re: Teaching your kids a foreign language

Then she must also do math on an abacus, screw the new fangled blocks of counting! lol

It’s funny to watch them still in use especially when there is cash involved.

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Any advice on how to keep it interesting?

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Use native language TV shows, movies, and music as listening practice. The three "alphabets" (really two syllabaries and a set of pictographs) are all based on the same basic set of syllables, so leaening how to hear and say them can help retain and understand vocabulary.

If your kid is one who likes tests to track progress, use the Japanese Language Proficiency Test as a goal to reach. (There are five levels.. for a 7 year old, aim for passing a level every 2 years to be on par with Jaoanese high school students. N1 will also qualify you to work in most jobs in Japan, so there's a practical goal as well.)

Try and learn along with your kid. Speaking practice can be hard to come by if you're in Louisiana, so a learning partner would be good. Also, y'all could set a goal to be "good enough" at the language to take a vacation there when she turns 15 or 16 or something.

Also, if you're in the New Orleans area, the annual Japan Fest is at the Museum of Art in City Park on October 26th. There's food, music, performances, crafts, and exhibits.

It’s really hard. My wife speaks to our kids almost exclusively in Spanish. Every activity they do - swim lessons, dance, soccer, etc - we get Spanish speakers. They only watch shows/ movies in Spanish.

3 kids under 10. All have near fluent comprehension but minimal output. Hoping to spend time abroad over summers in upcoming years to try and improve that.

For us it’s just laying the foundation as best we can. Ultimately immersion is only way.

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My oldest daughter is fluent in Italian and Japanese. My youngest is fluent in German and Korean.

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If only the Axis of Evil won WWII.

Also, you should have put them up for roles in The Man in the High Castle.

Between both my kids 17,20, between the both of them they are fluent in French, Spanish and Chinese. No lie

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Also, if you're in the New Orleans area, the annual Japan Fest is at the Museum of Art in City Park on October 26th.

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Dude I grew up in Gretna and never heard of it.. who knew, a west banker never hearing of a cultural event hahaha I made fun of myself before someone could do it for me

My wife is German. Taught or kids to speak German. Working on the grandkids now.

We speak French and English in our house. Our 2 year old is growing up in Germany and will attend German schools. She will be trilingual right out the gates. It’s really amazing watching her learn to speak all 3 languages at the same time.

The 2 alphabets of Japanese are not that difficult to learn. Hiragana for most Japanese and katakana for foreign words. Basically for each phonetic sound you have the option of 2 characters.


Kanji are the more advanced characters with meanings, you can learn them over time

Focus on learning correct pronunciation.

Duolingo is a good tool for beginners and to test the waters and learn basics.