Three Ways to Make Learning a Second Language a Family Activity
You never need an excuse to set aside time to enjoy family fun together! And if you’re working towards raising bilingual children, taking a day dedicated to practicing a second language with the family, in a fun way, is in order. There’s so many ways to get the entire family involved and entertained while practicing a second language. Our friends at Binibi, whose bilingual sound books you can find on our site, share three interactive activities the whole family can enjoy on National Family Fun Day that will spark language learning in an exciting and memorable way.
Have a family theme night: Prepare for Family Fun Day in advance and get everything you need to plan a family theme night where you incorporate culture with language practice! Depending on the language you are learning, you can buy or cook native cuisine and use the time to teach your children about another culture, whether it’s your own or not! An authentic dinner is the perfect way to introduce new words, dish names and inspire the entire family to speak the language. If you are cooking it on your own, incorporate the target language while cooking and eating together. Once dinner is done, language practice doesn’t have to be! You can top off family theme night with a movie in the target language or even family games like bingo, charades, “name the item” or a matching game where everyone can participate and bond over some laughs as you practice new vocabulary.
Read books together: In a world where screens are so present, often interrupting valuable quality family time, reading is the perfect screen-free activity for practicing a second language! Screen-free conversations are good for not only family bonding, but also for language learning as day-to-day conversations and interactions play a large role in truly learning a second language. The best part about books as a language learning tool is that everyone can participate: parents, siblings, grandparents and even babysitters. It can also be done from anywhere. Books like Binibi’s bilingual children’s books make learning a second language interactive, fun and effortless for the whole family as they enjoy pressing buttons and listening to sounds and songs. As families look at the images together and talk about what they see, they’re helping their little ones associate new words with this special experience they’re sharing alongside their families.
Have a family outing to a local spot where the target language is spoken: Research different places in your city where the target language would be spoken and visit them together as a family to gain additional exposure to the target language. This can consist of activities like visiting a restaurant, market, cultural exhibition or attending a kids show in the target language. Once there, make an effort as a family to speak the target language to get some extra practice in. You could even prepare ahead of time by practicing relevant words so that you can use them the day of!
While these activities are wonderful for practicing language as a family! Learning a second language is a continuous process and effort, so setting aside time to incorporate it into your daily routine is crucial for truly retaining the language. We hope you feel inspired to use this holiday as the perfect excuse for family-oriented language practice!
Binibi makes bilingual sound books for children ages 0-5. Our collection of interactive musical and sound books are made with high-quality sounds and imagery designed for parents to have an easy way to introduce Spanish at home. Binibi was founded by two latina moms in 2020, seeking to fill the gap in bilingual products for children and provide parents with resources to support their bilingual parenting journey.
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Learning a Second Language as a Family | Teaching Toddlers
