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22:45
July 17, 2011
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This is a really specialized need, but I imagine there are millions of fathers around the world with this need.
I am the sole teacher to my 3 year old daughter of my language, English. Thanks to her other parent she is not permitted any other opportunities to interact in English and I only get 4 hours a week to interact with her.
I need the best of the best of the accelerated language learning techniques to do this.
Also, due to her age, linguists say the most critical need of hers is grammar, not vocabulary. They say the brain's ability to learn a grammar without special instruction is limited to kids up to the age of 5. After that, the brain has physically changed so that older kids learn grammar with the same techniques as adults (i.e. the hard way).
Given that challenge, if anyone has ANY advice, a sad, but still hard working father would REALLY appreciate it.
P.S. I already employ an extreme technique, false monolingual strategy (my daughter doesn't know I understand and speak her dominant language), so you don't need to recommend it. I know this strategy works for my children. And if you are opposed to that strategy, please respond to other threads, not this one. I'm not changing. Thank you.
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18:31
July 5, 2011
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I teach language to small children as part of my job, and I don't think you should try to present grammar to your daughter. As you wrote, "…the brain's ability to learn a grammar without special instruction." Just give her lots of exposure to English. Four hours/week may not be enough for her to really learn it, but it's something, and once she gets older she can watch movies and other media in English.
18:11
July 20, 2011
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Hello Winch,
You do not need any special grammar books or exercises to teach your daughter any English. Just talk to her and play a lot of games, read books etc. and repeat things over and over again, i. e. say the name of the number you cast or the colour or point at the thing in the picture book while explaining things to her. I spent two years at a nursery school (Kindergarten) during my training to become a nursery-school teacher and children that age pick up languages very quickly due to a) being fully immersed in them and b) because there is a language sensitive age where little children pick up other languages naturally and with ease (their brains can 'make' new connections between different areas faster than the brain of a grown-up). I had a 3-year old Chinese boy in my group who could not speak any German whatsoever when he arrived. After about two months he was able to say simple sentences like "I draw at home" in German. Sure, it will take longer for your daughter to learn English, because as you said you only see her for four hours a week. But even just four hours are enough for her to learn the language properly (I attended language school for only 1 1/2 hours a week and was able to massively improve my English). Thus, just keep up the good work and as you already said do not mix the languages. Stay consistent and talk only English to her. She is only 3 years old and her grammar (in both languages) is still developing. It may happen that she applies German grammar to English sentences and vice-versa. However, you are her point of reference and as long as your grammar is correct hers in time will be as well!
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19:06
Experienced Language Hacker
July 25, 2011
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4 hours a week with your daughter? That's got to be hard for both of you.
To make sure I understand, here is the score: you speak English with your daughter, she thinks that you only understand English, you actually know German too.
Follow your daughter. Let her lead. Don't underestimate her. Keep speaking English.
My recently turned 4 daughter loves Candy Land (for the record, I hate it but play it out of love). She also loves Spill the Beans. Both are available at amazon.co.uk—there are probably similar games in Germany, but I don't know the names. I'd avoid anything with a video screen. Going to cultural attractions for kids—zoos and children's museums—are also great places to have rich conversation. For that matter, ordinary daily life is a wondrous teaching experience for her. You're not just teaching English, you're teaching the world.
I speak Latin to my children. Everyday. Doing what I suggest in the above paragraph. I never speak English to them, though my daughter sussed out that I know English by 18 months. As a result, she's reticent to speak Latin, but her passive understanding is similar to that of English.
Given that Latin is much more morphologically complex than English—syntax aside—I'd say that the lack of grammar teaching isn't a problem. She has absolutely zero idea what Accusative case is, but she knows precisely what it means when it comes out of my mouth. I can't imagine how much easier it would be with English. Keep up what you're doing. Ignore the cut-off points. As the proverb goes, "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it." It sounds like you are doing it.
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04:53
September 24, 2011
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Would sending her home with English language cartoons be an option?
17:18
November 22, 2011
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I already employ an extreme technique, false monolingual strategy (my daughter doesn't know I understand and speak her dominant language), so you don't need to recommend it. I know this strategy works for my children.
I agree with you; in my opinion she's learning "passively" and will have the chance to practice what you're teaching when she will study English at school (or earlier, I hope!)
feel free to correct my mistakes,
I will appreciate it!
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