Two Can Learn Better than One!

Tags: language

Watch Your Language


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Sobering thoughts...

Counting on Cardinal Principle


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Clearly Speaking


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French children to learn English at age 3!

Permalink by Tikal, Categories: Child Development, Preschool Children , Tags: english, france, french, language, learning languages, school

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President Sarkozy of France has said that all French children should learn English at the age of three. He said he wants French children to learn 'the language of Shakespeare'.

In comparison, General Charles de Gaulle, never spoke anything but French in public. Opposition to the idea claims it will dilute the French language. Some say its just a trend, others say that children of three can barely talk their own language let alone cope with a second language.  The French have always been highly protective of their language, introducing bans on the import of foreign words (such as 'computer' and 'internet') into their own language, instead mandating the use of French terms.

France's Education Minister states that not learning English can be a real hindrance to French people. In England we learn a second language at age 11 although some schools introduce languages earlier.

English As A Second Language

Permalink by Tikal, Categories: Learning Play, Child Development, Family, Childminders and Childminding , Tags: billingual, communicating, english, language, speaking

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There are so many children and toddlers for whom English is not their first language; when it comes to observing these children in a childcare setting, whether it be a nursery or childminders, it is very easy for the carer to suggest that when it comes to communication, that the child has"no language".  In fact, they do have a language, its just they are not using it or English in the setting, so carers need to be careful in these circumstances.  Children need to be encouraged in both languages when they are little to avoid problems of alienation and isolation.

Why should parents, carers and teachers encourage bilingual children?

  • It means the child usually knows about 2 cultures, 2 sets of traditions and 2 sets of rules for speaking
  • It means they may be confused about different words or phrases which are used in different situations
  • They can be scared to take chances when it comes to speaking or answering questions
  • Making friends may be harder or even impossible if the other children can communicate more easily
  • It may make the children more inclined to listen carefully and think about things or answers to questions even if they do not actually speak or contribute; they may still know the answer

How to help:

  • Be calm and patient.  Don't expect them to speak with the same confidence as children where English is the first language
  • Allow them to listen and observe  before addressing them with a question
  • Speak to them just the same as you would other children; look into their eyes and address them with warmth and clarity; move your mouth to create the words and don't speak until you make eye contact
  • Point and gesticulate too and use sign language to help communicate
  • Sing lots of songs and rhymes together
  • Keep any setting quiet and calm so everyone can hear well and communicate without shouting

Children learning more than one language at a time do generally start speaking a little later, but in the long term, but this does not mean that they will never learn to talk.  In the medium term they will rapidly grasp both languages and they will have a beneficial skill that will put them in a strong position throughout their lives!

Size Doesn't Matter


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How Ironic!


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  • Metaphor: "It's raining cats and dogs!"
  • Rhetoric: "Why is it still raining?"


Morning Sickness means a Cleverer Baby?


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Language is Key to your Child's Development

Permalink by Tikal, Categories: Babies, Parenting, Child Development , Tags: chatting, communication, language, learning to speak, talking, vocabulary

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How do babies and toddlers learn to speak and acquire the knowledge to form sentences and become fluent communicators?  Is it a natural skill they acquire or do they need help?  Certainly children begin to learn to speak from the very day they are born.  However, it is up to parents, to make sure they provide the children with the very best opportunity to learn to speak and communicate well.

How do they learn?

  • Talk To Them - A mother who chats to her baby from the very first day, while feeding or walking or changing the nappy, is doing a great job to encourage good spoken language.  Babies learn by hearing the spoken word and repeating and learning it for themselves.
  • Show Them - Parents that discuss things in front of their children demonstrate the use of language and show the children how to discuss and communicate as adults.
  • Play with Them - Have toy telephones to play with and set up pretend conversations.  Chat about all sorts of easy things and encourage chatter.
  • Share with Them - Families that have discussions over a meal share in the joy of eating and talking.  Simply asking what happened at school or nursery today can be the simple question that leads to a great family chat!

Types of Language

By nine months, babies can understand simple words and commands ('stop', 'come here', etc.) even if they can't speak the words themselves. This is because there are 2 types of language knowledge: Receptive and Expressive language.  When we listen we use our receptive vocabulary, when we speak or write we use our expressive vocabulary.

A child's passive vocabulary is improved through continuous repetition of words and phrases.  Once repeated enough it becomes part of their passive vocabulary.  So, the active vocabulary can only be improved through use of the passive. A child has to hear a word 500 times before it becomes part of their active vocabulary, so a parent needs to speak as much as they can to their children and in front of their children.

Raising Multilingual Children


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Developmental Milestones: the First Year


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0 - 3 Months

  • Spontaneous smiling
  • Turns towards source of sound
  • Tracks an object waved in front of face
  • Learns to roll over

3 - 6 Months

  • Starts chewing
  • Learns to squeal and gurgle
  • Looks at own hands

6 - 9 Months

  • Feeds themselves with their fingers
  • Pulls up to a standing position
  • Passes an object from hand to hand
  • Starts uttering 'dada' and 'mama'

9 - 12 Months

  • Drinks from a cup
  • Begins to use recognisable words



Babies Learn Mother's Accent In The Womb


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World Exploration

Permalink by Tikal, Categories: Learning Play, Toys and Games, Kids Activities , Tags: accents, geography, language, learning about the world, space, world foods

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Just as your kids are beginning to place where their house is when they return from journeys out, suddenly they begin to discover that the world is made up of lots of different countries with different people speak different languages.  Not exactly an easy idea to grasp!  Having an understanding of the world and the diversity of people and language is an important aspect of early education.

Just as kids learn their immediate surroundings through their senses, so you can teach about the world by appealing to their senses too.

Introduce the concept of language through sound - talking and hearing.  If you're lucky, you might be fluent in more than one language, but even if you're not, you probably know some basic words such as 'Hello' and 'Thank You', and maybe some numbers, in a number of languages?  Talk about language and explain how people say these words in different countries.  Explain how even people in the English-speaking world talk in different voices and use slightly different words in certain circumstances.

You can have a lot of fun explaining about different foods from round the world as you introduce basic foods from different countries.  Rice, pasta, pizza and different breads come from different countries.  You can readily buy fruit and vegetables from countries around the world.  If your children are adventurous eaters then try them with simple Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Thai, Indian and other cultural dishes!

Teach geography and sense of distance by playing games.  Create a representation of each continent on pieces of paper and spread them around a large room, or better still, the garden.  Locate the continents in roughly the way that they are laid out across the globe - Asia, Australasia, North America, South America and Europe.  Then simply shout out 'Swim to North America' and have them perform swimming strokes as they run over to North America!

Learning about the world is so important for our little ones, and there are so many games and activities that we can play to foster a desire to learn.

The Positive Side of TV for Toddlers

Permalink by Tikal, Categories: Toddlers, Parenting, Child Development, Preschool Children, Family , Tags: language, learning, television

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It's easy to consider that watching television is an easy alternative to parenting, but television can provide a positive role in early learning and development. There are many exceptionally good shows aimed specifically at children, appealing to their young minds and introducing them to social influences that make up an important part of development. For example, programs supporting notions of social inclusion, the portrayal of minorities, eating and living healthily, introducing and practicing language and so much more. Don't use the TV as a babysitter, but use it as a starting point to talk about what you see and a way to explore new ideas and language together.


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