Showing posts with label tweetalig. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tweetalig. Show all posts

Saturday, 17 March 2012

The best gift you can give your kid

I came across this Language Challenge 180 and I want to share it with you. There are over 650 people worldwide joining in the challenge and learning or passing on to there kids more than 50 different languages. I'm excited about the challenge because it is such a precious gift parents can give their kids the possibility of learning their mother tongue or father tongue. I wrote a blog on third culture kids learning their mother tongue.

As many of you know I grew up in Africa, I went to an English speaking international school and was surrounded by English speaking people most of the day but my parents come from the Netherlands. So my mother tongue is Dutch. To this day I am so glad that my parents made an effort to teach us to speak, read and write Dutch. Yes you are right it cost them energy, money, time and perseverance, but I am grateful.

Just to get back to the challenge. You can find more information on the website of Multilingual Living. I am impressed by the helpful information that can be found on this website. If you join in the challenge you will receive 2 emails each week with language tips, information and activities for the week. There are prize giveaways each week.

On the language page you will find many different languages. There you can share language-specific tips, resources and information. Here are a few languages that you will find in the list:
  1. Dutch
  2. English
  3. Spanish
  4. German
  5. Italian
  6. Chinese
  7. Arabic
There are many more languages in the list. Here are two quotes from the Multilingual Living website:

"When it comes to learning a language or passing one on to our children, the key component is consistency: doing at least a little bit each and every day."

"Languages are a little like muscles: if we don’t use them, they can atrophy over time."

I found this quote on the internet too and I like it:

" Preserving Your Heritage Language is the key to preserving your next generation, giving your child a true sense of identity and a high level of self esteem."

I hope I have motivated you as parents to start or to keep teaching your kids your own language. I truly think it is the best gift you can give them. Do you agree? 

Related posts:
Photo thanks to Duboix Morgue File

Saturday, 10 March 2012

Great twitter links on kids growing up in other cultures

Photo by Janneke @DrieCulturen Yummy Indonesian food!
So sorry that it has been quiet here on my blog. I have been on holiday and have been enjoying travelling abroad, just like most third culture kids do. Have you seen Aga Magdolen's film "Les Passagers"? A text in the film is:

"Before I learned to walk I already knew how to fly".

So flying is second nature to us. Airports can be a cause of excitement: the door to the rest of the world. This time I was in Indonesia. All my senses have been stimulated. There is so much to see, hear, smell, taste(!) and feel. When I am in other countries I feel "alive". It feels good.

I just wanted to let you know that I was asked to write a guest blog this week. If you would like to read it hop over to this blog Tales from Windmill fields. It's all about cultural identity confusion and third culture kids. This was my second guest blog. My first guest blog was on Expat Explorer and it's called "Where are you from?"

Here are some great twitter links just in case you missed them:

Good news for in Europe! Ruth van Reken is coming to a Third culture kid conference April 2013

"I can truly say that my experiences have given me the greatest gifts one could ever ask for" A third culture kid says http://bit.ly/x8vCR1 

Third culture kids being the hidden immigrants. Identify!  

How to help kids deal with a move abroad...

3 Important Factors to Consider When Raising a Bilingual Child

Great read! Musings on the meaning of the word "Home" in an article by former third culture kid   

Worth reading: "Pivotal journeys for third culture kids"  

Third culture kids and the questions they get

Having a Baby Abroad –

Having a Baby Abroad - Global Differences Series:   

I’m like a chameleon, tend to start talking like people I’m surrounded with. & accents

Want to study in English in Europe? Check what the possibilities are for

Please add your link if you have news on third culture kids or anything that has to do with kids growing up in other cultures. Thanks.

Related posts:

Monday, 28 November 2011

Third culture kids: learning their mother tongue.

As I was on twitter tonight I realised that the tweets I was sending were mainly about language learning. So I thought that's what my blog post will be on today too. As you know I am an (adult) third culture kid. Born and raised in Africa but with Dutch blood. There are many advantages of growing up abroad but one of mine is that I was raised bilingually. We spoke Dutch at home and English at school. It was very tempting to mix English words into our "home" language but my parents had clear rules on that one. Especially when we as kids were quarreling we had a tendency to switch to English.

Now I am living in a Dutch environment but to this day I enjoy speaking English with by brothers and sister. We don't do it all the time but is feels so "comfortable". Even on the telephone we just switch from one language to the other.

It's good to have a family language plan. A language expert writes about it: Family Language Planning - A Tool For Success.

So what was my parents' plan? I'm not sure but here are a few things we did:

  • Wrote Dutch letters to our family
  • Sang Dutch children's songs, especially on long trips in the car! My mum knew lots of songs and loves singing. Songs like "Hansje Pansje Kevertje die klom eens op een hek..."
  • Carried kilograms of children's books in our suitcases when returning back to Africa. This was in the time before you could order books through the internet.
  • Were members of the children's library in Harare, Zimbabwe (that was 366 kilometres from Bulawayo where we lived).
  • Had Dutch lessons during the holidays. As kids that was terrible, but now I am terribly grateful!
  • Read many Dutch children's books.

I just want to encourage parents raising multilingual children. Please don't give up. I know it takes effort but know that in the long run your children will be grateful. Recently I have spoken to third culture kids who cannot speak their mother tongue well and they really regret it. A good site for information on this topic is Multilingual Living. Read this good advice on their website: 10 things you should NEVER say to your bilingual child.

Here's some food for thought on this topic:
  1. Make language learning fun.
  2. Don't listen to people who think that speaking the native language at home should be stopped.
  3. Be patient. Being patient is the key for your child to build confidence in a second language.
  4. Find material that helps with the language learning (like DVDs, computer games, books, CDs).
Want to read more? Bilingualism and growing up abroad.

Do you have thoughts on this topic? Parents do you have advice for other parents? Third culture kids do you have something to add? Please share your comments. (Photo thanks to Griet, Morgue file).

Sunday, 30 October 2011

Twitter update week 43: All about kids growing up in other cultures

9 Great tips Baby steps to biliteracy
start when the baby's in the womb

Thanks for the mention by "10 more tweeters all expats should follow"


Dutch third culture kid celebrating halloween in Beirut all about growing up globally!

I was on the great wall, sorry to have missed out on the toboggan! Sounds like fun read

Orchids, I love tropical flowers.
“Learning a 2nd language: I know my children will be thankful later on”  

Freshaliciously- Sunshine Soup by Jo Parfitt is the perfect book to read if you are an expat. Loved it!


Read this Children of expats may gain valuable advantage in global workforce arena
 

"Preparing Your Global Nomad for Transition to University" by

RT TCKs would you describe yourselves as rootless? Look forward to your thoughts on

Informative post: A Guide to relating with third culture kids, written by a TCK:

An unexpected culture shock on returning home (China) from overseas. Third culture kid Elizabeth tells her story http://bit.ly/nUoHxj

Wish I could attend 3 nov'11 20 pm free lecture on Third Culture People A New Cultural Reality in Athens

Interested in how a guidance counselor at an international school in China explains what third culture kids are?  

Have you heard of the new book for third culture kids? Slurping Soup & other Confusions

Interesting article The right to vote in the place you live...complicated!
 

Wisten jullie dat Mauro ook een third culture kid is? Net als ik, lees meer over TCKs
Wat zijn dat?

Leuk stukje over third culture kids Ken je Jutta König? Weet je wat TCKs zijn? Wereldburgers?

For more links see my twitter update week 38 all about kids growing up globally. Do you have any interesting links on this topic? Please let me know.

Monday, 5 September 2011

Twitter update 5 september news about third culture kids

I want to share some good links with you. I twittered about these links the past few days.
Family fun!

10 Lifestyle habits of third culture kids http://bit.ly/nsQKSz written by Brian Royer

You might be a third culture kid: if you speak 2 languages, but can't spell in either...


interview with TCK who is president of a university in Paris: all about
&career

Bilingual babies' vocabulary linked to early brain differentiation: via

@Windmilltales Todays blog post Xpat Blog Hop - Hardest thing to adjust to..
5 tips for future to Holland!

life has another post. Hope you're liking them, community. Post by James R.Mitchner

Anyone got a hankering for sweet potato fries with garlic & Thai basil? lovely blog by and 4 !

'Should our kids go native too?' International vs. local schools, via Expatica. http://bit.ly/qBN36P

Expat Divorce. What about the kids?

J Simens.com New Post - World-wide childhood games teach valuable skills.
Read it now at http://bit.ly/oDfKW9

5 tips for surviving the worst roommate ever written by a graduate TCK

Wereldschool: Boekentip voor expats om kinderen voor te bereiden op vertrek: Anderland boeken. Biedt gespreksstof en handvatten.

Multicultureel opvoeden, ouders willen wel maar weten niet hoe..

Image thanks to Kakisky Morgue File