Thursday, January 27, 2011

Why you should teach your child a foreign language

Why you should teach your child a foreign language?

From: Foreign Language Fun

Children have such amazing brains! They absorb everything around them at lightning speeds. It is important not to underestimate a young child’s ability. As parents, we certainly want the best for our children, allowing them to reach their potential. Teaching your child a second language, even while he is still developing his first language, has some real benefits. It is good for brain and communicative development and will have lasting benefits that will be seen later in life.

Good for development

Teaching your child a foreign language at a young age is good for his overall development. Some think that if you start too young, it will confuse a child, keeping him from learning English correctly. That is simply not true. Learning another language actually enhances children’s linguistic abilities. They tend to learn faster, with more comprehension than a child learning just one language. Children that are learning or have learned a foreign language when they are real young tend to do better in school and on standardized tests. They also tend to be more creative and better at problem solving. It is never too early to start teaching your child another language. In fact, the earlier you start, the more likely it is that your child will become proficient in that language, being able to speak and understand it like a native speaker.

Exposes child to the outside world

Another benefit of teaching your child a foreign language is the exposure to different cultures and ways of thinking it provides. Along with learning a language, your child will certainly benefit from learning about where that language is spoken and what kind of people speak it. As your child gets older, he will have more of an understanding of cultures other than his own. This will provide a much broader perspective of the world around him. And certainly learning another language will give him additional ways to express himself.

Benefits child later in life

Teaching your child to speak more than one language will no doubt have long-lasting benefits. As people immigrate and cultures are spread around the world, your child will have many opportunities to use his language skills. It is not uncommon to come across native speakers of many different languages wherever you are. Traveling will be far more interesting when your child is going to a place where he can communicate with the locals. And job opportunities for bilingual individuals are more plentiful than ever before.

So start while your child is young and give him the advantage of being exposed to another language. It is much easier to teach children at a young age than to wait till they are older.

Many thanks to Louise Baker for guest blogging today! Louise is a freelance blogger who usually writes about accredited online colleges for Zen College Life. Her most recent article ranked x-ray technician degrees.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Introducing our new Spanish Teacher: Maggie Schwartz

Introducing our new Spanish Teacher: Maggie Schwartz


maggie

Maggie Schwartz is a native Spanish speaker, born in Quito, Ecuador.

She has lived off and on in the United States for many years, and is completely bilingual.

She lives in a bilingual household: teaching her husband Spanish and raising her son to speak both Spanish and English fluently. She continues to teach more formerly in a program for adults, (Spanish for travelers).

Throughout her career, both in business and in other employment she has used Spanish to interpret on a regular basis. Finally she has volunteered for many years in ESL (English as a Second Language) programs in schools.


Maggie will be teaching Spanish at O'Quinn Schools, Harbor View Elementary, Stiles Point elementary and Audacy Creative Arts Preschool and the Darby Building in Mt. Pleasant.


We are excited to have her with us!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Trip to Costa Rica - Summer 2012

Start planning now for the trip of a lifetime with your child! World Languages 4 Kids will be traveling to Costa Rica for 8 days in July of 2012! What a great opportunity for your little ones to practice Spanish and learn about a new culture first-hand!
Below is the trip Iteneray:
DAY 1 SAN JOSE.
Costa Rica is known as the Switzerland of Central America, a country with no armed forces. Arrive in San Jose, the capital city.

DAY 2 POAS VOLCANO-HOT SPRINGS.
Journey to the top of the volcano, and peer into the two-mile crater. Try your hand in Ox Cart CraftsOx Cart Crafts
A local artisan introduces you to the origins of traditional Costa Rican craftmaking, such as Ox Cart painting. Try your own hand at painting and take home your art as a souvenir.. Continue to Arenal. Visit volcanic hot springs for a relaxing soak!

DAY 3 MONTEVERDE.
Continue to the Monteverde reserve. Enjoy an evening guided walk along a nature trail to see the nocturnal wildlife.

DAY 4 MONTEVERDE CLOUD FOREST.
Take a morning guided walking tour of the reserve. At an altitude of 4,000 to 5,800 feet, this "cloudy" forest straddles the low continental divide and is known for abundant fauna and flora. Take an optional Canopy Zip-Line tour.

DAY 5 JACO BEACH AREA.
Visit with local students during your Costa Rican School VisitCosta Rican School Visit
Visit a Costa Rican school to meet local students, practice Spanish and see the differences between schools there and schools at home.. Journey to the seaside resort of Jaco Beach and spend the afternoon with the Pacific Ocean lapping at your beach towel.

DAY 6 MANUEL ANTONIO.
Combining white sandy beaches with lush tropical forest, Manuel Antonio is the perfect place to see a variety of Costa Rican wildlife, from white-faced monkeys and sleepy-faced sloths, to green turtles and orange-and-black-shelled land crabs. Explore the cays and inlets of this national park during a full-day excursion.

DAY 7 FOLKLORE DINNER.
Create authentic local foods during Cocina TicaCocina Tica
Cook Costa Rican style! Create authentic local foods and sit down to savor your delicious creations.. Return to San Jose and Dance the El ToritoDance the El Torito
Costumed Costa Rican folklore dancers teach you the El Torito, as well as other traditional dances, then relax and watch the pros perform..

DAY 8 TRAVEL HOME TO THE UNITED STATES.

NETC offers Educational Travel vacations all around the world! We will be staying in SAFE 3 or 4 star hotels, and have a local tour guide leading our trip the entire time!

We will have a planning meeting end of Feb... more to come on this soon!!!!!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Welcome Back

Bonne Annee!

Welcome back to the start of an exciting new year! This spring in French and Spanish classes, your children will learn about clothing, the calendar (days of the week), family members, animals and sports! There are also a lot of fun topics that we will focus on: the Super Bowl, Valentine's day, Dr. Seuss's Birthday, Earth day, Arbor Day, Mardi Gras, Cinco de Mayo, and Mother's day!

This week and next, as we review the 4 seasons, we will also be learning about clothing that you wear in each season. I found this cute video in French that has a lot of French vocabulary in it! See if your child can understand any of the words!