I love to see my kids playing!

It’s so fun to see how creative they are and hear their ideas as they learn new concepts about the world around them.

In the past though, the play thing was a bit of a mystery to me as a parent. 

I used to struggle with the idea of sitting down with my kids when they were little and working out what play looks like. I felt really in over my head about what play should be.

I suspect there are a lot of mums and dads out there who are in the same boat! 

Play is actually a really important part of teaching kids a new language. I want to share with you simple tips on how to help your child get the most from play time, whether it’s to support language learning, boost their creativity or learn social skills.

I sat down with my friend Amy from Playful Little Learners - she’s a champion of kids learning through play who has SO much wisdom in this area!

Amy taught English in China without understanding a single word of Mandarin, she...

So, you want to teach your kids a language? 

Amazing!

But... there’s just one little thing…..

You’ve never spoken a word of the language in your life. 

Well, except for maybe those hilarious Dora imitations you do for the kids or a handful of words back in college... 

Or maybe you grew up with a second language at home but as an adult, your grasp of the language has slipped away.  

You want your kids to have a connection with your incredible heritage but knowing where to start feels totally overwhelming.

I want to help you discover that teaching your kids a language - even if you don’t speak it - is SO rewarding, super fun and, with a few insightful tips, nowhere near as hard as you think.

You don’t need to be able to speak the language to teach it! You can learn WITH your kids!

These tips are inspired by my friend Aileen Passiello-Mcaleer a bilingual Venezuelan-Italian mama and co-founder of MamaLingua.

Aileen grew up in a...

For many of us, the thought of teaching our kids a foreign language can be overwhelming but especially when it comes to a language that includes characters NOT found in the English language. 

Today's interview with Jace Chong flips the script on what is possible when it comes to teaching kids Mandarin. As an educator and mama currently raising her son to speak English and Mandarin, she shares the tips that has worked for her own family, but also the the families of her students - kids aged 6 months to 10 years at her Mandarin Playgroup based out of London. 

She shares 3 reasons why she believes that Mandarin has become one of the most important languages of this generation and why there has been a surge in people teaching their kids Mandarin from an early age.  

CONNECT WITH JACE:

You can find Jace on all the following social media platforms.

Website: https://letaotaomandarinclub.com/
Facebook: @letaotaomandarinclub
Instagram: ...

One of the most well-known language strategies used to teach kids a second language at home is the OPOL Method. This most commonly refers to the One Parent, One Language approach where a parent speaks only one language to a child, ensuring maximum engagement in the target language. That is assuming you're fluent in a language

This week, I sat down with Tetsu Yung from Ask Tetsu and he shared his unique approach to the OPOL Method. He also shared how he's teaching his kids to speak 5 languages, even though he only speaks one specific language to his kids at home.

If you can only speak one language but dream of raising bilingual kids, then this episode is for you!   

LET’S GET INTO IT

Today's episode talks about exactly what the OPOL Language Strategy is and how you can outwork it in your family. 

1. Introducing Tetsu Yung.

Key Points We Discussed:

• Who is Tetsu Yung?
• What is his language background?
• How Tetsu is using the OPOL Language...

Learning a second language can be a big job! Especially if you’re only a little person, and can sometimes feel a little overwhelmed. It’s not uncommon to hear of children who refuse to stop speaking a certain language and drag their feet when it comes to practicing new words. That’s why it’s so important to make the language learning adventure fun! If your child enjoys learning the language then your chances are much higher that they will continue speaking the language later on in life.

So how do you make learning a second language fun?! Well luckily for you there’s a lot of really simple things that you can incorporate into your normal life that assist develop a love of language in your little one. From play-based games and activities, bilingual and engaging video content, challenges and adventures, you really do have a world full of options. Below we share 5 of our favorite ways to keep language learning something your child...

We all know that one of the best gifts a parent can give to their child is the gift of a second language, but knowing this, and DOING this are two very different things.

As a native English speaker, fluent in only one language these days, I know firsthand how overwhelming it can be to think about starting to teach your own child at home. 

Today I want to share 8 tips that I found really empowering when it comes to teaching our kids a language at home. 

LET’S GET INTO IT

Today's episode is for all the parents who aren't fluent and would have NO idea where to start when it comes to languages at home. I want to share the tips that worked for me and some encouragement that will empower you to start! 

1. Just Start

My first tip is to start. This might sound obvious but it's the best way to overcome any fears you might have about introducing a language at home. It's also the best way to get rid of feelings of imperfection. I wasn't fluent in French when I...

 How to Teach Your Kids Spanish in a Non-Native Household.

How to Teach World Culture To Your Kids!

With Carrie Smith, Ep 003.

SNAPSHOT

Carrie Smith, founder of “Our Crafty World,” currently lives in LA but grew up in a border town in Arizona. At 15, her Mum saved up and sent her on a journey to Germany for a month and learned the basics of the German language and fell in love with the culture - it was there and then she believes she was “bitten by the travel bug.”

She is an incredible educator with a story that inspires others to get out of their comfort zone and also shows you how easy it can be to teach your little ones about the world, inside the four corners of your own home. 

Carrie is passionate about bringing world culture into the homes of families and education facilities and I'm really excited to share her story with you and her tips along the way!

THE RECAP

In this episode, Carrie shares a little it about her journey from starting as a young girl with a dream to travel the world and...

 Language Immersion Preschools

With Kaci Schack, Ep 002.

SNAPSHOT

Kaci Schack, founder of Language Preschools is Mum of two, a native English speaker, living in Dallas Texas, with German heritage.

Kaci is passionate about not only learning the German language but also finding creative ways to introduce the language to her children. Kaci recently started languagepreschools.com as a way to help other families immerse their kids into another language from a young age. 

THE RECAP

In this episode, Kaci shares a little it about her experiences of sending her son to a German language preschool. We chat about transitions, kicking goals and of course, we ask and answer the important questions will help you to find the right immersion preschool within your local community in terms of offering bilingual programs.

• How she became interested in language learning as an adult (after a subpar high school French experience)
• Why she chose German for herself...

The last couple of weeks have been a little quiet when it comes to sharing a little of what I've been working on but I'm SO excited to finally be chatting with you today about it. 

We have launched 'The Raising Cultured Kid's' Podcast!!

As many of you already know, I'm passionate about helping kids experience the joys of a second language from an early age, so whether you're here because you're a parent or because you teach preschool and want resources to start, I know this podcast is going to help you. 

I'm releasing our very first episode today and I've shared a little of the heart behind the Raising Cultured Kid's podcast and what you can expect from our weekly conversations.

The plan is to chat with language experts, educators, academics and parents from all around the world who are raising their own kids and know the challenges that come with it.

I can't wait to share just how easy it can be to start raising your little ones how to speak a second language,...