Do you remember learning German as a child? Have you any memories of learning to swim? Or learning how to drive?
I have finally decided to go for it and learn to play the piano. So here I am, starting something completely new to me. I am excited and I am aware that there's a bit of work involved if I want to get anywhere with it. So after 4 weeks now I am able to do a few things that actually sound like music.
Of course, I was curious at some point and jumped right to a lesson which teaches to play a whole song. Watching the pianist play was a bit overwhelming. Why? Because he's been playing for 20+ years, I have been playing for four weeks...
This is the mistake many of us make: looking at what people are able to do or have achieved without remembering that they, too, were exactly where we are right now.
For us and our children, as language learners, it's the same process. We have to master the basics first before we are able to join conversations and discussions, or read novels.
I have finally decided to go for it and learn to play the piano. So here I am, starting something completely new to me. I am excited and I am aware that there's a bit of work involved if I want to get anywhere with it. So after 4 weeks now I am able to do a few things that actually sound like music.
Of course, I was curious at some point and jumped right to a lesson which teaches to play a whole song. Watching the pianist play was a bit overwhelming. Why? Because he's been playing for 20+ years, I have been playing for four weeks...
This is the mistake many of us make: looking at what people are able to do or have achieved without remembering that they, too, were exactly where we are right now.
For us and our children, as language learners, it's the same process. We have to master the basics first before we are able to join conversations and discussions, or read novels.
One of the key skills that is often neglected in language learning is listening comprehension. This skill requires time and consistency to develop: Only when your child is able to understand what is said, be it face-to-face or watching TV, will s/he be able to work on a response in form of an answer or narrating what s/he has seen or heard.
I remember well my first weeks and months in Ireland: while I had learned English for a few years at school, it was extremely hard and tiring at the beginning to follow conversations, add a noisy environment (in a restaurant) or several people speaking at the same time, and I was lost. As with everything, we improve with time and exposure.
Make it a priority to expose your child and yourself to situations where you can listen to German: read aloud or listen to stories, listen to online radio (we listen to RSH - Radio Schleswig-Holstein), music CDs, use (online) TV, or listen to native speakers you know or meet while out and about.
I remember well my first weeks and months in Ireland: while I had learned English for a few years at school, it was extremely hard and tiring at the beginning to follow conversations, add a noisy environment (in a restaurant) or several people speaking at the same time, and I was lost. As with everything, we improve with time and exposure.
Make it a priority to expose your child and yourself to situations where you can listen to German: read aloud or listen to stories, listen to online radio (we listen to RSH - Radio Schleswig-Holstein), music CDs, use (online) TV, or listen to native speakers you know or meet while out and about.
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