Second language exposure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Outlier here! I think any and all exposure to foreign languages is a benefit. The brain-conne ruins are valuable as well as just exposure to the fact that people have different words for the word “apple”, for example.

I grew up with exposure to French and Spanish, taught informally by a grandmother and nanny (both who also spoke to me in English, and languages were always easy for me to pick up as a student in high school, college, and beyond. I can now speak and read in five languages. I passed fluency exams in two.

Do it, OP! If nothing else even a little Spanish for you and nanny is of value.

I agree. Through language you also learn culture. If you're fine with proficiency not being the goal, OP, learning another language can be very enriching. And later, if there are opportunities for more studying and/or immersion (study abroad or whatnot), it could eventually turn into fluency.

+2. DCUM is famous for all or nothing! Any exposure is great!

[Anonymous]

If kids learns first Spanish and then English at school then its fine. The worst case i have seen is a grandmas who liked talking more to the extrovert kid than to the quiet who really needs help with talking than the extrovert and bratty one.

Exposing them to a second language makes kids more intellectual and helps with their cognitive area. The first 3 years are so important, they can learn so many things even if they cant speak yet. But can understand what are you saying either in English or Spanish. Its cute how some kids responds to their parents in English and to the nanny in Spanish. The kid acts fasts anr responds according with the situation.
Kids these days needs to learn English, Spanish, Chinese. But Chinese is so hard. We live in an interconnected World

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
If kids learns first Spanish and then English at school then its fine. The worst case i have seen is a grandmas who liked talking more to the extrovert kid than to the quiet who really needs help with talking than the extrovert and bratty one.

Exposing them to a second language makes kids more intellectual and helps with their cognitive area. The first 3 years are so important, they can learn so many things even if they cant speak yet. But can understand what are you saying either in English or Spanish. Its cute how some kids responds to their parents in English and to the nanny in Spanish. The kid acts fasts anr responds according with the situation.
Kids these days needs to learn English, Spanish, Chinese. But Chinese is so hard. We live in an interconnected World

Mandarin is a bit “over”. I think French is more important as the African market is still untouched and our only frontier.

And the 3 yr think isn’t a hard line. Children have massive brain growth after three as well.

Any exposure is great, btw.

[Anonymous]

+1 for French. It’s spoken in countries on five continents, still considered the official diplomatic language in EU-based international business, politics, government affairs, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry but I agree it likely won't help much. I opted for immersion preschool. I am also fluent in our second language and have spoken it to the kids since they were born. You probably won't like this idea but I also allow unlimited screen time in our second language. YouTube has a lot of good free educational videos and also just fun cartoons and movies in multiple languages.

Super Simple Español is a YouTube channel that has preschool songs and cartoons. My kids are grown now, but if they were young today, I’d have this channel, especially the songs, playing in the background a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SuperSimpleEspanol/featured?app=desktop

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry but I agree it likely won't help much. I opted for immersion preschool. I am also fluent in our second language and have spoken it to the kids since they were born. You probably won't like this idea but I also allow unlimited screen time in our second language. YouTube has a lot of good free educational videos and also just fun cartoons and movies in multiple languages.

Super Simple Español is a YouTube channel that has preschool songs and cartoons. My kids are grown now, but if they were young today, I’d have this channel, especially the songs, playing in the background a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SuperSimpleEspanol/featured?app=desktop

+1 I play French youtube videos all the time for my kids

[Anonymous]

Too bad France is a racist country :p I would never let my kids learn French. English and Chinese. Since they are the ones controlling the big world markets

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too bad France is a racist country :p I would never let my kids learn French. English and Chinese. Since they are the ones controlling the big world markets

This comment is so stupid. You think Chinese are no racists?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too bad France is a racist country :p I would never let my kids learn French. English and Chinese. Since they are the ones controlling the big world markets

Huh? French is spoken all over Africa. And Chinese is divided into two languages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neither DH nor I speak a second language and our nanny only speaks a little French. I am not expecting fluency in our kids but do you think a Spanish tutor once or twice a week for all of us would be valuable for the kids? They are almost four and almost two.

No, I don’t think it would be useful. Languages are taught to young children very differently to how you would teach an adult. My children started with Spanish classes twice a week at the age of 3. All of the learning aids, colouring pages, songs, etc, etc were geared to how you teach 3 year olds. They were not suitable for adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too bad France is a racist country :p I would never let my kids learn French. English and Chinese. Since they are the ones controlling the big world markets

Huh? French is spoken all over Africa. And Chinese is divided into two languages.

+1. The USA is a racist country and I still taught my kids to speak English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither DH nor I speak a second language and our nanny only speaks a little French. I am not expecting fluency in our kids but do you think a Spanish tutor once or twice a week for all of us would be valuable for the kids? They are almost four and almost two.

No, I don’t think it would be useful. Languages are taught to young children very differently to how you would teach an adult. My children started with Spanish classes twice a week at the age of 3. All of the learning aids, colouring pages, songs, etc, etc were geared to how you teach 3 year olds. They were not suitable for adults.

Why? I would like to learn colors in a different language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither DH nor I speak a second language and our nanny only speaks a little French. I am not expecting fluency in our kids but do you think a Spanish tutor once or twice a week for all of us would be valuable for the kids? They are almost four and almost two.

No, I don’t think it would be useful. Languages are taught to young children very differently to how you would teach an adult. My children started with Spanish classes twice a week at the age of 3. All of the learning aids, colouring pages, songs, etc, etc were geared to how you teach 3 year olds. They were not suitable for adults.

Why? I would like to learn colors in a different language.

It’s not about content. Have you ever observed the techniques used to teach very young children? Children learn very differently to how you and I do. Suggest best approach is to talk to a professional language teacher as they can give you a much more informed opinion.

[Anonymous]

We do French videos for her screen time because cocomelon is horrifying and I don’t want her to learn baby shark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neither DH nor I speak a second language and our nanny only speaks a little French. I am not expecting fluency in our kids but do you think a Spanish tutor once or twice a week for all of us would be valuable for the kids? They are almost four and almost two.

No, I don’t think it would be useful. Languages are taught to young children very differently to how you would teach an adult. My children started with Spanish classes twice a week at the age of 3. All of the learning aids, colouring pages, songs, etc, etc were geared to how you teach 3 year olds. They were not suitable for adults.

Why? I would like to learn colors in a different language.

It’s not about content. Have you ever observed the techniques used to teach very young children? Children learn very differently to how you and I do. Suggest best approach is to talk to a professional language teacher as they can give you a much more informed opinion.

I still don’t see how family lessons could hurt.