Being billingual has it's perks at times. At Valentine's day a kiddo asked me what their candy love heart said in french and I knew. Not really rocket science but still helpful to a five year old I suppose. Later that same day at the movie theatre the popcorn bag was all in french and my friend wondered what it said. I told her and she seemed a bit shocked...."you know french?" Funny we had been friends for a decade and she didn't know that. It got me thinking at how little my years of french has been of use to me in normal life here in Canada. Actually as I am shy and never actually practiced speaking it much I wouldn't consider myself fluent at all, but I can read it well. And if I really strained my brain I could probably tell you the imparfait tenses of 'to be' or d'etre or another random verb but I'd rather not.
The one thing french has been helpful with oddly enough is Spanish! There are lots of similarities. So many people in the world speak Spanish I am encouraging my boys to go that direction in school. Of course if they want to learn all the languages I would be thrilled, but if it had to be one second language I would choose Spanish. I've taken some lessons here and there and having exchange students from Mexico and Columbia helped some, but I still have a ways to go myself.
Less than a month from now we'll be heading to Mexico to visit my parents in Nuevo Vallarta where they spend their winters. While there I always like chatting with the pool bartenders as they are as keen to learn english as I am Spanish so we go back and forth...
"How do you say _ _ _ _ _" (them in a cute Spanish accent)
"Como se dice _ _ _ _ _?" (me in a terrible Spanish way)
My words usually revolve around food or yummy drinks and theirs more practical things, but either way it's fun.
As for the boys I just ordered a set of these fun flashcards from The Land of Nod,
It will be a great way for us all to pick up a bit more of the fun language. They are $7.95. Yes I know there are probably oodles of aps to learn spanish but I like our holidays to be as screen-free as possible.
Something else I'm contemplating adding is the cute Spanish bingo game they have,
It's only $15 and Ryan LOVE playing Bingo. The older boys not so keen but if there are prizes involved they get rather enthusiastic about the game. It's a great thing to do by the pool...maybe I'll even convince mes amigos at the pool bar to take a pina colada break and play with me!
I always host a Land of Nod button on Snicks...hop over on the left sidebar and take a browse...it has the best selection of quality kiddo stuff...and swell sales in the clearance section.
Adiós mis amigos,
oxo
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