Do you feel that your child doesn't get enough exposure to the minority language?
Remember, it is not only quantity, quality matters too.
I really appreciated this article because sometimes I feel that my kids will learn Spanish better if they were in a Spanish-immersion program or playgroup. But until I'm able to make that happen, there's plenty our family can here right at home to provide a rich Spanish-learning environment.
Read on and be encouraged too!
5 Ways to Improve The Language Interaction
No, you don't need to speak differently to your baby, but bear in mind that he can tell if you're engaged and enthusiastic. However, if you feel your baby is getting only a limited amount of the minority language and you want to be as 'effective' as possible in the way you communicate, here are some useful pointers.
Speak TO your child
The sheer quantity of speech addressed to the child is the single most important factor in learning language, regardless of how many languages you are working with. It doesn't help if you talk on the phone all day or make the baby watch television (although TV can be great for preschoolers). Babies will only make sense of what they hear if the words refer to something they can directly relate to -- the here and now. Particularly for young infants, face-to-face contact is key. Babies are absolutely fascinated with human faces which make language even more engaging for them. As early as four months, babies have already started linking sounds to mouth movements, although they can't see how their own faces move. Maybe this is why babies love to be imitated so they can finally see what their faces must look like when they make their sounds. So, coo back to your heart's content."
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