Beliefs and stories I once bought into, I am now letting go!
It doesn't have to be all or nothing.
In my quest to give my girls a second language, I read books and articles about language acquisition. Every book insisted you had to be consistent, firm, and dedicated. And I knew the cards were not in my favor; I’m not fluent. And my husband, while fluent, was far from dedicated. I asked him once to speak more Arabic while playing with our daughter, and this came out of his mouth: “Shoo b’oo’loo the dog?” I screamed “the dog, really the dog ! Ya kelb !” Just kidding, I didn’t curse him. But I knew reaching this full immersion experience at home wasn’t going to happen.
I realized even small memories and experiences can be powerful!
Every little piece you do is great and fun and beneficial!
“What does a pig say?” is just one example of how, even though we were not speaking full-time Arabic with our child, we created fun moments with the language. I learned one sentence and a few animal names, taught our daughter how to respond and we created this memory that makes us laugh every time we watch it.
The memory or experience can be something as small as attending a cultural fair and having someone write your child’s name in another language, or teaching them to say thank you in Arabic (shook-run) and surprising an Arab-speaking waiter.
What does a pig say?
I filled the ArabishWay Treasure Chest with my favorite tools I have used along the way. And loaded the community calendar with events in your community.
I hope you use these tools in a way that helps you meet your language and cultural goals, whatever they may be.
ArabishWay is full of:
- – songs – most have transliteration for non-Arab speakers. Some even have Arabic, English translation and transliteration!
- – my kids all time favorite books so you don’t have to worry about wasting money on a terrible book!
- – crafts to do at home!
- – decor to simply have around your home!
And I am constantly adding new materials and resources!
