there were only about four or five other people in there, so it was great. And I did that all the way up until Hugo was born. So that was the way I got my German exposure. And now that I don’t have that anymore I really notice. It takes a while to learn it, but then it goes away so quick.
Sarah: Right, definitely. Was that like a weekly thing or monthly thing?
Laura: Yeah, once a week. Once a week after work. Yeah, it was really fun. We’d have a bottle of wine, and we’d talk about – it was pretty much a reading group, you know, like a book club, let’s say, but in German.
Sarah: So you tried to conduct the whole thing in German, and you had a book that went along with it.
Laura: Yes. The leader of the group was from Germany. You know, she taught it pretty much as a class, too. She’d correct us during our conversation. I’d like to get back to it again one of these days, but I just don’t have the time now.
Sarah: Right, you’re working a couple of days a week?
Laura: Yes, I try to keep it part time.
Sarah: So how does Hugo respond? Does he answer in German?
Laura: Yes, he does mostly in German, but also in English too. But you can tell he understands it all, even when he answers in English. He definitely understands.
Sarah: Wow, that’s fantastic. What was his first German word?
Laura: “Nein”, of course! (laughing)
Sarah: (laughing) “Nein”
Laura: And it’s still a favorite word …
Sarah: Jack’s favorite word right now is “Wow.” He does that all the time – “Wow” – I guess I must say that a lot.
Laura: Maybe he’s easily impressed. That’s good.
Sarah: Yeah, I guess so. Maybe I’m kind of animated I guess when I’m looking at stuff, little kids are like, I might say that a lot.
Laura: You don’t realize that until they repeat it back to you, right?
Sarah: I definitely heard myself there. It’s all over his speech, it’s so funny.
Laura: They’re little parrots, right? They just repeat everything.
Sarah: One thing that I had done with the older kids too, but I hadn’t done it so much with Jack… If they said something in English, I’d just ask them to repeat it in German.
Laura: Oh, that’s a good idea!
Sarah: If he says, “Look at this!” Then I’ll say, “Ja, sag’ mal – ‘Schaul mal, Mommy’ ” – and then he says it right back to me. He’s in this really receptive parrot stage, so that’s really cool to hear him use the German words and then sometimes he tries to use them again.
Laura: I’ve noticed that too. With Hugo.
Sarah: So why did you want him to speak German? What are your goals, what are you hoping for?
Laura: Well, I really just wanted him to be familiar with another language. Because I feel that then down the road it will be easier for him to learn another language. Plus, I figured it would be nice if he understands and can communicate when we visit our relatives in Germany, you know. And I figure, it’s the best time to get started when they’re young.
Sarah: Absolutely. It’s so much harder when you wait.
Laura: Yes, and it’s really working out.
Sarah: Really?
Laura: I wasn’t sure if it was going to work but I started from the very beginning from when he was a baby and I’d read books to him in German, so I don’t know, so far, so good.
Sarah: So do you speak German with your mom, then, when the three of you are together?
Laura: We try to. So then he hears that too. But it is kind of difficult sometimes, because my German is not so great, I stumble a lot, and I make too many mistakes. And then, like you said, he’s a parrot, he’ll repeat the mistake. Then my mom will come over and say, oh, no, that’s not right.
Sarah: You kind of have to back up a little bit.
Laura: That’s definitely the challenging part, but I’m trying to keep with it, you know.
Sarah: So that’s been your biggest challenge?
Laura: Yes, definitely my biggest challenge.
Sarah: Getting to the same level that you want to be at.
Laura: And then, I’m a little worried – what’s going to happen, you know, in the future, but we shall see.
Sarah: Yeah, well, and if you have your mom, too, then she can keep you on track. He’ll hear from her, too. I’ve heard that if kids have one model of a good accent and proper grammar, then they’ll pick out the mistakes. He might start correcting you in a couple of years.
Laura: I’m sure he will. A little blow to the ego, right? (laughs)
Sarah: Exactly. (laughs) Keeps you humble.
Laura: What about your kids too, are they all at the same level? For their age?
Sarah: Well, we’ve found that as they got older, more and more English is sneaking in.
Laura: I’ve heard that from a lot of people, that it’s hard, because of school.
Sarah: We’re homeschooling too, so I don’t know if that’s helping in some ways, but in other ways, it’s a hindrance. I have to talk to them in English when I’m talking about math, or our curriculum is in English so … I’m actually working to try and find ways that we can start to do more formal German because we’re really lacking in that area right now. We haven’t talked about grammar or spelling or anything like that.
Laura: So you haven’t found a good book for that? For their age group?
Sarah: Um, there are lots of good books, I just haven’t really started using them. I like to just really read real books. Look for whatever we’re interested in, we’re really into nature right now, so we’ve got lots of bug books, bird books, stuff like that. We try to read those kinds of things and pick up that kind of vocabulary.
Laura: And then you hope the grammar follows.
Sarah: Right, exactly. And I think we will probably do formal stuff, maybe starting next year. My eight-year-old will be nine by then.
Laura: That’s probably a good year to start.
Sarah: We’re just trying to formalize it a little bit more. Right now, it’s a little bit less structured than I think I want. Actually we have some new things we’re working on with Alphabet Garten to have more lessons, but with a theme, so kids can learn more. Our next topic is going to be a trip to Germany, so we’re going to have lots of things surrounding that – you know, what would you do if you took a trip to Germany, and looking at maps, and talking about the culture and the customs.
Laura: Oh, that’s really good. That’s also a nice on-going project, too.
Sarah: Right.
Laura: Yeah, that is exciting. I love how you’re doing outdoor stuff because spring is in the air, right?
Sarah: We’re outside all the time, it’s so fun. So, you know, there’s always room for improvement, right?
Laura: True.
Sarah: They do understand quite a bit, and they speak to the two-year-old in German, which is nice. They know that’s what he understands better. So if they really want him to respond, then they’ll say, “Nein, mach das nicht!” I’ve also heard some people, they’ll tell their older kid, when the baby is born, “The baby does not understand English, so you have to speak German to this baby.”
Laura: Oh, I like that!
Sarah: Yeah, then they grow up speaking only German, especially if they have a really strong base, they grow up only speaking German amongst each other. So that’s a useful trick to do.
Laura: I can imagine. There is a little girl in our class who only speaks German. And she hasn’t even really heard much English yet. So she’s really lucky in that way. Because you hear that once they start school or they join activities, then the English comes naturally.
Sarah: Right. Well, you want it to come eventually but you want to postpone it as long as possible
Laura: Yeah, definitely.
Sarah: To get the German a chance to take hold, really.
Laura: I have to say, those books have been so useful. Hugo loves books so I only buy books in German. He gets gifts that are in English, but when I buy them, I only buy in German. And so he relates to characters and he repeats what was read to him, so it helps him, and it actually helps me, too. I mean, it’s improved my vocabulary. For words that I would never even think about using before.
Sarah: Which are his favorite books? What kinds of books do you read?
Laura: Oh, his favorites. He has so many favorites. Recently, I just bought Eins, zwei, drei, Tier – do you remember that one? He loves it, he has it memorized, that’s how much he liked it. So in the car, we go through it, you know, so it’s kind of fun. You know the very first one, Erste Bilder, Erste Wörter book? Right from the beginning, and he still loves it. Because he likes to compare the pictures in the book to real life. And the Mini Lesemaus series – he loves those. Also the Max series, we have a few of those.
Sarah: Let’s see – Max und der Schnuller. Yeah, those are so cute.
Laura: Yeah, they’re very cute. Oh, what’s the one with Jakob?
Sarah: Schlaf gut, Jakob.
Laura: That’s also a favorite. There’s so many, but that’s definitely the top hits.
Sarah: Excellent. So you guys just read those over and over again? Pick up the words from there.
Laura: Yes, it’s just amazing how quick he picks it up. I don’t know, just how he relates to it in real life. But you know what, I haven’t tried the DVDs yet because he just recently pays attention to TV – he never had any interest in it at all. So that’s going to be next on my list, I think. Getting a few DVDs.
Sarah: Now do you have a multi-region DVD player?
Laura: No, but I saw that you did, so I’m thinking I might as well get that one.
Sarah: It’s nice because if they’re going to watch TV eventually anyways, then they might as well watch in German, right?
Laura: Yeah, exactly. Oh, and also, speaking of DVDs, we recently discovered Sesame Street. I got those little Sesame Pixi books that you have.
Sarah: Aren’t they great?
Laura: Yes, those are really good. And he loves them. So yeah, any more Sesame Street, that would be great.
Sarah: There’s like a new Big Bird movie which I’m going to get. There have been some other Sesame Street ones but they went out of print. But there is a full length Big Bird movie. So that one should be coming. [Note: the German Big Bird DVD is now available.] There are a lot of Sesame Street fans out there.
Laura: They’re completely clued in to the kids. The first time he saw it, he was into it.
Sarah: You said that when you were shopping, you love the website. Did you have any hesitations initially about ordering?
Laura: Oh, no, I didn’t at all. But then again, like I said, my mom ordered first. And she passed it on to me.
Laura: When I placed my first order, no, I didn’t. And like I said, it was really easy to find, I went right to the board books, and the age group. And it was easy to scroll through.
Sarah: Did you have a hard time deciding which ones to buy?
Laura: I guess, at first. But now I’m so familiar with it, but it was a little overwhelming at first. And also, what’s really good for a baby? But now that he’s older, it’s definitely easier. But sometimes I glance at the other categories to see what’s ahead.
Sarah: Right, lots of good stuff coming up. Let’s see, now, you said he’s going to German school too, right?
Laura: Yes, on Saturdays. He loves it; they sing, do little dances, and they do crafts. He has a great time. That is also good for me as well. All the other mothers or grandmothers, fathers that are there, most of them are native speakers, so that is great for me to learn too.
Sarah: So you’re getting to use your German there too.
Laura: I think we’re lucky that we have this German school so close.
Sarah: Here’s a good question - do you have any advice for someone starting out – maybe again not a native speaker, a little hesitant about whether or not they can do this with their child – do you have any words of advice?
Laura: I just feel that when they’re so young they’re so receptive, and I feel that even if you don’t have a huge vocabulary or your grammar is not so great that anything you do know you can teach them and they will pick it up. And even if you aren’t, I see with my husband, he reads the books, and he picks things up. So even if you aren’t a native speaker or you’re not that fluent, there are still things for kids to learn.
Sarah: Absolutely. Well, is there anything that we could offer – anything that would be useful to you in terms of helping to either learn more German?
Laura: One thing that’s been good already is the list you put of what to do when you’re disciplining them, that was really good. I picked up some things in there. Anything like that. And I also love the flashcards, just keep on adding to that.
Sarah: Okay, absolutely.
Laura: That was really helpful. Or anything you find that you say a lot during the day.
Sarah: Yes, I like the lists, I need to do more lists.
Laura: The lists are great. Oh, and I told you the Mini Lesemaus is the favorite around here. Have you gotten feedback from anyone else on that series?
Sarah: Yes, everybody loves that one. It’s a total hit. It’s probably one of the favorites, because it’s so sturdy, and you have the words isolated.
Laura: It’s just the right length for their attention span.
Sarah: I think the size of the books is pretty good too.
Laura: Yeah, that’s true. You know, the Sesame Street Pixis, they’re almost too small.
Sarah: Yeah, the Pixis are paperback, a little more destructible. So what about CDs? Have you guys listened to any CDs?
Laura: No, we haven’t actually. You know, I should look on your site and see what you have.
Sarah: Those are so fun, and so easy, because all you have to do is listen. And then you have it on in the car and you listen to it, you know, ten times, and it just sinks into your head.
Laura: That’s great. Well, I hope I gave you enough information.
Sarah: Absolutely. Like I said, I’m so glad you like the site!
Laura: Yes, it’s great.
Sarah: Thank you for your time.
Bilingual Families Wanted!
We are always looking for new families to interview! Even if you are not a native speaker of German and don't consider yourself to be bilingual, we'd still love to chat. It's quick, painless, and lots of fun! Plus, we'll send you a free book for participating.
If you'd like to be interviewed on our blog, please send an e-mail to thea (at) alphabet-garten.com .
Sarah: Hi Laura, thanks for taking the time to do an interview with me. So you have a two-year-old, right?
Laura: Yes, he just turned two in March. Hugo.
Sarah: Same age as my Jack pretty much…
Laura: Well, I have to say, I love your website! I don’t know what I would do without it.
Sarah: Really? Oh, fantastic!
Laura: Yeah, because before it, I guess you’d have to order it somewhere else, right? But yet you have it all there, it’s so organized, I love it.
Sarah: Oh, thank you! That’s fantastic. How long have you been a customer?
Laura: For two years. My mom found you actually. I don’t know how – she lives in New Jersey also and I think it was something to do with a New Jersey link or maybe you were in the paper… I don’t know what it was, but she found it, and she did the first order, and then I’ve been addicted ever since.
Sarah: Oh, wow, that’s so cool! Yeah, it’s undergone a lot of changes and we’re working really hard to kind of take it to the next level and really serve, especially people like you who are not native German speakers. I think that’s where we try to bring a lot of value – just to help you make things easy to find books that are going to be great and exciting, and you don’t have to wait for the stuff to come from Germany.
Laura: Exactly. And you give a good description, too, so it’s just easy. Easy shopping.
Sarah: Wow, that’s great to hear.
Laura: Yeah, I love it.
Sarah: That’s what I’m going for.
Laura: You’re doing everything right, so don’t worry.
Sarah: Oh, wow, well thank you. There’s always room for improvement, but thanks! So you said that you speak some German, your mom’s from Germany, is that right?
Laura: Right, so she watches him two or three days a week, and she speaks almost all exclusively German.
Sarah: Oh, that’s fantastic!
Laura: Yeah, so then I do half and half. You know, when I’m tired, I just give up. But my husband, he doesn’t speak any German at all. But I have to say he’s learning so much just from hearing me speak to him, having to read the books to him and everything. So it’s funny – he’s picking up a lot.
Sarah: Wow, that’s cool. So did your mom speak German to you growing up, or like half and half?
Laura: Not really. A little bit, and then, I have a younger brother, and when he came along, she didn’t do anything anymore really. I don’t know why, but yes, she didn’t, so she’s definitely making up with it with Hugo.
Sarah: Well, so how did you learn German then?
Laura: I guess it started with my mom a little bit, and then, in school. And then, even after school, then I joined like a little speaking group and reading group. It was small, there were only about four or five other people in there, so it was great. And I did that all the way up until Hugo was born. So that was the way I got my German exposure. And now that I don’t have that anymore I really notice. It takes a while to learn it, but then it goes away so quick.
Sarah: Right, definitely. Was that like a weekly thing or monthly thing?
Laura: Yeah, once a week. Once a week after work. Yeah, it was really fun. We’d have a bottle of wine, and we’d talk about – it was pretty much a reading group, you know, like a book club, let’s say, but in German.
Sarah: So you tried to conduct the whole thing in German, and you had a book that went along with it.
Laura: Yes. The leader of the group was from Germany. You know, she taught it pretty much as a class, too. She’d correct us during our conversation. I’d like to get back to it again one of these days, but I just don’t have the time now.
Sarah: Right, you’re working a couple of days a week?
Laura: Yes, I try to keep it part time.
Sarah: So how does Hugo respond? Does he answer in German?
Laura: Yes, he does mostly in German, but also in English too. But you can tell he understands it all, even when he answers in English. He definitely understands.
Sarah: Wow, that’s fantastic. What was his first German word?
Laura: “Nein”, of course! (laughing)
Sarah: (laughing) “Nein”
Laura: And it’s still a favorite word …
Sarah: Jack’s favorite word right now is “Wow.” He does that all the time – “Wow” – I guess I must say that a lot.
Laura: Maybe he’s easily impressed. That’s good.
Sarah: Yeah, I guess so. Maybe I’m kind of animated I guess when I’m looking at stuff, little kids are like, I might say that a lot.
Laura: You don’t realize that until they repeat it back to you, right?
Sarah: I definitely heard myself there. It’s all over his speech, it’s so funny.
Laura: They’re little parrots, right? They just repeat everything.
Sarah: One thing that I had done with the older kids too, but I hadn’t done it so much with Jack… If they said something in English, I’d just ask them to repeat it in German.
Laura: Oh, that’s a good idea!
Sarah: If he says, “Look at this!” Then I’ll say, “Ja, sag’ mal – ‘Schaul mal, Mommy’ ” – and then he says it right back to me. He’s in this really receptive parrot stage, so that’s really cool to hear him use the German words and then sometimes he tries to use them again.
Laura: I’ve noticed that too. With Hugo.
Sarah: So why did you want him to speak German? What are your goals, what are you hoping for?
Laura: Well, I really just wanted him to be familiar with another language. Because I feel that then down the road it will be easier for him to learn another language. Plus, I figured it would be nice if he understands and can communicate when we visit our relatives in Germany, you know. And I figure, it’s the best time to get started when they’re young.
Sarah: Absolutely. It’s so much harder when you wait.
Laura: Yes, and it’s really working out.
Sarah: Really?
Laura: I wasn’t sure if it was going to work but I started from the very beginning from when he was a baby and I’d read books to him in German, so I don’t know, so far, so good.
Sarah: So do you speak German with your mom, then, when the three of you are together?
Laura: We try to. So then he hears that too. But it is kind of difficult sometimes, because my German is not so great, I stumble a lot, and I make too many mistakes. And then, like you said, he’s a parrot, he’ll repeat the mistake. Then my mom will come over and say, oh, no, that’s not right.
Sarah: You kind of have to back up a little bit.
Laura: That’s definitely the challenging part, but I’m trying to keep with it, you know.
Sarah: So that’s been your biggest challenge?
Laura: Yes, definitely my biggest challenge.
Sarah: Getting to the same level that you want to be at.
Laura: And then, I’m a little worried – what’s going to happen, you know, in the future, but we shall see.
Sarah: Yeah, well, and if you have your mom, too, then she can keep you on track. He’ll hear from her, too. I’ve heard that if kids have one model of a good accent and proper grammar, then they’ll pick out the mistakes. He might start correcting you in a couple of years.
Laura: I’m sure he will. A little blow to the ego, right? (laughs)
Sarah: Exactly. (laughs) Keeps you humble.
Laura: What about your kids too, are they all at the same level? For their age?
Sarah: Well, we’ve found that as they got older, more and more English is sneaking in.
Laura: I’ve heard that from a lot of people, that it’s hard, because of school.
Sarah: We’re homeschooling too, so I don’t know if that’s helping in some ways, but in other ways, it’s a hindrance. I have to talk to them in English when I’m talking about math, or our curriculum is in English so … I’m actually working to try and find ways that we can start to do more formal German because we’re really lacking in that area right now. We haven’t talked about grammar or spelling or anything like that.
Laura: So you haven’t found a good book for that? For their age group?
Sarah: Um, there are lots of good books, I just haven’t really started using them. I like to just really read real books. Look for whatever we’re interested in, we’re really into nature right now, so we’ve got lots of bug books, bird books, stuff like that. We try to read those kinds of things and pick up that kind of vocabulary.
Laura: And then you hope the grammar follows.
Sarah: Right, exactly. And I think we will probably do formal stuff, maybe starting next year. My eight-year-old will be nine by then.
Laura: That’s probably a good year to start.
Sarah: We’re just trying to formalize it a little bit more. Right now, it’s a little bit less structured than I think I want. Actually we have some new things we’re working on with Alphabet Garten to have more lessons, but with a theme, so kids can learn more. Our next topic is going to be a trip to Germany, so we’re going to have lots of things surrounding that – you know, what would you do if you took a trip to Germany, and looking at maps, and talking about the culture and the customs.
Laura: Oh, that’s really good. That’s also a nice on-going project, too.
Sarah: Right.
Laura: Yeah, that is exciting. I love how you’re doing outdoor stuff because spring is in the air, right?
Sarah: We’re outside all the time, it’s so fun. So, you know, there’s always room for improvement, right?
Laura: True.
Sarah: They do understand quite a bit, and they speak to the two-year-old in German, which is nice. They know that’s what he understands better. So if they really want him to respond, then they’ll say, “Nein, mach das nicht!” I’ve also heard some people, they’ll tell their older kid, when the baby is born, “The baby does not understand English, so you have to speak German to this baby.”
Laura: Oh, I like that!
Sarah: Yeah, then they grow up speaking only German, especially if they have a really strong base, they grow up only speaking German amongst each other. So that’s a useful trick to do.
Laura: I can imagine. There is a little girl in our class who only speaks German. And she hasn’t even really heard much English yet. So she’s really lucky in that way. Because you hear that once they start school or they join activities, then the English comes naturally.
Sarah: Right. Well, you want it to come eventually but you want to postpone it as long as possible
Laura: Yeah, definitely.
Sarah: To get the German a chance to take hold, really.
Laura: I have to say, those books have been so useful. Hugo loves books so I only buy books in German. He gets gifts that are in English, but when I buy them, I only buy in German. And so he relates to characters and he repeats what was read to him, so it helps him, and it actually helps me, too. I mean, it’s improved my vocabulary. For words that I would never even think about using before.
Sarah: Which are his favorite books? What kinds of books do you read?
Laura: Oh, his favorites. He has so many favorites. Recently, I just bought Eins, zwei, drei, Tier – do you remember that one? He loves it, he has it memorized, that’s how much he liked it. So in the car, we go through it, you know, so it’s kind of fun. You know the very first one, Erste Bilder, Erste Wörter book? Right from the beginning, and he still loves it. Because he likes to compare the pictures in the book to real life. And the Mini Lesemaus series – he loves those. Also the Max series, we have a few of those.
Sarah: Let’s see – Max und der Schnuller. Yeah, those are so cute.
Laura: Yeah, they’re very cute. Oh, what’s the one with Jakob?
Sarah: Schlaf gut, Jakob.
Laura: That’s also a favorite. There’s so many, but that’s definitely the top hits.
Sarah: Excellent. So you guys just read those over and over again? Pick up the words from there.
Laura: Yes, it’s just amazing how quick he picks it up. I don’t know, just how he relates to it in real life. But you know what, I haven’t tried the DVDs yet because he just recently pays attention to TV – he never had any interest in it at all. So that’s going to be next on my list, I think. Getting a few DVDs.
Sarah: Now do you have a multi-region DVD player?
Laura: No, but I saw that you did, so I’m thinking I might as well get that one.
Sarah: It’s nice because if they’re going to watch TV eventually anyways, then they might as well watch in German, right?
Laura: Yeah, exactly. Oh, and also, speaking of DVDs, we recently discovered Sesame Street. I got those little Sesame Pixi books that you have.
Sarah: Aren’t they great?
Laura: Yes, those are really good. And he loves them. So yeah, any more Sesame Street, that would be great.
Sarah: There’s like a new Big Bird movie which I’m going to get. There have been some other Sesame Street ones but they went out of print. But there is a full length Big Bird movie. So that one should be coming. [Note: the German Big Bird DVD is now available.] There are a lot of Sesame Street fans out there.
Laura: They’re completely clued in to the kids. The first time he saw it, he was into it.
Sarah: You said that when you were shopping, you love the website. Did you have any hesitations initially about ordering?
Laura: Oh, no, I didn’t at all. But then again, like I said, my mom ordered first. And she passed it on to me.
Laura: When I placed my first order, no, I didn’t. And like I said, it was really easy to find, I went right to the board books, and the age group. And it was easy to scroll through.
Sarah: Did you have a hard time deciding which ones to buy?
Laura: I guess, at first. But now I’m so familiar with it, but it was a little overwhelming at first. And also, what’s really good for a baby? But now that he’s older, it’s definitely easier. But sometimes I glance at the other categories to see what’s ahead.
Sarah: Right, lots of good stuff coming up. Let’s see, now, you said he’s going to German school too, right?
Laura: Yes, on Saturdays. He loves it; they sing, do little dances, and they do crafts. He has a great time. That is also good for me as well. All the other mothers or grandmothers, fathers that are there, most of them are native speakers, so that is great for me to learn too.
Sarah: So you’re getting to use your German there too.
Laura: I think we’re lucky that we have this German school so close.
Sarah: Here’s a good question - do you have any advice for someone starting out – maybe again not a native speaker, a little hesitant about whether or not they can do this with their child – do you have any words of advice?
Laura: I just feel that when they’re so young they’re so receptive, and I feel that even if you don’t have a huge vocabulary or your grammar is not so great that anything you do know you can teach them and they will pick it up. And even if you aren’t, I see with my husband, he reads the books, and he picks things up. So even if you aren’t a native speaker or you’re not that fluent, there are still things for kids to learn.
Sarah: Absolutely. Well, is there anything that we could offer – anything that would be useful to you in terms of helping to either learn more German?
Laura: One thing that’s been good already is the list you put of what to do when you’re disciplining them, that was really good. I picked up some things in there. Anything like that. And I also love the flashcards, just keep on adding to that.
Sarah: Okay, absolutely.
Laura: That was really helpful. Or anything you find that you say a lot during the day.
Sarah: Yes, I like the lists, I need to do more lists.
Laura: The lists are great. Oh, and I told you the Mini Lesemaus is the favorite around here. Have you gotten feedback from anyone else on that series?
Sarah: Yes, everybody loves that one. It’s a total hit. It’s probably one of the favorites, because it’s so sturdy, and you have the words isolated.
Laura: It’s just the right length for their attention span.
Sarah: I think the size of the books is pretty good too.
Laura: Yeah, that’s true. You know, the Sesame Street Pixis, they’re almost too small.
Sarah: Yeah, the Pixis are paperback, a little more destructible. So what about CDs? Have you guys listened to any CDs?
Laura: No, we haven’t actually. You know, I should look on your site and see what you have.
Sarah: Those are so fun, and so easy, because all you have to do is listen. And then you have it on in the car and you listen to it, you know, ten times, and it just sinks into your head.
Laura: That’s great. Well, I hope I gave you enough information.
Sarah: Absolutely. Like I said, I’m so glad you like the site!
Laura: Yes, it’s great.
Sarah: Thank you for your time.
Bilingual Families Wanted!
We are always looking for new families to interview! Even if you are not a native speaker of German and don't consider yourself to be bilingual, we'd still love to chat. It's quick, painless, and lots of fun! Plus, we'll send you a free book for participating.
If you'd like to be interviewed on our blog, please send an e-mail to thea (at) alphabet-garten.com .
Monday, June 29, 2009
Bilingual and glad
The other day we were at the library and my son asked another little boy a question (in English). The little boy stared back at him without responding. The boy's big sister came to his rescue - "He doesn't speak English yet. Just Spanish" But she obviously did. I asked her "But you speak English and Spanish?" She emphatically nodded with a great big smile on her face. She is obviously proud of her bilingualism.
Others may not feel so proud and willing to share their bilingualism.
In the past, many immigrants to this country tried to shed their foreign culture, accent and language and become "American." I have a friend who spoke 4 languages at home (2 Filipino dialects, English and French) up until starting kindergarten. When she was asked to speak to a teacher in Tagalog, she couldn't because that language wasn't spoken in her home. Her teacher took this as disobedience and her parents were called. The end result was that her family stopped speaking their native languages at home in an effort to improve her English and help her fit in. What a shame that they felt pressured to obscure their Filipino heritage.
Being bilingual (or multilingual) shouldn't be something to hide.
Being bilingual says something about who someone is - about where they come from and what they value.
If you try to hide this, you miss out on the whole person. The picture just isn't complete. The shame a child will feel due to hiding his family's heritage will surely turn him away from his roots and make him try to become someone he isn't.
Teach your kids that being bilingual is special.
Tell them about where the family comes from and how these languages came to be in your family. Make sure they understand why you've chosen to teach them two (or more) languages. Did you have relatives in another country? Did the family emigrate at one time? Did someone learn a language in school and decide to make it part of the home? These are fascinating topics for kids and help them see their place in the context of the larger world.
In conclusion
The good news is that my friend still speaks 3 of the 4 languages she grew up. She didn't lose out on that piece of her background. However, she was quite pained when discussing it with me. The little girl at the library shares none of this pain. Make sure your kids value knowing German just as much. The more they love it, the better they will do and the more likely they are to pass it on to the next generation.
Others may not feel so proud and willing to share their bilingualism.
In the past, many immigrants to this country tried to shed their foreign culture, accent and language and become "American." I have a friend who spoke 4 languages at home (2 Filipino dialects, English and French) up until starting kindergarten. When she was asked to speak to a teacher in Tagalog, she couldn't because that language wasn't spoken in her home. Her teacher took this as disobedience and her parents were called. The end result was that her family stopped speaking their native languages at home in an effort to improve her English and help her fit in. What a shame that they felt pressured to obscure their Filipino heritage.
Being bilingual (or multilingual) shouldn't be something to hide.
Being bilingual says something about who someone is - about where they come from and what they value.
If you try to hide this, you miss out on the whole person. The picture just isn't complete. The shame a child will feel due to hiding his family's heritage will surely turn him away from his roots and make him try to become someone he isn't.
Teach your kids that being bilingual is special.
Tell them about where the family comes from and how these languages came to be in your family. Make sure they understand why you've chosen to teach them two (or more) languages. Did you have relatives in another country? Did the family emigrate at one time? Did someone learn a language in school and decide to make it part of the home? These are fascinating topics for kids and help them see their place in the context of the larger world.
In conclusion
The good news is that my friend still speaks 3 of the 4 languages she grew up. She didn't lose out on that piece of her background. However, she was quite pained when discussing it with me. The little girl at the library shares none of this pain. Make sure your kids value knowing German just as much. The more they love it, the better they will do and the more likely they are to pass it on to the next generation.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
How to involve a parent who doesn't speak German
You're having a dream: You're in a room with a bunch of people chattering away in a foreign tongue. They talk to you, make jokes, and are having a wonderful time. They smile and nod at you, and the volume in the room is growing ever louder. All the while, you are feeling more and more left out and baffled as to what they are saying.
Is this a scene from a Kafka novel? Nope - it's what some monolingual parents imagine when they think about their kids growing up speaking German with their bilingual spouses.
One of the most common reasons a family gives up on German as a second language is because one of the parent's doesn't speak it.
Reality usually isn't quite as harsh as our Kafka nightmare, but it can be an obstacle for families where one parent is bilingual and the other is not. The English-only parent (EOP) feels left out and excluded from family conversations, the bilingual parent (BP) is torn between wanting to provide as much German as possible without leaving her spouse out in the cold.
But bilingual family life doesn't have to be all confusion and exclusion for the parent who doesn't speak German. Take a look at these suggestions to help pave the way for linguistic harmony.
1. Create your family's language goals and objectives together.
Probably the most important step, when you discuss your goals regarding German together, it's much easier for the EOP to be supportive and feel involved.
2. Build family traditions together that transcend the language.
If you're consciously integrating German culture into your family activities, this is a great time for the EOP to be involved. You can all enjoy a Laternenzug on Martinstag or give Schultüten on the first day of school. These German traditions can be enjoyed by all and will create a sense of family unity which is not based on language ability.
3. Allow and encourage your children to do some mixing or "code-switching."
Some families like to be very strict about never mixing German and English in the same conversation or sentence. But most bilinguals are very comfortable switching back and forth depending on the context - perhaps your children wouldn't dream of calling a pretzel anything other than a "Bretze" and they do so even in an English sentence, or they throw in some German words when telling their EOP about the German DVD they watched. This is an easy way for the EOP to pick up a few German words and allow the kids to enjoy their ability to pick which language is right for a particular thought. This kind of linguistic play is lots of fun for bilinguals and you can encourage it in your family.
4. Offer the EOP some of our free Parenting auf Deutsch phrase guides.
He can then issue commands in German with confidence!
5. Make sure the EOP has quality time with the kids in his native English.
Encourage him to share songs with them in English, tell jokes, or read stories. They will be sure to treasure these times with him.
6. If you start when the children are small and you use a large amount of German at home, you may find that the EOP learns along with the kids.
Perhaps he gets to the point where he can understand most of a conversation and is able to then respond and participate in English. No more exclusion!
7. Suggest formal learning.
This takes the previous point one step further. If the EOP decides to study German himself, within a few years, he can be close to catching up with the kids. Podcasts like One Minute German and Rosetta Stone software make it possible to study German with a small investment of time daily. Formal study will also impress your children of the commitment the family has made to German - if Dad is taking the time to learn this, I guess it's pretty important!
Why is it important to speak German around an English-only parent (EOP)?
Of course you don't have to speak German even when the EOP is around - many families do just fine switching to English when necessary and back to German when everyone present can understand. However, sticking to German more often has it's advantages - the children will get more exposure which will ultimately lead to more advanced fluency. They may be more accepting of German as they hear more of it.
Be proactive - make sure there are no Kafka-esque scenes in your home.
A little preparation to involve your English-only spouse in the German aspects of your family will pay off - no metamorphosis required.
Is this a scene from a Kafka novel? Nope - it's what some monolingual parents imagine when they think about their kids growing up speaking German with their bilingual spouses.
One of the most common reasons a family gives up on German as a second language is because one of the parent's doesn't speak it.
Reality usually isn't quite as harsh as our Kafka nightmare, but it can be an obstacle for families where one parent is bilingual and the other is not. The English-only parent (EOP) feels left out and excluded from family conversations, the bilingual parent (BP) is torn between wanting to provide as much German as possible without leaving her spouse out in the cold.
But bilingual family life doesn't have to be all confusion and exclusion for the parent who doesn't speak German. Take a look at these suggestions to help pave the way for linguistic harmony.
1. Create your family's language goals and objectives together.
Probably the most important step, when you discuss your goals regarding German together, it's much easier for the EOP to be supportive and feel involved.
2. Build family traditions together that transcend the language.
If you're consciously integrating German culture into your family activities, this is a great time for the EOP to be involved. You can all enjoy a Laternenzug on Martinstag or give Schultüten on the first day of school. These German traditions can be enjoyed by all and will create a sense of family unity which is not based on language ability.
3. Allow and encourage your children to do some mixing or "code-switching."
Some families like to be very strict about never mixing German and English in the same conversation or sentence. But most bilinguals are very comfortable switching back and forth depending on the context - perhaps your children wouldn't dream of calling a pretzel anything other than a "Bretze" and they do so even in an English sentence, or they throw in some German words when telling their EOP about the German DVD they watched. This is an easy way for the EOP to pick up a few German words and allow the kids to enjoy their ability to pick which language is right for a particular thought. This kind of linguistic play is lots of fun for bilinguals and you can encourage it in your family.
4. Offer the EOP some of our free Parenting auf Deutsch phrase guides.
He can then issue commands in German with confidence!
5. Make sure the EOP has quality time with the kids in his native English.
Encourage him to share songs with them in English, tell jokes, or read stories. They will be sure to treasure these times with him.
6. If you start when the children are small and you use a large amount of German at home, you may find that the EOP learns along with the kids.
Perhaps he gets to the point where he can understand most of a conversation and is able to then respond and participate in English. No more exclusion!
7. Suggest formal learning.
This takes the previous point one step further. If the EOP decides to study German himself, within a few years, he can be close to catching up with the kids. Podcasts like One Minute German and Rosetta Stone software make it possible to study German with a small investment of time daily. Formal study will also impress your children of the commitment the family has made to German - if Dad is taking the time to learn this, I guess it's pretty important!
Why is it important to speak German around an English-only parent (EOP)?
Of course you don't have to speak German even when the EOP is around - many families do just fine switching to English when necessary and back to German when everyone present can understand. However, sticking to German more often has it's advantages - the children will get more exposure which will ultimately lead to more advanced fluency. They may be more accepting of German as they hear more of it.
Be proactive - make sure there are no Kafka-esque scenes in your home.
A little preparation to involve your English-only spouse in the German aspects of your family will pay off - no metamorphosis required.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
How to calm a child with Attention by Reading
I was trying to get something done this morning and my two year old was doing everything in his power to be disruptive. He was grabbing books, throwing toys, singing at the top of his lungs and interrupting me every two seconds. Frustration was mounting. I was heating up. I finally decided enough was enough. This situation called for serious Attention by Reading.
He had a big basket full of German boardbooks on the floor. I sat him in my lap and we read. Book after book. He handed them to me one after another, often before I had even finished the one I was reading. As soon as he had my attention, he melted. All the frustrations were gone, leaving just a sweet chubby boy nestled in my lap. The Attention by Reading had done it's job.
What is Attention by Reading?
Attention by Reading is when you give your child your full and undivided attention through sharing a story. You let him pick the book, you let him decide when to move on, you let him set the pace. Disruptive behavior is usually a cry for attention and it usually gets negative attention. When you practice Attention by Reading, you replace the negative with the positive and everyone emerges rested and refreshed.
Why is Attention by Reading so powerful?
You've heard the complaints before. Kids these days are spoiled. They have way too many toys. They don't appreciate all their parents do for them. Yet in our busy lives, the one things kids don't have often enough is our full and undivided attention. In the hectic pace of day to day life, there's always another room to pick up, the race out the door to a soccer practice to race, a bill to be paid. Kids may have lots of things but they often don't receive quiet uninterrupted time with a parent to just be together. In the grand scheme of things, which is more important?
When you drop everything to read with a child, he sees that he is valuable to you.
He knows mom is busy and often rushing around. But if mom stops to be with him, it shows him that he is important to her, at least as important as all the other things on her to-do list. When you let him be in control by picking books and setting the pace, he feels capable and strong. Do your kids know they are as important to you as is serving dinner on time? This is one way to show them.
When you cuddle him in your lap or sit close on the couch, he is immediately calmed. His breathing will relax and he will snuggle in closer. His mind focuses on the story, the pictures, the sound of your voice. All other distractions in the room fade away. As he focuses, he is calmed and his energy is restored to a positive place. The frustrations that were so important to him (and you) a few minutes before are no more. All is well in the universe for a kid who's snuggled up sharing a book with a parent.
Attention is love!
Your child knows it. If you show him you know it, too, you will be greatly rewarded.
Reading with a child is a direct path to build a bond and reconnect with him.
Don't neglect this opportunity! It's free, it's fun, and it's guaranteed to improve the behavior around your house!
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a two year old who needs some more attention. I'm off to find a book.
He had a big basket full of German boardbooks on the floor. I sat him in my lap and we read. Book after book. He handed them to me one after another, often before I had even finished the one I was reading. As soon as he had my attention, he melted. All the frustrations were gone, leaving just a sweet chubby boy nestled in my lap. The Attention by Reading had done it's job.
What is Attention by Reading?
Attention by Reading is when you give your child your full and undivided attention through sharing a story. You let him pick the book, you let him decide when to move on, you let him set the pace. Disruptive behavior is usually a cry for attention and it usually gets negative attention. When you practice Attention by Reading, you replace the negative with the positive and everyone emerges rested and refreshed.
Why is Attention by Reading so powerful?
You've heard the complaints before. Kids these days are spoiled. They have way too many toys. They don't appreciate all their parents do for them. Yet in our busy lives, the one things kids don't have often enough is our full and undivided attention. In the hectic pace of day to day life, there's always another room to pick up, the race out the door to a soccer practice to race, a bill to be paid. Kids may have lots of things but they often don't receive quiet uninterrupted time with a parent to just be together. In the grand scheme of things, which is more important?
When you drop everything to read with a child, he sees that he is valuable to you.
He knows mom is busy and often rushing around. But if mom stops to be with him, it shows him that he is important to her, at least as important as all the other things on her to-do list. When you let him be in control by picking books and setting the pace, he feels capable and strong. Do your kids know they are as important to you as is serving dinner on time? This is one way to show them.
When you cuddle him in your lap or sit close on the couch, he is immediately calmed. His breathing will relax and he will snuggle in closer. His mind focuses on the story, the pictures, the sound of your voice. All other distractions in the room fade away. As he focuses, he is calmed and his energy is restored to a positive place. The frustrations that were so important to him (and you) a few minutes before are no more. All is well in the universe for a kid who's snuggled up sharing a book with a parent.
Attention is love!
Your child knows it. If you show him you know it, too, you will be greatly rewarded.
Reading with a child is a direct path to build a bond and reconnect with him.
Don't neglect this opportunity! It's free, it's fun, and it's guaranteed to improve the behavior around your house!
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a two year old who needs some more attention. I'm off to find a book.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
For job prospects, why not learn a more useful language, like Spanish?
Spanish is often considered the "practical" language for high school and college students. You can easily hear Spanish spoken in most public places these days. People think that since there aren't large visible pockets of German speakers in this country, that German is only good if you're going to travel to Europe.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Look at the numbers.
While there are significantly more Spanish speakers in the U.S. (28 million vs. 1.4 million) Source: Wikipedia, that means that it's that much harder to stand out if Spanish is your only foreign language. Someone learning Spanish will have to compete for jobs with exponentially more native Spanish speakers. In fact someone who's not fluent in Spanish probably has no chance of competing for a job requiring Spanish since there will, by sheer numbers, be so many more native Spanish speakers. You've lost before you've even started.
German speakers, being far fewer in number, have less competition and more opportunity to be noticed.
Think about it - do you want your child to be a small fish in a big (enormous, actually) pond or a bigger fish in a very small pond. Being bilingual in German and English will put your child into a very select group. While I'm not suggesting your children strive for mediocrity, an intermediate level of German may be worth more than advanced mastery of Spanish.
German helps you stand out
In today's tight job market, anything your child can do to stand out from the crowd will enhance his chances of landing a job. Being bilingual in German or even having a lower level of competency, will make him a bit more interesting to a hiring manager. So many people have some kind of connection to Europe and the German language - they spent some time in the military there, they have a German relative in the family, or they vacationed on the Rhein. It makes for a great ice-breaker and can help open doors for your job-hunting child.
Think that there are no opportunities to use German on the job?
Think again.
Let's look at some more numbers.
Germany has the third largest economy in the world and as of 2007 was the world's largest importer and exporter despite the strength of the Euro. German companies employ 700,000 people in the United States and American companies account for roughly the same number of jobs in Germany. German companies are spread throughout the world and being able to speak German will give your child a significant advantage with these companies.
World view not U.S. view
If you've spent time studying the language and German culture with your child, he will be able to better relate to colleagues who are not American. A common complaint in other countries is that Americans are insensitive to other cultures; hopefully growing up bilingual will help your child be aware of and avoid this American-centric attitude.
Studying German says that your child has put in extra effort and rejected the standard choice.
There is a common perception that learning German is harder (it's not necessarily) and therefore it may convey a higher level of status than Spanish. People may automatically think your child is smarter just because he's bilingual in German and English! Isn't it nice to get credit for things you're already doing?
German in the travel and hospitality industries
German companies generally give 6 or more weeks of vacation, plus holidays. It seems like my German friends are always on vacation! Germans put this vacation time to good use. The Goethe Institute reports that 3 out of 4 German vacations are taken abroad. You may already know this if you have been to a popular German tourist destination - Miami, New York, the Grand Canyon. German tourists are everywhere!
What this means is that all manner of businesses in the travel and hotel industries have a need for German speakers. Hotels, airlines, cruise ships, tourist destinations, und, und, und...
Science and Research
German is the second most commonly used scientific language and the third largest contributor to research and development. German will serve those in scientific fields very well.
Don't pick German just for the career opportunities.
When you choose German as your family's second language, there are so many other wonderful options that open up - travel, study of the culture, great literature. If you focus only on a future job prospect, you'll miss so much of the good stuff along the way. It's the study of the culture that makes the language truly come alive.
My personal path to study German was based exactly on this kind of objective analysis.
As I was preparing to enter college, my uncle pulled me aside and said a few words that would change the course of my life. "If you want to study business, you should study either German or Japanese as your foreign language." My uncle was a successful businessman and I took him very seriously. At the time I was too intimidated to attempt Japanese so German it was. And what a fateful choice! Nineteen years later I am making my living based on my knowledge of German. Who knew this one piece of advice would influence my life so greatly?
Where will German take your family?
Whether your children are small and just beginning to speak or you have teenagers preparing to leave the nest, it's never too soon or too late to carefully plan for the future. The choice of German for me was a pivotal one. Who knows where it will lead you and your children.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Look at the numbers.
While there are significantly more Spanish speakers in the U.S. (28 million vs. 1.4 million) Source: Wikipedia, that means that it's that much harder to stand out if Spanish is your only foreign language. Someone learning Spanish will have to compete for jobs with exponentially more native Spanish speakers. In fact someone who's not fluent in Spanish probably has no chance of competing for a job requiring Spanish since there will, by sheer numbers, be so many more native Spanish speakers. You've lost before you've even started.
German speakers, being far fewer in number, have less competition and more opportunity to be noticed.
Think about it - do you want your child to be a small fish in a big (enormous, actually) pond or a bigger fish in a very small pond. Being bilingual in German and English will put your child into a very select group. While I'm not suggesting your children strive for mediocrity, an intermediate level of German may be worth more than advanced mastery of Spanish.
German helps you stand out
In today's tight job market, anything your child can do to stand out from the crowd will enhance his chances of landing a job. Being bilingual in German or even having a lower level of competency, will make him a bit more interesting to a hiring manager. So many people have some kind of connection to Europe and the German language - they spent some time in the military there, they have a German relative in the family, or they vacationed on the Rhein. It makes for a great ice-breaker and can help open doors for your job-hunting child.
Think that there are no opportunities to use German on the job?
Think again.
Let's look at some more numbers.
Germany has the third largest economy in the world and as of 2007 was the world's largest importer and exporter despite the strength of the Euro. German companies employ 700,000 people in the United States and American companies account for roughly the same number of jobs in Germany. German companies are spread throughout the world and being able to speak German will give your child a significant advantage with these companies.
World view not U.S. view
If you've spent time studying the language and German culture with your child, he will be able to better relate to colleagues who are not American. A common complaint in other countries is that Americans are insensitive to other cultures; hopefully growing up bilingual will help your child be aware of and avoid this American-centric attitude.
Studying German says that your child has put in extra effort and rejected the standard choice.
There is a common perception that learning German is harder (it's not necessarily) and therefore it may convey a higher level of status than Spanish. People may automatically think your child is smarter just because he's bilingual in German and English! Isn't it nice to get credit for things you're already doing?
German in the travel and hospitality industries
German companies generally give 6 or more weeks of vacation, plus holidays. It seems like my German friends are always on vacation! Germans put this vacation time to good use. The Goethe Institute reports that 3 out of 4 German vacations are taken abroad. You may already know this if you have been to a popular German tourist destination - Miami, New York, the Grand Canyon. German tourists are everywhere!
What this means is that all manner of businesses in the travel and hotel industries have a need for German speakers. Hotels, airlines, cruise ships, tourist destinations, und, und, und...
Science and Research
German is the second most commonly used scientific language and the third largest contributor to research and development. German will serve those in scientific fields very well.
Don't pick German just for the career opportunities.
When you choose German as your family's second language, there are so many other wonderful options that open up - travel, study of the culture, great literature. If you focus only on a future job prospect, you'll miss so much of the good stuff along the way. It's the study of the culture that makes the language truly come alive.
My personal path to study German was based exactly on this kind of objective analysis.
As I was preparing to enter college, my uncle pulled me aside and said a few words that would change the course of my life. "If you want to study business, you should study either German or Japanese as your foreign language." My uncle was a successful businessman and I took him very seriously. At the time I was too intimidated to attempt Japanese so German it was. And what a fateful choice! Nineteen years later I am making my living based on my knowledge of German. Who knew this one piece of advice would influence my life so greatly?
Where will German take your family?
Whether your children are small and just beginning to speak or you have teenagers preparing to leave the nest, it's never too soon or too late to carefully plan for the future. The choice of German for me was a pivotal one. Who knows where it will lead you and your children.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Do your kids think German is only for parents and old people?
Frankie is a minor celebrity in our house.
At age 11, Frankie seems to do everything my boys (ages 5 and 9) can only dream of. He plays baseball, is a boy scout, has a real pocket knife, and best of all, a pool in his very own backyard. Luckily for us, Frankie is a great kid and I'm glad to have my kids look up to him as a role model.
Role models and peers are really important for kids learning German.
Kids need to see that there are other kids who speak German, too. It's not just Papa's language or what we speak with Oma. If your German network is very small or far-flung, this can easily be the case. Without other kids who speak German to look up to and relate to, they may decide the language is not relevant to them. German will be, in their minds, a language of "old people", i.e. not cool.
You know where that will lead, don't you?
So instead of letting things go down that path, why not bring your very own peers and role models into our house using... German books.
When you read exciting, enchanting, or everyday stories auf Deutsch to your kids, they see that they are not the only ones who know German.
They will even think about these stories in German (they have to - that's how they know them and it's very hard to transfer these thoughts back to English). They will transfer these positive associations to the German language itself. They will accept these book worlds, where German is the norm, and understand that there are real places where German is commonplace. This may be a great revelation for some children!
What if my child attends a German school? Doesn't he have enough peers and role models who are bilngual?
If your child attends a German school, then you are one of the lucky few. This experience will make a huge difference in how he views German. But you still should confirm that the children actually use German to communicate among themselves. English is often still the norm outside of class when kids aren't yet fluent, and so you still need to create peers and role models. Regardless, kids can always benefit from a storybook character to whom they can relate.
In summary:
1. Watch out for the perception that German is just for parents and old people.
2. Look for role models and peers who speak German.
3. If necessary, find them in books.
4. Let the positive associations follow.
Frankie's example has pushed my kids to become a bit more adventurous. What would a few good role models do for your children's love of German?
At age 11, Frankie seems to do everything my boys (ages 5 and 9) can only dream of. He plays baseball, is a boy scout, has a real pocket knife, and best of all, a pool in his very own backyard. Luckily for us, Frankie is a great kid and I'm glad to have my kids look up to him as a role model.
Role models and peers are really important for kids learning German.
Kids need to see that there are other kids who speak German, too. It's not just Papa's language or what we speak with Oma. If your German network is very small or far-flung, this can easily be the case. Without other kids who speak German to look up to and relate to, they may decide the language is not relevant to them. German will be, in their minds, a language of "old people", i.e. not cool.
You know where that will lead, don't you?
So instead of letting things go down that path, why not bring your very own peers and role models into our house using... German books.
When you read exciting, enchanting, or everyday stories auf Deutsch to your kids, they see that they are not the only ones who know German.
They will even think about these stories in German (they have to - that's how they know them and it's very hard to transfer these thoughts back to English). They will transfer these positive associations to the German language itself. They will accept these book worlds, where German is the norm, and understand that there are real places where German is commonplace. This may be a great revelation for some children!
What if my child attends a German school? Doesn't he have enough peers and role models who are bilngual?
If your child attends a German school, then you are one of the lucky few. This experience will make a huge difference in how he views German. But you still should confirm that the children actually use German to communicate among themselves. English is often still the norm outside of class when kids aren't yet fluent, and so you still need to create peers and role models. Regardless, kids can always benefit from a storybook character to whom they can relate.
In summary:
1. Watch out for the perception that German is just for parents and old people.
2. Look for role models and peers who speak German.
3. If necessary, find them in books.
4. Let the positive associations follow.
Frankie's example has pushed my kids to become a bit more adventurous. What would a few good role models do for your children's love of German?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Starting German is like trying brussels sprouts
No, really, it is! You don't believe me? Maybe by the end of the article you'll see what I mean.
My kids love brussels sprouts.
Truly, they do. They like them steamed and mushy with salt (weird, huh?) and they like them roasted and crispy. But they didn't always like brussels sprouts. In fact the first couple times I served brussels sprouts, I was met with several yucky expressions. "You want us to eat that?!?!" Yes, I do. They didn't believe me and they couldn't bare to try even one. Well, the baby tried one but he'll eat anything 'cause he doesn't know better.
So I told them a story about brussels sprouts.
It's an old family story involving a dragon, several poor villagers who were eaten by said dragon, and a young boy who convinces the dragon to eat brussels sprouts in place of villagers and saves the day. By the end of the story, my kids were a bit more interested but still not willing to try any. No matter, my husband and I (and the baby) enjoyed them and said no more.
I served them again a couple more times.
Each time, the kids wanted the story again. And each time the yucky expressions were a little less yucky and I could tell they were considering taking a bite. But no - not yet. My kids are extremely picky. My oldest son didn't try any new foods between the ages of 2 and 6. I am not exaggerating about this!
What does this have to do with German?
I promise, I'm getting to that part. Just bear with me.
So I just waited and kept serving brussels sprouts every now and then.
Then one glorious day, my middle son decided to try one. He pronounced it "all right." I was ecstatic! What a fabulous breakthrough. Through no pressure on my part, he had taken the step to put a vile sprout into his mouth and lived to tell about it.
After that, it was all downhill.
Pretty soon everyone was munching happily on sprouts (and asking for the story again). My middle son tells me they are his favorite food.
Starting German with some kids is a lot like trying brussels sprouts.
They may complain that they don't like it, it's too hard, or they don't understand anything. They may say it's stupid or why should they learn it anyway or none of their friends speak it.
Keep on "feeding" them.
Keep speaking German to them or reading them books or playing German CDs in the car, and pretty soon they will relax and understand a bit and all of a sudden they won't hate it any more. They may even start to think it's pretty cool.
Make it fun and interesting
My dragon story was a big help in bridging the gap toward making brussels sprouts less alien and a tiny bit interesting. You can try and make German fun and interesting for your kids. Tell them stories about when you learned German. Do you have any quirky German relatives? Ever made any embarrassing mistakes in German? They will love this stuff and it will make them motivated to hear and learn more.
Why do some kids need so much start-up time to become comfortable with German?
If German is brand new to your child or he has only been getting irregular doses, it will be hard for him. And when things are hard, we complain. It's just human nature. With any kind of new skill, the brain races to process all the information and struggles to keep up and make sense of it all. This is hard work.
But little by little, especially if you are speaking regularly, things will start to make sense.
Magically, it won't be so hard for him any more. He may even find that he likes listening to German or thinks it's cool that he can understand his cousin's letters from Germany. You may catch him humming a German tune when he thinks no one is listening. And it's all because his brain has caught up and now understands.
So the next time your child complains about German being hard, remember the brussels sprouts.
Just smile and keep offering the German that is so important to you. Let your child's brain catch up and don't be surprised when he asks for more.
My kids love brussels sprouts.
Truly, they do. They like them steamed and mushy with salt (weird, huh?) and they like them roasted and crispy. But they didn't always like brussels sprouts. In fact the first couple times I served brussels sprouts, I was met with several yucky expressions. "You want us to eat that?!?!" Yes, I do. They didn't believe me and they couldn't bare to try even one. Well, the baby tried one but he'll eat anything 'cause he doesn't know better.
So I told them a story about brussels sprouts.
It's an old family story involving a dragon, several poor villagers who were eaten by said dragon, and a young boy who convinces the dragon to eat brussels sprouts in place of villagers and saves the day. By the end of the story, my kids were a bit more interested but still not willing to try any. No matter, my husband and I (and the baby) enjoyed them and said no more.
I served them again a couple more times.
Each time, the kids wanted the story again. And each time the yucky expressions were a little less yucky and I could tell they were considering taking a bite. But no - not yet. My kids are extremely picky. My oldest son didn't try any new foods between the ages of 2 and 6. I am not exaggerating about this!
What does this have to do with German?
I promise, I'm getting to that part. Just bear with me.
So I just waited and kept serving brussels sprouts every now and then.
Then one glorious day, my middle son decided to try one. He pronounced it "all right." I was ecstatic! What a fabulous breakthrough. Through no pressure on my part, he had taken the step to put a vile sprout into his mouth and lived to tell about it.
After that, it was all downhill.
Pretty soon everyone was munching happily on sprouts (and asking for the story again). My middle son tells me they are his favorite food.
Starting German with some kids is a lot like trying brussels sprouts.
They may complain that they don't like it, it's too hard, or they don't understand anything. They may say it's stupid or why should they learn it anyway or none of their friends speak it.
Keep on "feeding" them.
Keep speaking German to them or reading them books or playing German CDs in the car, and pretty soon they will relax and understand a bit and all of a sudden they won't hate it any more. They may even start to think it's pretty cool.
Make it fun and interesting
My dragon story was a big help in bridging the gap toward making brussels sprouts less alien and a tiny bit interesting. You can try and make German fun and interesting for your kids. Tell them stories about when you learned German. Do you have any quirky German relatives? Ever made any embarrassing mistakes in German? They will love this stuff and it will make them motivated to hear and learn more.
Why do some kids need so much start-up time to become comfortable with German?
If German is brand new to your child or he has only been getting irregular doses, it will be hard for him. And when things are hard, we complain. It's just human nature. With any kind of new skill, the brain races to process all the information and struggles to keep up and make sense of it all. This is hard work.
But little by little, especially if you are speaking regularly, things will start to make sense.
Magically, it won't be so hard for him any more. He may even find that he likes listening to German or thinks it's cool that he can understand his cousin's letters from Germany. You may catch him humming a German tune when he thinks no one is listening. And it's all because his brain has caught up and now understands.
So the next time your child complains about German being hard, remember the brussels sprouts.
Just smile and keep offering the German that is so important to you. Let your child's brain catch up and don't be surprised when he asks for more.
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