tips for introducing language
Introducing Language (or any other Piece of Information!) to Your Child
By Amy Conroy, M.A.
Every child, and every person, learns differently… use those differences to engage and make learning fun. Some children are more auditory, others more visual, and some respond best through kinesthetic or tactile stimuli. I have found a combination of at least two pathways simultaneously as the best approach for teaching. Whatever the approach, the most important thing is to MAKE IT FUN…and a lot less rote memorization.
Non-traditional forms of teaching and learning are on the rise because they work. Biologically speaking, the center of the brain is where memory is stored and emotion is conjured, so if you can make something emotional, i.e. fun or exciting, it is more easily stored or remembered, and of course, learned. Learning through fun is not a revolutionary concept…after all, didn't everybody first learn the ABC's through a silly song?
As an anthropologist and then a mother, I became really intrigued with language acquisition and foreign languages. I didn't just want to bring my kids on archaeological digs (though that's still under negotiation), but I was really aiming to inspire an appreciation for other cultures in a child-friendly way…and thus I founded Habla blah blah, a little company that introduces Spanish to children. Having fun while you learn ~ hmpf, imagine that! It is an organic approach for modern parents looking to introduce a foreign language, but it is an approach that anyone can implement by following these 5 easy tips:
1) PLAY. Do something, anything - in other words, play! and move and talk about whatever you are doing… for instance, play barnyard and every time you use the cow, refer to it as “vaca”. Go to the grocery store and choose “manzanas” together. Dance and sing, “uno, dos, tres” as you stomp your feet.
2) RELAX; never force or stress a child. Remember that everyone's biorhythms are different, and go with the flow of your child's. Some days we all wake up just “not in the mood” for one thing or another, but it doesn't mean that we won't be “in the mood” tomorrow. Before anyone learns something, there is a period of absorption when the brain accepts the new material and makes sense of it quietly.
3) Use MUSIC and rhythm. Music is a way to use the whole brain… who doesn't remember “Funky Town” or the theme song from “Happy Days”? In fact, studies show that almost everyone recognizes Billy Joel's “The Piano Man” after only a few chords.
4) Touch, taste, and utilize ALL your SENSES. Eat, smell and be merry! The table is an excellent place to learn organically - touch the cheese, smell it, call it “queso”, and “salud” yourself ~ you've just begun your first lessons and your kids won't even know what hit them!
5) Make things RELEVANT ~ the world is your canvas and your classroom. Use what kids already know, what is already familiar to them, and what matters to them and build off of it. All information is more easily digested and attached when it can be linked to something we already know.
And, again, most of all have fun. You are the most contagious and charismatic teacher to your child ~ your enthusiasm (for anything!) is what makes the difference.
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© 2006 habla blah blah, All Rights Reserved
By Amy Conroy, M.A.
Every child, and every person, learns differently… use those differences to engage and make learning fun. Some children are more auditory, others more visual, and some respond best through kinesthetic or tactile stimuli. I have found a combination of at least two pathways simultaneously as the best approach for teaching. Whatever the approach, the most important thing is to MAKE IT FUN…and a lot less rote memorization.
Non-traditional forms of teaching and learning are on the rise because they work. Biologically speaking, the center of the brain is where memory is stored and emotion is conjured, so if you can make something emotional, i.e. fun or exciting, it is more easily stored or remembered, and of course, learned. Learning through fun is not a revolutionary concept…after all, didn't everybody first learn the ABC's through a silly song?
As an anthropologist and then a mother, I became really intrigued with language acquisition and foreign languages. I didn't just want to bring my kids on archaeological digs (though that's still under negotiation), but I was really aiming to inspire an appreciation for other cultures in a child-friendly way…and thus I founded Habla blah blah, a little company that introduces Spanish to children. Having fun while you learn ~ hmpf, imagine that! It is an organic approach for modern parents looking to introduce a foreign language, but it is an approach that anyone can implement by following these 5 easy tips:
1) PLAY. Do something, anything - in other words, play! and move and talk about whatever you are doing… for instance, play barnyard and every time you use the cow, refer to it as “vaca”. Go to the grocery store and choose “manzanas” together. Dance and sing, “uno, dos, tres” as you stomp your feet.
2) RELAX; never force or stress a child. Remember that everyone's biorhythms are different, and go with the flow of your child's. Some days we all wake up just “not in the mood” for one thing or another, but it doesn't mean that we won't be “in the mood” tomorrow. Before anyone learns something, there is a period of absorption when the brain accepts the new material and makes sense of it quietly.
3) Use MUSIC and rhythm. Music is a way to use the whole brain… who doesn't remember “Funky Town” or the theme song from “Happy Days”? In fact, studies show that almost everyone recognizes Billy Joel's “The Piano Man” after only a few chords.
4) Touch, taste, and utilize ALL your SENSES. Eat, smell and be merry! The table is an excellent place to learn organically - touch the cheese, smell it, call it “queso”, and “salud” yourself ~ you've just begun your first lessons and your kids won't even know what hit them!
5) Make things RELEVANT ~ the world is your canvas and your classroom. Use what kids already know, what is already familiar to them, and what matters to them and build off of it. All information is more easily digested and attached when it can be linked to something we already know.
And, again, most of all have fun. You are the most contagious and charismatic teacher to your child ~ your enthusiasm (for anything!) is what makes the difference.
product info | philosophy | testimonials | classes | faq | press | contact
© 2006 habla blah blah, All Rights Reserved