How to Teach a Child a Second Language, Even If You Don’t Understand Him Well
The idea of teaching a child a second language can seem intimidating. If you yourself don’t know the language well (say, you haven’t conjugated a Spanish verb since grade 11), this may seem impossible.
I have been working as a nanny for over twelve years. Despite being fluent in English and Spanish, I was completely shocked the first time a parent asked me to teach their eight month old son some basic Spanish skills. How to teach a child not only his first words, but also his first words in two different languages? But I took up the challenge because I know firsthand the benefits of being bilingual . In the end, this family hired me because of this.
I have found that the key to learning a second language is not vocabulary, but consistency. Here are five ways to use basic language skills in your child’s daily life:
Count everything
While teaching a little boy Spanish, I decided that I would go into counting first. At first, I just thought I didn’t need to change diapers or forget the toys upstairs. I counted every step I took up and down the stairs in the living room. Soon I began to count other activities, and it became a kind of habit. I counted by sitting him in the car seat, opening a book, or swinging on a swing. When he started repeating this, I counted “uno … dos …” and let him shout “tres!” Later, I added numbers one at a time while holding the sound of the last number. For example, I would say “uno, dos, tres, quaaaatrooooo ” and he would shout “cinco!” It was a game and it worked! In the blink of an eye, he began to count to ten.
In my opinion, counting is one of the easiest ways to introduce a new language. Make it funny and silly – perhaps whisper the first numbers and shout out the last number on your account. You will count to 20 before you figure it out.
The magic of three
Someone recently told me that it is easier for people to remember things that have three parts . I have found this to be very helpful when learning a different language, even with babies as young as six months old. Counting to three in any language is less difficult than counting to ten. Do this regularly — count stairs, Cheerios in a bowl, or toys, three at a time: “Uno, dos, tres. Uno dos tres “until you count them all. You can apply the rule of three to other things as well. Mom, dad, baby (mom, dad, baby). Dog, cat, bird (perro, gato, pajaro). You can learn colors, places, and even the names of all your relatives. Use different tones in your voice to make your child look at your mouth as you say the words.
Nursery rhymes
Music is universal. YouTube is a good way to find nursery rhymes in a second language. Look for rhymes that are often repeated, such as “Row the boat” or “Mary had a lamb.”
There are nursery rhymes exclusively for certain languages, and sometimes they are not translated. Look at them too. For example, in Spanish there are a couple of popular ones: Los Pollitos Dicen (shown below) or Tengo Una Muñeca Vestida de Azul.
Whatever rhyme you use, bring it to life when your child is most likely to listen to and interact with them, such as while driving, eating, or swimming.
SAP
Change the language on your TV every two weeks. It’s both simple and effective. Even if your child is not actively watching, but if it is included as background noise, the sounds of the language will become familiar and later improve pronunciation skills.
Hey
You are already saying good morning and good night to your child. Learning these two phrases in a second language and using them regularly will be easy. Once you have mastered these two greetings, add “good afternoon”, “how are you?” To your palette.
You don’t need a long vocabulary to learn a language. The words that you know and their consistent use will help children the most. Use this as an opportunity to learn or strengthen your second language. If you have friends with children who speak this language, plan as many play dates with them as possible. Talking to a native speaker will improve your child’s language skills, and as a bonus, you can develop great friendships. Uno dos, tres – go for it!