Comments on: Let’s Start at the Very Beginning http://american-family.org/2009/11/02/lets-start-at-the-very-beginning/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:51:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tonggu Momma http://american-family.org/2009/11/02/lets-start-at-the-very-beginning/comment-page-1/#comment-130640 Tonggu Momma Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:48:53 +0000 http://american-family.org/?p=2399#comment-130640 I would love to learn any other tips y'all have on raising a bilingual child. Obviously, we'll never get there because I have only a first-semester understanding of Mandarin (despite three years of obviously lax study - heh), but I want to do what I can to raise our daughter to feel comfortable with Mandarin. How did you go about finding the right tutor? About how many hours a week do you think is the minimum to be effective? And on and on... I could talk your ear off about this subject. I would love to learn any other tips y’all have on raising a bilingual child. Obviously, we’ll never get there because I have only a first-semester understanding of Mandarin (despite three years of obviously lax study – heh), but I want to do what I can to raise our daughter to feel comfortable with Mandarin. How did you go about finding the right tutor? About how many hours a week do you think is the minimum to be effective? And on and on… I could talk your ear off about this subject.

]]> By: onebadbint http://american-family.org/2009/11/02/lets-start-at-the-very-beginning/comment-page-1/#comment-130467 onebadbint Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:34:07 +0000 http://american-family.org/?p=2399#comment-130467 Ooh, I would _love_ to hear more about that book (on raising bilingual kids). Both what it says, and how that compares to your experience. We are doing okay with that, I feel, as long as we're in the other-language country (but where English is still our home language and of course, a prestige language, as everywhere). But I worry already about maintenance once we're back in an all-English milieu. Ooh, I would _love_ to hear more about that book (on raising bilingual kids). Both what it says, and how that compares to your experience.

We are doing okay with that, I feel, as long as we’re in the other-language country (but where English is still our home language and of course, a prestige language, as everywhere). But I worry already about maintenance once we’re back in an all-English milieu.

]]> By: Wendy O http://american-family.org/2009/11/02/lets-start-at-the-very-beginning/comment-page-1/#comment-130416 Wendy O Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:27:38 +0000 http://american-family.org/?p=2399#comment-130416 We also have M (my M) do the homework, but she loathes the character copying and re-creating. She loves to learn new words and have "conversations"--a few, but she is getting there. On the one hand I think she needs some of the characters--I see more value in understanding the radicals at her age, but it is just as you said--the rote memorization that totally turns her off (and one of the myriad of reasons we homeschool to avoid that type of learning). Thanks for your thoughts. We also have M (my M) do the homework, but she loathes the character copying and re-creating. She loves to learn new words and have “conversations”–a few, but she is getting there. On the one hand I think she needs some of the characters–I see more value in understanding the radicals at her age, but it is just as you said–the rote memorization that totally turns her off (and one of the myriad of reasons we homeschool to avoid that type of learning).
Thanks for your thoughts.

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