rJune is report time for us. We have received the Report Cards for our children and there aren't really any surprises as we've been kept up to date by our kids to some extent as well as through teacher parent meetings.
With respect to our children living with multiple languages, I do keep an eye on the language assessments. How do they perform in the community (school) language, the additional language taught at school (Irish) and how does that compare to their language development in German, for which I am mainly responsible myself.
The results on the report cards come as no surprise: both my children have better reading and writing skills than listening and speaking skills. This applies to the community language as well as the second language taught at school. At home the focus is still mainly on listening to and speaking our minority language German, even tough we have started reading in German with both our girls from the age of six and they get engaged in small writing activities.
Listening comprehension and the ability to use the minority language are especially important to me so I focus on developing and growing these skills. Reading skills are up next on my list followed by writing.
If it's important to you that your child is able to actively use an additional language, the focus has to be on listening comprehension and speaking as much as possible.
There is a tendency in teaching languages to ask children to say something, to reply to a question, to come up with a statement while we may forget that they need to have mastered listening comprehension to a certain degree to be able to follow a conversation or comprehend a question before they can reply. This also draws our attention to the development of vocabulary: if the children lack the necessary words to express themselves they will choose the easiest path and either don't speak or use their native language.
With respect to our children living with multiple languages, I do keep an eye on the language assessments. How do they perform in the community (school) language, the additional language taught at school (Irish) and how does that compare to their language development in German, for which I am mainly responsible myself.
The results on the report cards come as no surprise: both my children have better reading and writing skills than listening and speaking skills. This applies to the community language as well as the second language taught at school. At home the focus is still mainly on listening to and speaking our minority language German, even tough we have started reading in German with both our girls from the age of six and they get engaged in small writing activities.
Listening comprehension and the ability to use the minority language are especially important to me so I focus on developing and growing these skills. Reading skills are up next on my list followed by writing.
If it's important to you that your child is able to actively use an additional language, the focus has to be on listening comprehension and speaking as much as possible.
There is a tendency in teaching languages to ask children to say something, to reply to a question, to come up with a statement while we may forget that they need to have mastered listening comprehension to a certain degree to be able to follow a conversation or comprehend a question before they can reply. This also draws our attention to the development of vocabulary: if the children lack the necessary words to express themselves they will choose the easiest path and either don't speak or use their native language.
As for many children language support via lessons comes to an end for a few weeks during the summer holidays, we still have opportunities to keep the language in their lives via passive exposure. So utilize the internet, music CDs, DVDs or audio books in the minority or second language. Go to websites like www.kika.de or www.tivi.de to choose programs to your and your child's liking for daily exposure to German. ('Lassie' is my children's current favourite series.)
As many of us limit screen time for our children please note that a long duration in front of the telly is not what works best. Rather allow 10 or 20 minutes a day for regular exposure. (With regards to watching TV in the target language and the impact it has on language development, many refer to the advanced level of English in countries where foreign films and TV series are not dubbed and so everyone is surrounded by another language on a daily basis. Through the use of the internet we can now replicate these circumstances for our children, and ourselves, at home.)
I would also like to draw your attention to the work of Adam Beck, a writer, language teacher and parent of bilingual children, who has recently published a book aimed at supporting parents who raise children with multiple languages. I have been following Adam's work for some time now and often share his blog posts. His most recent publication 'Maximize your child's bilingual ability' - Ideas and inspiration for even greater success and joy raising bilingual kids' is full of insights about raising bilingual children and ideas to support parents with this often demanding task. I own my own copy and recommend this book to all parents whose children grow up with multiple languages. It's as much about the HOW as it is about the WHY and your motivation and goals as a parent. ( I am not affiliated with Adam Beck and recommend the book only on the basis of its usefulness for parents with bilingual children.)
For many of us the summer holidays are starting shortly so now is the time to think about how we can expose our children to German (and any other language they are learning), especially when formal schooling takes a break for a few weeks.
What are your language plans for the summer? Feel free to share your comments below!
Best wishes,
Sandra
As many of us limit screen time for our children please note that a long duration in front of the telly is not what works best. Rather allow 10 or 20 minutes a day for regular exposure. (With regards to watching TV in the target language and the impact it has on language development, many refer to the advanced level of English in countries where foreign films and TV series are not dubbed and so everyone is surrounded by another language on a daily basis. Through the use of the internet we can now replicate these circumstances for our children, and ourselves, at home.)
I would also like to draw your attention to the work of Adam Beck, a writer, language teacher and parent of bilingual children, who has recently published a book aimed at supporting parents who raise children with multiple languages. I have been following Adam's work for some time now and often share his blog posts. His most recent publication 'Maximize your child's bilingual ability' - Ideas and inspiration for even greater success and joy raising bilingual kids' is full of insights about raising bilingual children and ideas to support parents with this often demanding task. I own my own copy and recommend this book to all parents whose children grow up with multiple languages. It's as much about the HOW as it is about the WHY and your motivation and goals as a parent. ( I am not affiliated with Adam Beck and recommend the book only on the basis of its usefulness for parents with bilingual children.)
For many of us the summer holidays are starting shortly so now is the time to think about how we can expose our children to German (and any other language they are learning), especially when formal schooling takes a break for a few weeks.
What are your language plans for the summer? Feel free to share your comments below!
Best wishes,
Sandra
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