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Fun and benefits of acquiring additional languages
By Amanda Abel |
May 30, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
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CONCORDIA Middle School guidance counselor
Hola! Xin Chao! Chiem riep su! Masakati! Ni hao! How many languages can our children learn? Is there a magic number? Is it a skill for just a few? Or is it an "application on our hard drives" that hasn't been activated?
I have been blessed to have taught multilingual students most of my career overseas.
In Zimbabwe, students spoke and wrote in Shona and English and Ndebele. In Cambodia, at ISPP (International School of Phnom Penh), I had the joy of teaching ESL with 10 pupils in kindergarten who all came with their own distinct mother tongues.
In Vietnam, I encountered my first tri-lingual children.
China also has students of many nations functioning in two, three or four different languages. Often, my friends and their children would function in several languages depending on the context and the situations. I marveled at what the children were capable of speaking, understanding, reading and writing.
I have discovered many benefits in knowing several languages over the years.
The first opportunity was the open door to unlock friendships with people from many nations. As we begin to communicate back and forth with people in our new location, the walls between "us and them" break down and the shared value of humanity begins to surface. We lose the terms of "those people" and begin to identify with the host culture and express empathy and understanding. Nuances of the culture can only be understood with the new vocabulary we learn. The words reflect the rich fabric of diverse thoughts in the society.
I have four children ages 15-21 years old; each one has learned multiple languages such as: Spanish, Shona, Khmer, Vietnamese, Chinese and French. Their mother tongue is English, although they all have seen the practical benefits of learning other languages. The acquiring of new languages is a joy and is a skill greatly valued in our home.
Here are three simple tips in coaching your child and supporting them in learning another language.
? Children always follow the leader. Be the model of what you want your child to be - enjoying your own process of learning language and culture.
? Apply the "Lamp Method," creating Language Zones where only Chinese is used in real-life situations.
? Praise your child's efforts in the language and ask them for their help, on a daily basis, as you navigate through China.
The acquiring of new languages is a joy and is a skill greatly valued in our home. This skill will open new doors of job opportunity and broaden your worldview cross-culturally.
And so I close: Adios, Tam biet, Tichaionanazhe, Zai jian!
Hola! Xin Chao! Chiem riep su! Masakati! Ni hao! How many languages can our children learn? Is there a magic number? Is it a skill for just a few? Or is it an "application on our hard drives" that hasn't been activated?
I have been blessed to have taught multilingual students most of my career overseas.
In Zimbabwe, students spoke and wrote in Shona and English and Ndebele. In Cambodia, at ISPP (International School of Phnom Penh), I had the joy of teaching ESL with 10 pupils in kindergarten who all came with their own distinct mother tongues.
In Vietnam, I encountered my first tri-lingual children.
China also has students of many nations functioning in two, three or four different languages. Often, my friends and their children would function in several languages depending on the context and the situations. I marveled at what the children were capable of speaking, understanding, reading and writing.
I have discovered many benefits in knowing several languages over the years.
The first opportunity was the open door to unlock friendships with people from many nations. As we begin to communicate back and forth with people in our new location, the walls between "us and them" break down and the shared value of humanity begins to surface. We lose the terms of "those people" and begin to identify with the host culture and express empathy and understanding. Nuances of the culture can only be understood with the new vocabulary we learn. The words reflect the rich fabric of diverse thoughts in the society.
I have four children ages 15-21 years old; each one has learned multiple languages such as: Spanish, Shona, Khmer, Vietnamese, Chinese and French. Their mother tongue is English, although they all have seen the practical benefits of learning other languages. The acquiring of new languages is a joy and is a skill greatly valued in our home.
Here are three simple tips in coaching your child and supporting them in learning another language.
? Children always follow the leader. Be the model of what you want your child to be - enjoying your own process of learning language and culture.
? Apply the "Lamp Method," creating Language Zones where only Chinese is used in real-life situations.
? Praise your child's efforts in the language and ask them for their help, on a daily basis, as you navigate through China.
The acquiring of new languages is a joy and is a skill greatly valued in our home. This skill will open new doors of job opportunity and broaden your worldview cross-culturally.
And so I close: Adios, Tam biet, Tichaionanazhe, Zai jian!
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