LITTLE PIM BLOG
The New ABCs: Surprising Foreign Alphabets Kids Will Love Learning
Do your kids love saying their ABCs? Then they'll be delighted to find out about completely new alphabets, such as Russian, Arabic, or Japanese. Not sure where to start? We've created a quick overview of just a few options we have at Little Pim. Try them out with your kids for some tongue twisting, language learning fun!
Pay attention to the following letter combinations that do not exist in the English language:
" “hl” as in “Hlieb” (bread) " “zh” as in “Nozhe” (bread), “Zholtoy” (yellow) " “ts” as in “Tsveta” (color) " “hv” as in “Hvost” (tall) " “zs” as in “Litzso” (face)
It’s important to pronounce your vowels correctly to be understood – you should open your mouth wide and purposely stretch out the sounds (always fun instructions for little learners!)
Now try this sentence out:
Hello, my name is Little Pim. I am a panda.
Привет! Меня зовут Крошка Пим. Я панда.
Privet! Menya zavut kroshka Pim. Ya panda.
The consonants in the following table are distinctly Arabic in the way they sound.
Kh -- The "ch" in "Bach" or "loch"; has a raspy sound H -- H is pronounced from the back of the throat The phrase SabaaH al-Khayr(good morning) has both the “Kh” and “H” R -- A rolled "r" sound, similar to the Spanish R, as in the word marHaban (hello)Gh -- A "gargling" kind of sound between "g" and "r," produced deep in the throat, as in the word Ghadaa (lunch)
Now put them together:
Hello, my name is Little Pim. I am a panda.
- .الصغير "بيم" إسمي مرحباً،
- .باندا أنا
Marhaban, Ismi Pim Assagheer. Ana Panda
Here are some basic pronunciation guides for Japanese:
- A pronounced “AH”
- I pronounced “EE”
- E pronounced “EH”
- O pronounced “OH”
- Double vowels – note elongation of the vowel
Now see if you can use the rules in the following sentence:
Hello, my name is Little Pim. I am a panda.
- こんにちは、
- 私の名前は小さいピム。
- 私はパンダ。
- Konichiwa, watashi no namae wa chiisai pim,
- Watashi wa panda
Ready for more unique alphabets? Keep the fun going with Litte Pim's Mandarin Chinese and Hebrew.
4 Surprising Infographics about Bilingual Education
Did you know the most commonly spoken language on earth is Mandarin? Or that students who studied a foreign language for at least 4 years scored an average of 140 points higher on the math SAT than those who didn’t? We found these fascinating facts and much more as we explored language learning and bilingualism Infographics around the web. We’ve collected a few of our favorites here. Click through to see the full graphic.
1. Second Language Acquisition By The Numbers
(credit, Huffington Post)
The facts and nothing but the language facts are the focus of this Infographic, including the most popular language to study in the United States (Spanish) and where scores improved on the SAT when students studied a second language (actually, they improved in all three sections!):
2. 50 Awesome Facts About Languages
(credit, UIC London)
If you’re looking for biggest, best, and most unusual language facts—from the number of world languages (7,000) to the easiest foreign language for English speakers to learn (Frisian, only spoken in parts of the Netherlands) this Infographic is for you:
3. The Benefits of Being Bilingual
(credit, BlueData International Institute)
What are the benefits of bilingualism? This Infographic links speaking a second language to improved concentration, boosted brain function, and increased creativity just for starters. Find out more:
4. Languages of the World
Finally, check out this Infographic from our friends at Pimsleur (which was created by Little Pim founder Julia Pimsleur Levine’s father, Dr. Paul Pimsleur) exploring the perceptions and realities of language learning in the United States.
Empowering Language Tips for Parents
SheKnows recently published an article on raising bilingual kids featuring our very own Julia Pimsleur Levine! The article encourages parents to "Fill Your Baby's Brain with Language" and includes some incredible case studies and language tips for parents who want to raise multilingual children.
The take home message is this: all parents are capable of giving their children the gift of a second language. Different families take different strategies: from One Parent One Language (where each parent picks a different language and sticks to it) to simply learning a new language along with your kids. The is no one right way to do it, and each family provides a bevy of useful language tips for parents who are thinking about introducing a new language. There is a style for every family.
Elsewhere on the internet, our friend Ana Flores of SpanglishBaby reminds us not to "underestimate how important commitment and consistency are in successfully raising a bilingual child." In her piece, she runs through some general Do and Don't language tips for parents to keep in mind as they begin to incorporate another language into their family's lives.
Both pieces are must reads for families who are just starting to speak in new languages and for parents who are looking for ways to expand on what they are already doing!
3 Things You Didn't Know About the Bilingual Brain
The internet is abuzz with news of a new study published in the journal Neurology that indicates that bilingualism can delay the effects of dementia (including Alzheimer's). While other researchers have certainly drawn the same conclusion in the past, this study has the largest sample size and is certainly worth reading about! But if you're more interested in how learning a second language will impact your child's brain NOW, here are a few more fun facts about the bilingual brain and language development from some of our favorite articles around the web:
- Children who learn multiple languages may make grammatical errors at first, but it won't last! Just as monolingual children sometimes make errors as they begin to learn the structure of a language ("I go'ed" vs. "I went"), so do bilingual or multilingual children. It's all a part of the language learning process.
- Socio-economic status has a greater effect on vocabulary than bilingualism. Some parents fear that adding a second language to the mix will stunt their child's development in their first language, but more and more evidence indicates that multilingualism is an insignificant indicator of how a child's vocabulary will develop. Read more at the New York Times.
- On the other hand, speaking a second language helps delay dementia regardless of education level. This new study demonstrates that even illiterate participants reaped the benefits of bilingualism, experiencing the same 5-year delay in symptoms as more formally educated participants.
Bilingual Kids in the News!
Last week, our friend Ana Flores of SpanglishBaby made an appearance on NBC's Today Show to talk about raising bilingual kids and the importance of starting early. #BilingualKids swiftly became a hot topic on twitter, and we want to keep the conversation going. First, watch the video in which Ana and Columbia professor Erika Levy make the case for bilingual kids. Note, especially, how adamantly professor Levy dispels the myth that bilingual children start speaking later than monolingual children – good news for all!
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
If you'd like to continue to explore the topic of bilingual kids in the news, here are two informative articles from the last two weeks.
- This Huffington Post piece by Dr. Gail Gross delves into the effects language can have on babies before they are born. Even in the womb, babies can begin to distinguish their mothers' voices and languages!
- And this recent article in TIME Magazine also reveals how different languages affect the way children process and analyze information. The more languages they learn how to balance, the more analytical tools they have!
4 Eye-opening Articles on Foreign Language Learning
Every week we find ourselves geeking out over all the amazing new information about foreign language learning that we find on the internet. If you’re like us (and we think you might be since… well… here you are), you might sometimes find this wealth of information a little overwhelming. Not to worry, friends! Little Pim is here to help! Each week, we’ll cull the internet for our favorite language (and panda) related articles. This week, for your reading pleasure, four articles about the way language works inside the human brain:
- Your Mind on Language: How Bilingualism Boosts Your Brain. The title of this HuffPo blog post might say it all, but it’s a great read for anyone who wants to read about the science of language without having to wade through all the science-ese. Dan Roitman defines common scientific vocabulary associated with the study of language and also breaks down the way the brain processes language.
- Does Your Language Shape How You Think? You might have seen this piece in the New York Times Magazine! As it turns out, our first language may affect the way we formulate thoughts.
- EastEnders Effect: Watching TV Can Change Your Accent. A curious phenomenon, indeed! The cockney accent (‘ello guvna!) that features prominently in the UK soap opera EastEnders has been slowly sculpting and altering the way the Scottish accent sounds.
- Bilingualism Is Yoga for the Brain. A quick recap on the importance of starting early!
Until next time, read on!
Who’s the Smartest Person in the Room? The Answer May Surprise You.
See those babies cooing in the corner? According to a recent Time Magazine article, they’re the best linguists in the room. Babies are born, Time’s Jeffrey Kluger says, with the inherent ability to speak and understand the world’s 6,800 languages, and that babies, and then children, are able to continue to easily learn multiple languages up into early grammar school. Kluger goes on to say that later in life, having gained these language abilities as babies and children, multilingual adults “are better at reasoning, at multitasking, at grasping and reconciling conflicting ideas. They work faster and expend less energy doing so, and as they age, they retain their cognitive faculties longer, delaying the onset of dementia and even full-blown Alzheimer's disease.”
Read the full, fascinating story, here.
Industries are struggling to find bilingual experts. Speaking a Spanish is becoming a big advantage.
The Huffington Post wrote this article on why speaking English is no longer enough. The article is about how "industries are adapting to the growing Spanish speaking population in the US. Did you know there were more than 31,000 job oportunities that needed bilingual expertise as a core competancy. Huffington Post Article "Why Learning English is No Longer Enough"
The Little Prince: Growing Roots
Chapter 18 of The Little Prince is as rich with meaning as chapters one and three. My blog series featuring the iconic French children's book has allowed me to explore the text with new eyes. The passage below describes a melancholy exchange between the Little Prince and a flower. The Little Prince, always full of questions, wants to know where all the people are. The flower's answer is simple: "The wind blows them away. They have no roots...".
In 2007 the U.S. census reported that the average American will move 11.7 times in their lifetime. To most a passport full of colorful stamps is a most coveted possession. My children have both visited France with me and I look forward to more trips in the future.
Would the flower in The Little Prince look down on us? I think not. The roots that come to mind when the flower speaks are those of personal conviction. One's truth. What are your values? What do you stand for? What truths do you hold dear? Those are our roots.
Thomas Kempis, a medival monk, once said, "Wherever you go, you will always bear yourself about with you, and so you will always find yourself." Travel the world, learn languages, eat exotic foods but remember to do deeply rooted in who you are.
Le Petit Prince: Chapter 18 (en Français)
Le petit prince traversa le désert et ne rencontra qu'une fleur. Une fleur à trois pétales, une fleur de rien du tout...
"Bonjour," dit le petit prince.
"Bonjour" dit la fleur.
"Où sont les hommes ?" demanda poliment le petit prince.
La fleur, un jour, avait vu passer une caravane:
"Les hommes ? Il en existe, je crois, six ou sept. Je les ai aperçus il y a des années. Mais on ne sait jamais où les trouver. Le vent les promène. Ils manquent de racines, ça les gêne beaucoup."
"Adieu, fit le petit prince."
"Adieu, dit la fleur."
The Little Prince: Chapter 18 (in English)
The little prince crossed the desert and met with only one flower. It was a flower with three petals, a flower of no account at all.
"Good morning," said the little prince.
"Good morning," said the flower.
"Where are the men?" the little prince asked, politely.
The flower had once seen a caravan passing.
"Men?" she echoed. "I think there are six or seven of them in existence. I saw them, several years ago. But one never knows where to find them. The wind blows them away. They have no roots, and that makes their life very difficult."
"Goodbye," said the little prince.
"Goodbye," said the flower.
Why Bilinguals Are Smarter
In case you haven't already seen it, there's a great article from the New York Times about all the benefits of bilingualism
"Speaking two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age"
