[dex_millie]

how are you going about it. I want to start spanish w/ my 2 1/2y.o. I just have a basic knowledge. Do you have any recommended DVDs, ect... And have anybody heard or did MUZZY.

 

[neko]

I can't help you with the Spanish, but I have experience with teaching toddlers ESL and Japanese...

Pre-literacy all instruction has to be oral. So lots of talking, singing, reading books out loud, playing games in the target language. If you don't feel comfortable with your level of Spanish you could take lessons together. In my experience, toddlers are often hesitant to speak another language unless mom speaks it too. So use what you have whenever you can.

I never got to use Muzzy as a kid, though I begged my parents endlessly. Any programming in the target language will be helpful in exposing your baby more, but it isn't any better you speaking with your LO. If you're looking to brush up your own Spanish, Rosetta Stone seems to be an effective program.

Good luck.

 

[Krisis]

:

I'm interested in this too. I've downloaded a ton of Spanish learning podcasts for myself and all of Cody's Cuentos stories in Spanish for DS. I'd love for both of us to become more fluent - my dad is from Mexico and my brother in law is from Colombia and I've love to speak with them in Spanish.

 

[dex_millie]

Thanks,

I do have Rosetta Stone and am suppose to get a next program. I was even thinking of doing some classes w/ SPANISHNOW, but I know DH is going to 'WOW' at the price ( 200+ for 8 sessions).

So for those that do teach spanish or any other language. Do you say the english and spanish together like 'thank you' 'gracias' or just use one of them at a time?

Like would I show him 'water' and just say 'aqua' and leave it like that.

 

[Mama Shifra]

There is a lot of discussion in the "Learning at Home" forums about MUZZY. MotheringDotCommune has a search feature so that you can pull them up quickly.

Most local libraries carry MUZZY so probably your best bet is to borrow it first from the library and see if you like it.

 

[Bell]

My friend's son liked it. It was some years ago and I don't know if it has the same good quality. I know he enjoyed it.

 

[deditus]

Very interested, too. Dh and I only took one year of Spanish in high school. Our neighborhood is about 80% Mexican, though, so I would love dd to learn Spanish.

 

[neko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex_millie Thanks, So for those that do teach Spanish or any other language. Do you say the English and Spanish together like 'thank you' 'gracias' or just use one of them at a time? Like would I show him 'water' and just say 'aqua' and leave it like that.

I've done it both ways. When teaching professionally, we created an immersion environment- which means all target language all the time. This provides the fastest results, but mom had to participate as well. It can also be a little confusing or overwhelming to a child who already has a strong grounding in one language. A lot of immersion programs, like Muzzy, work by making things very obvious so that translation is unnecessary. And then there's repetition, repetition, repetition.

I've spoken two languages with my daughter since birth. I tend to say something in one language and repeat it in the other. So for example I'd say, " do you want some water?" then follow it with "mizu ga hoshii?" But I'll go long stretches in just one language as well. The important thing is to provide as much exposure as possible. It's less about going through flash cards and more about conversing naturally throughout the day.

An important thing to keep in mind is that at this age your child's first language is still developing. Consider how long it took your LO to accomplish learning English through immersion, then apply that time line to learning a second language.

 

[ecoteat]

Not to derail the thread or sound snarky, but why? It has never occured to me to teach my dd another language, beyond pointing out that the lady at the Mexican restaurant speaks spanish and was saying hello when she said hola. I guess I've always felt like preschoolers have enough going on already without any kinds of lessons. But maybe I'm missing something?

 

[deditus]

For me personally, I think being bilingual will be important in the future with the increasing Hispanic population. As far as I know, the earlier you learn another language the easier it is.

 

[neko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecoteat Not to derail the thread or sound snarky, but why? It has never occured to me to teach my dd another language, beyond pointing out that the lady at the Mexican restaurant speaks spanish and was saying hello when she said hola. I guess I've always felt like preschoolers have enough going on already without any kinds of lessons. But maybe I'm missing something?

It effects the way the brain develops. Also your capacity to master the phonetics of another language vanishes around 11 or 12. Which is long before most public schools provide second language classes. Learning from a book vs. learning the natural way provides very different outcomes... Basically I see it as providing similar benefits to teaching very young children piano or violin.

Do I think parents who don't speak another language should feel pressured to sent their 3 year old to language classes. Not at all. But I speak four languages and I'd be stupid not to share some of that with my LO.

 

[Krisis]

Neko means cat in Japanese! Ha! I recognize a few words

For me, I want to teach DS Spanish because I wish MY parents had done that with me! My dad is from Mexico and I would have loved to grow up in a bilingual household, but he never spoke Spanish, ever. I feel like it would have been easier for me maybe, in school, because there was a high Hispanic population in my high schools. It certainly would have helped me get along with my Hispanic grandmother who refuses to speak any English ever. I also just love the language and wish I'd been able to grow up knowing it, because it is DANG hard to learn it now. Although I went to Guatemala for one week and within 2 days I could understand 90% of what was said, even if I couldn't respond.

Anyway, I want DS to at least have the option of being bilingual, even if he doesn't use his second language. Also I'm on some good drugs so pardon if this doesn't make any sense!

 

[ecoteat]

Thanks for answering my question here, too. I do understand that young children learn languages more easily than older kids and adults. I also wish I spoke more than one language (2 years of HS Spanish just doesn't cut it!). The school that dd will probably go to starts French in kindergarten, which I think is great. But at this point, if dd was going to learn any foreign words, it would be just a few and alongside my learning. It is amazing to listen to her use the few words I've used with her--I can NOT pronounce French correctly, but she can so easily! Neko, I envy your ability to speak four languages. When I taught in a very diverse school, I loved that many of the kids were multi-lingual.

 

[ktarsha]

We have the Muzzy videos and French Made Easy vol. 1 (the Moustache video). My son (age 3) used to love Moustache, but it has been supplanted by Muzzy, which he adores. I find it's a little difficult to make out some of the words and sometimes it seems that the audio is lagging a little, but I like it well enough. We also have a couple of CD's, which he asks for often; they both come with books, which he likes to "read," but I haven't gotten seriously into reading along in the book with the CD (since we're usually in the car when we listen).

I'm not expecting my son to become bi- or multilingual because of them, but I want him at least to get a feel for one or two other languages before he begins formal language lessons later on. He's picked up a few basic words, can count to 10 in French & Spanish, remembers his favorite songs from the CD's. Plus, it's helping restore the French & Spanish I learned ever so long ago!

 

[dex_millie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecoteat Not to derail the thread or sound snarky, but why? It has never occured to me to teach my dd another language, beyond pointing out that the lady at the Mexican restaurant speaks spanish and was saying hello when she said hola. I guess I've always felt like preschoolers have enough going on already without any kinds of lessons. But maybe I'm missing something?

Basically what she said below.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neko It effects the way the brain develops. Also your capacity to master the phonetics of another language vanishes around 11 or 12. Which is long before most public schools provide second language classes. Learning from a book vs. learning the natural way provides very different outcomes... Basically I see it as providing similar benefits to teaching very young children piano or violin. Do I think parents who don't speak another language should feel pressured to sent their 3 year old to language classes. Not at all. But I speak four languages and I'd be stupid not to share some of that with my LO.

I have friend that also speaks 4 languages. Her first is Creole/Patwa and growing up she did English and French. Then she went Puerto Rico and and learned Spanish in a few months.

I am multicultural and wish that by grandmother taught my father french. When we meet family from my father side we couldn't communicate as they didn't know english and we didn't know french, they was only his father and an aunt who knew english, our whole conversation had to be translated from one to the next. Now one of my younger cousins is trying to learn French.

I went to a Christian University for 2 years in Puerto Rico that also had 2 elementary and highschool under them. One of the schools are english immersion, it was so cool to see these elementary and high schoolers walking around speaking English to each other. The boys Dean 11yo girl was fluent in both and his 3 year old was getting there - he would speak spanlish or sometimes translate his own sentences "da me, give me".

I just think knowing a next language can be benefical and cool.