Language Challenge 101 – Week Six

Language is Music

This is not specifically related to Spanish language learning but it is very much related to learning languages in general – and it is important!  For a long time I have been emphasizing listening when it comes to language learning.  I explained early on in our Language Challenge 101 adventure that we would be spending much time just listening to Spanish, letting it get into us through the sound of the language: the rhythm, sounds, patterns, melodies, and more.  I even wrote a post a while back emphasizing listening as the #1 ingredient in raising bilingual children.

Thus, it was with great delight that I read the beginning of Susanna Zaraysky’s book Language is Music today.   It was such a breath of fresh air to read about language learning that did not follow the standard language learning process which so often feels burdensome and boring.  Susanna specifically points out that her book is not about throwing out grammar and vocabulary learning!  Rather, it is about incorporating those into something more holistic.  It emphasizes listening in our language learning journey. Yes!

I can not give a full review as I have not finished reading Language is Music.  But I can say that my language learning inspiration has jumped up a big notch!  For me, knowing that there are so many others who do not buy into the standard rote, dry, boring approach to language learning is about as exciting as learning a language itself.

For more information about Susanna, her books and her company, check out her website and hear her speak on YouTube.

You Are Inspirational!

Before I finish this week, I wanted to reiterate something that I spoke about in the video diary: you.  I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to leave comments to posts on this site, for your involvement and discussions on the Multilingual Living Facebook page, and for your unending support via Twitter where I share news stories I come across (and more).  You are so amazing!  I feel so very connected to this community of like-minded multilinguals even though we are spread out across the entire world.  Please continue to share your lives with me and others.  It brings us all so much closer together and reminds us that we are one connected, unified, fabulous tribe!

Theft of the Golden Idol

Here is the final installment in the Theft of the Golden Idol series. The kids want to move onto something else for their Spanish learning – perhaps another lego skit, a puppet show, their own mini TV show? We’ll find out! Hope you were inspired by these videos to do the same with your kids. It works wonders for language learning!  To view all of the episodes, check out our YouTube page!

Just for Fun…
As a finale: Here is a fun little moment after today’s video diary. My son wanted to show everyone the number 6 on the front of his car since this was week 6 of our language learning. See you all next week!  ¡Buen viaje!

Corey Heller is the founder of Multilingual Living and the Editor-In-Chief/Publisher of Multilingual Living Magazine. Multilingual Living is the place where she shares her knowledge about raising multilingual and multicultural children. Corey, an American, and her German husband live in Seattle where they raise and homeschool their three children, ages 10, 8 and 6, in German and English.
CLICK HERE to send her an email!

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