Help Your Child Learn a Second Language
By SpringfieldMoms contributor Sandy Martinez Muraoka, Ph.D.
Want to make an investment in your child’s future that is totally free? Try exposing them to a new language.
In today’s world economy, multilingual individuals are extremely valuable to companies around the globe. Having an appreciation for cultural diversity and being able to communicate effectively in a foreign language provide an advantage over competitors who only speak their native language. Research also shows that learning a language will help your child’s cognitive abilities.
Why start now? Evidence suggests that a person’s ability to learn a second language is strongest when they are children. Here are some simple tips to get you started:
- Use your local library to find resources that will help you teach the language. Libraries carry bilingual dictionaries for children, stories in different languages and even educational books with tapes to teach languages.
- Visit cultural fairs in your area to see the language in action. This will expose your child to the culture and people that use that language.
- Label the items in your home with their names in a different language. This will help your child to identify those items as well as their spelling.
- Create games to reinforce your child’s learning. Here are a few to try. Scavenger Hunt: Write the foreign language term for an item on a piece of paper and have your child find it in the house. Word of the Day: Pick a “word for the day” and reward your child every time he/she uses it correctly. Match Game: Make two sets of flash cards, one with words in English and another with matching words in a different language. See how many your child can match.
- Spend time with native speakers. If you have a friend or family member who speaks a different language, try to get together with them regularly to help immerse your child in the language.
- Use the internet for resources. Find sites that help children learn different words or phrases in a foreign language.
- Finally, watch television in a different language. Although television and children sometimes have negative connotations, watching different languages on television can provide a valuable opportunity to see and hear the use of non-English language. Some popular children’s programming (e.g. Dora the Explorer, Handy Manny) do a great job of teaching children words and phrases in a different language.
Teaching your child another language can be a rewarding activity for both of you. Just remember to keep things fun and positive, and encourage any efforts your child makes to use another language. As an added bonus, you just might find yourself becoming bilingual as well!
Submitted by Springfield Moms contributor Sandy Martinez Muraoka, Ph.D. Sandy is a native of Cuba and resides in Chatham with her husband and two children. Dr. Muraoka has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and has served as a consultant in the areas of parenting and cultural diversity.
