We recently took our kids to visit the city of Montreal in the French-speaking part of Canada. I was amazed by their enthusiasm for learning French (which neither has any experience with). Not only did they soak it up, they really enjoyed learning new words and quickly tapped my limited knowledge of the language.
So I was delighted when Little Pim offered to share some tips on developing a love of foreign languages for our readers.
So I was delighted when Little Pim offered to share some tips on developing a love of foreign languages for our readers.
- Start by introducing your kids to the idea of foreign languages: Map place mats work wonders for starting mealtime discussions about other parts of the world and how other people speak.
- Read stories either in the language or that come from the language you want your family to learn. Think folk tales and fairy tales, to start.
- Listen to music! Music is a great way to keep your family immersed in a language. Singing out the words will give kids a chance to practice new sounds, and often makes it easier to remember new words.
- Keep flashcards with you when you go to the doctor’s office, a restaurant or other places where you might have to wait for a while. Playing games and making up stories with the words on the cards can really help pass the time!
- Pick a specific time of day or activity that you will always do in the language your child is learning. For example, you could have breakfast in French, or watch an episode of Little Pim everyday before nap time. Once you pick your routine, though, make sure you stick to it!
Little Pim is an award-winning foreign language learning program for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. When babies first start to vocalize, they babble sounds from all of the languages of the world. Slowly, they begin to lose the sounds that they do not hear everyday. Learning a second language is becoming an important 21st Century skill that will pay off later in life if kids start early. Under age 6, kids are naturally primed to learn up to 3 languages with perfect ease. After age 6, natural acquisition becomes much more difficult. With Little Pim, families can get their first introduction to a foreign language in a way that is easy, fun and effective. Studying a language can actually help you do better on tests! Research indicates that kids who have studied a foreign language are likely to score up to 140 points higher than average on SAT Math and Critical Reading.
Little Pim's unique Entertainment Immersion Method® was designed to engage young kids during the window in which the human brain is most receptive to language learning. Building on a child’s natural love of play, the videos blend real kids and animation to provide a captivating full-immersion experience for even the youngest learners.
And learning a new language has other benefits beyond the obvious ones...
- Learning a second language has a positive impact on a child’s overall listening skills.
- Creative thinking: When asked, “What can you do with a stick?” kids learning a second language generally come up with more ideas than their monolingual peers.
- Being bilingual can delay the onset of dementia by up to 4 years.
- 55 million Americans speak a language other than English at home.
- A child who can speak both English and Spanish can communicate with over 80% of the world’s population.
Little Pim is available 11 languages including Spanish, French, Chinese and Italian via videos, music, books, flash cards, gift sets and more. Digital downloads also available that allow families to learn at home or on the go. To find out more visit Littlepim.com.
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Little Pim is a sponsor of Macaroni Kid.
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Little Pim is a sponsor of Macaroni Kid.
