hello, ahoj, hej, hola!

We have such a multi-lingual society these days. I always find it interesting to find out how many different languages are spoken by the families in my classes. We have had such fun exploring various phrases or even animal sounds from each of these countries. There are advantages to introducing your children to various cultures and languages. They gain a greater understanding and respect for the world around them and learning a second language can also come in handy down the road. If you are not part of a multi-lingual family, you can learn with your child through books, CDs, and language programs in your community. Some parents may be concerned that adding a second language will inhibit your child's budding language development. Actually, early childhood is the ideal time for introducing a second language, and you should find that they pick it up quite easily. It is completely normal for them to mix up words from each of the languages as well as confuse the rules of grammar. If the introduction of the second language is new to your child, you may even notice that they are rather quiet for a period of time, even as long as a month. This is just an adjustment period where they are processing the new information and should not be a sign for alarm. Until next time... ciao, ha det, and au revoir!