The time is quickly approaching when my in-laws are coming to visit with us. We are so excited! I can't wait for A to have more German speakers in the house with us! Each time they visit, or we travel to see them, I find myself understanding more and more German. Unfortunately, I am slow to respond or mutter any German while they are here, whatsoever. This past week I have been challenging myself to speak to A when German when ever it crosses my mind. Sometimes we will be walking, and a thought will cross my mind to which I think, "I know how to say that in German!" After all, we've all got to start somewhere.
It might be short sentences like, "Hast du hunger?" Are you hungry? Or, Guten Morgen (Good Morning)! I figure, as long as she is hearing any German at all she's already one step further than she was! Her daddy talks to her in German as he points to each part of her face. She loves looking at herself in the mirror, especially while playing peek-a-boo! We try to make it fun for her, just like we would anything else.
I came across this great resource (but sorry, I forget how I came across it). It's a booklet called Parenting Auf Deutsch. If you are trying to teach your child(ren) how to speak German, this book gives us simple phrases to speak, organized by activities. For example, there is a chapter called Auf Dem Spielplatz (At the playground), Schlafenzeit (Bedtime), and Schule (School). It's very pratical, and as soon as I start memorizing some of the phrases, I am sure it will be useful in my every day conversations with A!
I came across this great resource (but sorry, I forget how I came across it). It's a booklet called Parenting Auf Deutsch. If you are trying to teach your child(ren) how to speak German, this book gives us simple phrases to speak, organized by activities. For example, there is a chapter called Auf Dem Spielplatz (At the playground), Schlafenzeit (Bedtime), and Schule (School). It's very pratical, and as soon as I start memorizing some of the phrases, I am sure it will be useful in my every day conversations with A!
Download it here for free!
parenting-auf-deutsch.pdf |
As you can see, it's very reader friendly, and - I my opinion - it's not too hard to understand. Here's my disclaimer though: I have taken two semesters of college German, and have visited Germany twice. My understanding of German could be more advanced than a typical beginner, so don't be overwhelmed if you're just starting out and you have no idea what you're doing!
IF ONLY there was a booklet like this of German bedtime stories! Even though I got the green light from Hubby to read A the terrifying German bedtime stories I talked about in a previous post, I have decided against that. Fingers crossed my in-laws bring some books across the ocean with them! Until then, I will continue my search, and keep chugging along! If you're a parent of a (soon-to-be) bilingual child, what helped you teach the second language?