Our Bilingual Journey

TongueTales.com

2011-03-06T11:06:00.001-08:00

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I will contine writing about our bilingual journey there...

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Incy Wincy Araña y otras cosas

2011-03-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

Pues, yo empecé un nuevo trabajo este semana.

Todavía, es un trabajo con el gobierno, pero es algo diferente.

Ahorita, me lo gusta.

Mi niño estuve enferma en jueves. No fue a la escuela. Mi niña se la traiga la tarea por el.

Practicamos la rima “Incy Wincy Araña” esta semana. Los niños se gustan.

Descubrí un video bien en youtube.

Mira lo aquí.

A veces yo tengo sueños sobre viajando el mundo. En el futuro ojala que durante los veranos nos podemos ir a un otro pais por menos de 3 meses por año. No es possible ahora porque necesito trabajar. Pero un día.

Incy Wincy Araña

Incy Wincy araña trepo a la canaleta

Vino la lluvia y se la llevo

Salío el sol y se seco la lluvia

E incy wincy araña otra vez trepo

Spanish Words About Manners

2011-02-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

Tonight we read an old issue of Scholastic News magazine – the bilingual edition of course.

The magic words were

Por Favor – Please

Gracias – Thank you

Lo Siento – I’m Sorry

Con Permiso – Excuse Me

The pictures are some of the best things about these magazines.

A few more vocabulary words were “ayudante” for the cafeteria helper or ayudante de comedor.

Escuela – school

Conductor – Bus driver

There was a little map in this issue with a picture of a oficina de coreos – post office

And, a parque de bomberos – Fire house

If you would like to have Scholastic News Bilingual Edition for your family you will have to call the 1-800-SCHOLASTIC phone number. The bilingual spanish magazine is designed for classrooms, but you can get a home copy sent to you, but you won't be able to order online. They have different grade levels, so take some time to look. They also have things for 7th-12th graders.

Tortillitas Para Mama..and Spanish Friday!

2011-02-25T19:44:00.000-08:00

Esta semana era muy preocupada. Mi hijo hizo un proyecto sobre una Universidad HBCU (Historically Black College and University). La Universidad que tenia era Johnson C. Smith University que esta en Carolina del Norte. Esta en Charlotte.

Nunca antes supe nada de Johnson C. Smith. Pero, esta Universidad es interesante. Una cosa interesante es que todos los estudiantes reciben una computadara gratis cuando atenden alli.

Y tambien Rasheed Wallace fue a Johnson C Smith. Si, tu no sabes, Rasheed Wallace es un jugador de basquetbol.

Y esta semana trabaje en la escuela de mis ninos por dos dias. A sus escuela los padres necesitan ofrecer 16 horas por ano. Es obligatorio.

Esta semana leemos juntos por cuatro noches. Leemos un libro se llama Tortillitas para Mamá and Other Nursery Rhymes (Bilingual Edition in Spanish and English)
.

Mis ninos dijieron “porque las rimas no oyen bien en ingles? …porque solamente en espanol las palabras rime?” Me les dije que las rimas originalmento estaban escribiendo en espanol.

Gracias por leyendo mi blog. Esta es un parte de algo se llama “Spanish Friday’s”. Es algo cuando escribe en tu blog solamente en espanol por los viernes. Es mi primer tiempo haciendo esto.

Bilingual Belief

2011-02-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

Today I read a post on another blog about belief.

Believing that I actually have the ability to raise multilingual children is the key.

Last summer, my initial goal was to raise my children to be trilingual with Chinese, Spanish, and English.

And, it is a lofty goal, however I have waivered on if it is actually achievable.

We live in a predominantly monolingual neighborhood. My kids don’t go to school with a lot of Spanish or Chinese speakers. So, what am I to do?

Well, should I scale back my idea of raising the children to be multilingual?

So, I have decided that if I try to accomplish everything, then nothing will be achieved. I believe that at this point it is more realistic to raise the children to be bilingual, in Spanish and English. There is more of a need for that.

Or, I should say that it is easier for me to create situations where they will have human interaction. Since I speak some passable Spanish then I can initiate interaction with other Spanish speakers, or help reinforce things they are learning. I do not have this same ability in Chinese.

I would still like for them to learn a third language…But, instead of having them try to acquire two foreign languages simultaneously, I will opt for them to learn them successively. So, we will work on Spanish for now and hopefully in 4 years or so they will be proficient enough that they can add another language.

So, I believe that I can raise two bilingual children in Spanish and English.

Last night we read a magazine in Spanish.

Some of the vocabulary that was picked up from our reading last night was about animals and their food:

Hojas – leaves

Ratones – mice

Ardilla – chipmunk

Conejos – rabbits

Spanish Classes at the Atlanta Language Institue

2011-02-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

Today was another day in our bilingual journey.

The kids visited a class with the Atlanta Language Institute. It was a 1 hour Spanish class.

I am happy to report that they loved it. Even though it is the middle of the semester, they were able to join in with no problem, because they already had a good foundation.

There are only two other kids in the class. So, it is semi-private, but it is a lot more affordable than a private teacher.

At least they will be able to practice speaking Spanish to someone besides me. And, as another parent pointed out “Every little bit helps”.

How do you say oatmeal in spanish?

2011-02-02T05:38:00.001-08:00

Today for breakfast we ate “avena cocida”.

Avena cocida is how you say oatmeal in Spanish.

Last night comimos fideos for dinner.

Fideos is the spanish word for noodles.

Spanglish in Atlanta

2011-02-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

Pues, I was going tratar a escribir mi blog solamente in Spanish.

Pero, es muy dificil para mi. Porque yo necesito creer about las cosas que yo quiero escribir. And, my Spanish writing no es mejor.

So, should I write in Spanglish?

Many would say no, but that is what we have been speaking at home lately. The kids have been absorbing more and more Spanish vocabulary, and I realize that they are able to understand more also.

A new routine that we have adopted is to only Speak in Spanish when asking for or talking about food. This requires discipline on my part as well since I have a limited vocabulary too.

Last night yo cociné tallarines.

Por desayuno comimos tocino y huevos. And, I think the spanish word for pancake is crepe, but I have never hear that word before.

¿Que mas esta pasando en nuestra vida? I found a Spanish storytime that meets for 30 minutes on Saturdays twice a month. Es muy lejos de mi casa. We have to drive for more than 45 minutes to get there.

Maybe I should start my own Spanish Storytime or playgroup mas cerca de mi.

Well, I guess code-switching in my case is a form of laziness.

Lo Siento! I promise not to write another mixed language post.

Nuestro Viaje Bilingue

2011-01-20T11:15:00.001-08:00

Buenos Dias! Voy a continuar a recorder la experiencia de nuestra familia en este blog.

Es mi primer tiempo escribiendo aqui en “Blogger”. Antes yo estaba pagando por hosting a GoDaddy. Pero yo creo que es muy caro y terminé el servicio.

Pues, aqui voy a escribir sobre las cosas de mi familia. Estamos aprendiendo español juntos. Yo estudié en la escuela y la Universidad. Y quiero que mis hijos pueden hablar tambien.

Mi lengua natal es ingles y estamos viviendo en Atlanta.

Voy a escribir en español solamente porque necisito practicar escribiendo.

Va con nosotros en este viaje.

Ayudanos.

Dame consejos sobre cosas yo puedo hacer para les ayudo mis niños con español.