"Kicking" the ML out of our home
Feb 28, 2019 5:35:28 GMT 9
Post by Nellie on Feb 28, 2019 5:35:28 GMT 9
That is so cute about the tortillas and natillas, Amy!
I'm also trying to have a 'cultural education' accompany the linguistic education (although of course they can never really be totally separated!) for my children. With ml1, which is after all my native language/culture, it is a bit particular because even just looking at the dominant countries where English is spoken, they all have quite different cultures (UK, US, Canada, Australia)...and then if you add in the former British colonies where English is the main official language, it complicates things further. I think Australians of my generation grew up navigating between all of them, as our TV and books were mostly from the other countries. So for ml1, I pick and choose a bit - I am of course trying to expose my children to some Australian cultural 'musts' that all Australian kids grow up with, but at the same time I end up borrowing quite a lot from some of the other English-speaking cultures. I now see this as a real advantage, as it broadens their exposure to different ways of looking at the world. For instance, if I borrow a book from the library that refers to American Thanksgiving, it may not be 'my' culture but it is wonderful for the kids to learn about it. And even better when we are invited to the house of an American friend for Thanksgiving and can really live it together! In the same vein, I've started telling my daughter that certain words are used in the US and others in Australia or the UK, and that she can choose whichever she wants but she should realise that people may not understand her properly if she uses the 'wrong' one.
For ml2, it's fun in a way as we're all learning together. There is such an incredibly rich body of cultural works in Spanish for adults, and I'm enjoying looking for similar things for children. Of course, Spanish and Latin American cultures are also very different - what a wonderful world to discover! This is the best thing about multilingualism for me: opening up windows to different worlds.
The main thing I have noticed is that a surefire way to a child's heart is through her or his stomach. So if food can stimulate interest in a culture and language, let's take advantage of it!
I'm also trying to have a 'cultural education' accompany the linguistic education (although of course they can never really be totally separated!) for my children. With ml1, which is after all my native language/culture, it is a bit particular because even just looking at the dominant countries where English is spoken, they all have quite different cultures (UK, US, Canada, Australia)...and then if you add in the former British colonies where English is the main official language, it complicates things further. I think Australians of my generation grew up navigating between all of them, as our TV and books were mostly from the other countries. So for ml1, I pick and choose a bit - I am of course trying to expose my children to some Australian cultural 'musts' that all Australian kids grow up with, but at the same time I end up borrowing quite a lot from some of the other English-speaking cultures. I now see this as a real advantage, as it broadens their exposure to different ways of looking at the world. For instance, if I borrow a book from the library that refers to American Thanksgiving, it may not be 'my' culture but it is wonderful for the kids to learn about it. And even better when we are invited to the house of an American friend for Thanksgiving and can really live it together! In the same vein, I've started telling my daughter that certain words are used in the US and others in Australia or the UK, and that she can choose whichever she wants but she should realise that people may not understand her properly if she uses the 'wrong' one.
For ml2, it's fun in a way as we're all learning together. There is such an incredibly rich body of cultural works in Spanish for adults, and I'm enjoying looking for similar things for children. Of course, Spanish and Latin American cultures are also very different - what a wonderful world to discover! This is the best thing about multilingualism for me: opening up windows to different worlds.
The main thing I have noticed is that a surefire way to a child's heart is through her or his stomach. So if food can stimulate interest in a culture and language, let's take advantage of it!
I do use it, but I can't imagine a little kid saying that! Enjambre (=swarm of bees) and omnívoro (=omnivorous) are very big words for a 3yo!! It looks like you have nothing to feel guilty about. 
So having someone else to help with the ML homework will be a big help, especially as the amount she has to do may grow.
