Anonymous
06/14/2022 09:46
Subject: My kids are learning new language, and FIL offers to help
Anonymous wrote:I have 2 kids, one is a first grader and the other one is a preschooler. We are sending them to group class in person to learn a language that I can speak so so.
FIL hears about it, and he offers to help to teach them home language. He says that he will do zoom session with my 2 kids separately 20 min each kid & 5 days a week. He is excited that his grand kids to learn the language and culture. Should I take the offer? He is a language school teacher, so he knows what he is doing. We are still sending them to group class in person, and it is no change of plan. My 2 kids cannot understand or speak that language, but FIL is able to communicate to them in English.
I am thinking that I should take the offer but my kids are not doing well on zoom, and I wonder if 5 days a week is too much or not. I can speak/understand that language like 60% fluency, but I don't know how to teach them. Anyone ever has family member to do zoom to teach language?
Start at 5 minutes per day 2 days per week for the preschooler and on the other three days, 10 minutes per day for the first grader. During the summer, both can do 5 days, but leave it at 5 and 10 minutes. In the fall, you can go back to 2 and 3 days. At kindergarten age, increase to 10 minutes for your younger. Second grade 15, fourth can do 20-30, depending on interest.
The thing is that he needs to approach this as fun time with a grandparent, rather than learning from a teacher. Most grandparents don't have to navigate that.
Anonymous
06/14/2022 07:52
Subject: My kids are learning new language, and FIL offers to help
Op here. My spouse can speak 30% fluency of that language while I can speak about 60% fluency. He can't read, but I can read almost 100% .
I and my spouse tried before when they were little but we gave up for many reasons. It caused challenges for everyone to communicate and constant translation/explanation. We want to pick that up again to give it a try again.
I and my spouse tried before when they were little but we gave up for many reasons. It caused challenges for everyone to communicate and constant translation/explanation. We want to pick that up again to give it a try again.
Anonymous
06/13/2022 22:26
Subject: My kids are learning new language, and FIL offers to help
You really have nothing to lose by giving it a shot. Try to keep grandpa’s expectations low due to their age and zoom, but any extra language practice plus time with their grandfather is a win!