How can I make use of our first language at home if it's not English?

[sar...@stonefields.school.nz]

For an English language learner to really find success, there's a great amount of research that proves that they should first be strong in their mother tongue (or first language).  Some feel the need to just talk English at home, but in actual fact, keeping your child's first language strong is very important if they are learning English.  It allows them to build content understanding first, and then have something to attach their ideas to when they move over into English.

A simple example:  Imagine learning about colours in English (as a learner who's new to English) if you've never learnt about them in the language that you're most comfortable in - it would be hard, wouldn't it!

How do you incorporate different languages at home?

[anurag.nz]

Hi Sarah,

We try to speak Hindi Language at home nad we found Kush picking up the hindi words quiet frequently now and now he ven translate them to Sukhpreet our neighbour son when i drop them to school.

His grandparents are visting us at the moement and it helps heaps!!! with Bed time stories in Hindi and there are lot of positives knowing other language for ex- n European family kid will know how to speak in french, german, Italian, spanish etc...

[nelsonaguirremd]

Hi,

Santiago speak all time spanish at home, becasue it is a family rule. We know he is going to speak English at the school and with his friends. So, why not speak only spanish at home.  

[sivathayalan]

On Tuesday, 18 June 2013 09:51:46 UTC+12, Sarah Holland wrote:

 We normally speak to Dinesan in a  mixture of Tamil and English at home, more Tamil at his grandparent's place.  This has been the case since he was born. When there are words that  he does not understand we explain this to him in English. He can't respond back in Tamil as of yet, but he has started Tamil classes and is making good progress there. Being conversant in two languages does certainly have its advantages.