Exploring Other Cultures and Languages With Your Family
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by Karen Nemeth, Ed.M., Author of Many Languages, One Classroom: Teaching Dual and English Language Learners and Founder of Language Castle LLC
When you think about exploring different cultures and languages with your family, I hope you aren’t imagining a scene where everyone is silently memorizing flashcards or sleepily repeating the days of the week over and over again. Discovering the diversity of your community and the world beyond should be active, fun, and fantastic!
Instead of making up lessons, follow your family’s interests. Some children enjoy the library – others focus on food – and some prefer sports – so go ahead and follow their lead. There are opportunities to learn new words, traditions and activities in all kinds of ways. Here are some examples:
- Watch a familiar family movie in another language with English subtitles. If you know the story, it’s easier to follow along with the new language. This works even better if you watch it without subtitles and create a great challenge for the whole family. Next – try acting out whole scenes in the new language.
- Visit the library and ask the librarians for help finding bilingual books, cds or videos.
- Look up the beautiful photographic children’s books about everyday life in different cultures such as Bread, Bread, Bread or Hats, Hats, Hats or Houses and Homes by Ann Morris.
- Plan a trip to a local ethnic restaurant – then look up the words in a bilingual dictionary or online and practice saying your order before you go. Bring back menus to add diversity to pretend play at home or school.
- Make a game out of catching each other every time one of you says a word that comes from another language, such as ‘bureau’ or ‘macaroni’ or ‘adios’. If you keep track, you’ll be amazed at how many other languages you know – then start looking up more words and phrases on line to spice up your conversations.
- Go to an online travel site to plan an imaginary vacation to another country – take a virtual tour of the sites and see how the landscape, the vehicles, the buildings and the people look similar to or different from what you find in your own surroundings.
- Stop by the local travel agent for brochures and information about a country that interests the whole family – or let each person collect their own information and make a scrapbook to share.
- Buy bilingual children’s books that contain language everyone can learn and use. Many come with CDs so you can hear the correct pronunciation. You can order books in over 40 different languages from www.LanguageLizard.com
- Find bilingual e-books and electronic games at www.analomba.com
- Borrow or buy some international music – and learn the dances that go with it. www.putumayo.com is one of the most well-known sources. Buy or make different musical instruments too.
- Find a local cultural festival or dance performance or concert and dive right in!
- Visit an art gallery or museum exhibit to see through the eyes of people from different cultures.
Whatever path you take to explore other languages and cultures, make sure it appeals to every member of your family. The goal should be to support everyone’s learning in a positive way – and to have fun!
Bio: Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. is an author, presenter and consultant. Follow Karen on Facebook and Twitter. Her book, Many Languages, One Classroom, is available from Gryphon House.
What are your favorite ways to explore culture and languages?
What ideas of Karen’s do you want to try?
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Thank you for sharing these very manageable suggestions! It’s so important that our children be aware of the wide world around them.
I have compiled a list of websites that offer opportunities to read and/or listen to children’s books in other languages here: