Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.
I am not sure of a lot of things but I am pretty sure that if I have to learn a second language in the next 3-4 months, it is NOT going to be any vacation.
I thought the whole purpose of not going to school was to sleep in every morning till noon, stay up till late at night watching DVDs and talking to and texting my friends. (But, first I’ll need a cell phone!)
Dancing in a second language
My mommy and daddy want me to not just learn but become a pro fish EMT (Ed: proficient) at a second language in the next 4 months! What!? Are they crazy? It took me three years just to get this far and I still can’t say some things right.
So, how do you learn a second language in 4 months? Here’s my mommy and daddy’s 10-step plan.
Step 1. Hire a full-time teacher who doesn’t know your first language to talk to you in the second language until you catch on or get so tired you have to take a nap.
Step 2. Preferably have the teacher live with you.
Step 3. Two teachers are better than one in case one gets tired. Good for them! But not for me. But I am three years old and I have a lot of pee and been a grrrs (Ed: vinegar), says daddy. And it might take two people just to keep up with me. He he he.
Step 4. Have the teacher read to you in the second language.
Step 5. Have the teacher play games with you in the second language.
Step 6. Have the teacher take you to the park in the second language.
Step 7. Have the teacher watch DVDs with you in the second language. NBA basketball games work, too.
Step 8. Have the teacher make breakfast and lunch and snacks and dinner in the second language.
Step 9. Have the teacher give you lots of hugs in the second language.
Step 10. Have the teacher not care if you crawl into bed with them when you are tired and give you lots and lots of love in the second language.
Do all these things for 3-4 months and you’ll learn a second language says my daddy.
Hint: Gong Gongs and Poh Pohs are good at this sort of thing. My grandpa and grandma from China came here to live with us this summer and we’re gonna just hang out together. Yay! Maybe it’ll even be fun learning a second language. Step 11 – making it fun?
Check back with me in 4 months and I’ll tell you how it worked out.
Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.
