Input and Output – Teach Your Child A Second Language
Kids get excited to save money in their piggy banks. They shake it, wiggle it, and peek inside. Is it heavier today than yesterday?
Language input is like saving in the piggy bank. What you say to your child is language input. What you read to your child is language input. The books you have at home is providing visual input. The posters with text, games with words, household labels and word walls are visuals with the target language text waving to your child.
It is important to know that language learning starts with input. You and your child listen to songs together and you sing the songs to her repeatedly. When you listen to a favorite story, you are very likely to listen to it again and again. When your child listens to you saying the same expressions in Chinese repeatedly you are very likely to hear your child say that after a while when she is ready to use the new words.
The process that children learn a second language is similar to the process they learn the first language. Your child has the first language input from you and the family members for almost a year to produce the first words. For the second language, they will also need enough target language input to be ready for the output.
Time and Place Parents – The more consistent you are the more input you are giving to your child.
Minority Language At Home Parents – Stick with your minority language and read stories to your kids on a daily basis.
One Person One Language Parents – Stay with each of the languages. Support each other.
Input and output. Input first and then comes output. Patience is what we need on the journey.
What are you putting into the piggy bank today?
Image by Michael Longmire