now learning 2 languages side by side

Not having much luck teaching the children Hungarian but have had an idea. S' primary school are offering French classes after school... so I enrolled him with the idea that if he enjoys that I will add the Hungarian equivalent to whatever he learns.

So far so good, he has learned happy new year, bonne annee, boldog uj evet and seems to have taken both languages on board. Now we can start to choose which language to speak in. Such as...

"what would you like to eat?" and S an choose Hungarian or French to answer and I will always give the language he has not said too, to reinforce.

Hopefully this will make it more like a game and also give him some control of the languag he chooses to speak, as often children will not speak the other languge preferring the language of the country they live in - naturally.

I am nothing if not inventive!

Hungarian Tescos

In Hungary Tescos have a whole aisle dedicated to glass candle lamps and flowers for putting on loved ones graves on all saints day - November 1st.

We've brought a few home for our dearly departed family and have had many friends asking for some brought back for theirs. The graves look beautiful all lit up at night.

I wish our superstores paid more attention to celebrating souls of the good as well as the halloween frenzied evil spirits

Speaking Hungarian

I was really surprised that I could start conversations with my Hungarian family in Hungarian. I didn't realise how many words I had, and after a few days I could begin to understand them a little when they spoke to me.

It is like when a child starts to say words for the first time and you begin to get a fresh insight into their emerging personality. I feel that they are beginning to get a taste of who I am and I am beginning to get a sense of their personalities.

I even managed to say a few humerous sentences to break the ice just like I would in England.

It was a very brief real glimpse of my dream. Can't wait for the next trip.

We are going to Hungary.  This is the first time I have taken my daughter so it is a really big event.

My aims for this trip are firstly for d to meet everyone and her second cousins who she chats to on facebook. And also for d to realy experience that she is partly Hungarian. I think up to now it has not been very real for her. Her papa lives 300 miles away and there are no other Hungarian relatives in England.

I hope this sparks of a renewed interest in learning more Hungarian and is the first of much more regular trips.

Sussex Living magazine for Mid Sussex. Call 01273 847512.: The Acorns Nursery School, Lindfield

The start of things to come.

Sussex Living magazine for Mid Sussex. Call 01273 847512.: The Acorns Nursery School, Lindfield

Blogging Carnival on Bilingualism - February 2011

These blogging carnivals are great. Each month a new host puts out a plethora of blogs from around the world each dedicated to bilingualism. You can read many uplifting stories from families raising children to speak two, sometmes three languages. Even some like me who are trying to teach their children a language that is not the parent's mother tongue.

Check it out at:

http://solnushka.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/blogging-carnival-on-bilingualism-february-2011/

Patricia Kuhl: The linguistic genius of babies | Video on TED.com

Patricia Kuhl: The linguistic genius of babies | Video on TED.com