How to Learn Russian for Bilingual Children

[Katrink]

When parents raise bilingual children, they have many questions, especially when second language is Russian. If you do not live in Russia, but want your kid to know this language, so you are in a right thread. Russian language is not very easy to learn even for adults, therefore teaching children needs special approach. Small children will not drill new words, or learn by heart various rules. That is why do not offer your child too complicated material. Otherwise, he or she will refuse from learning at all. The best and the most effective way to interest any kid is to offer games, rhymes, funny dialogs and so on. In the end of this post I will give funny rhymes with Romanic transliteration.

Start learning Russian with your baby as early as possible. Scientists have proved that baby’s brains can absorb enormous volume of information. Even if a child can not speak, read popular Russian tales, like “Сказка о Золотой Рыбке” А С Пушкин “Skazka o Zolotoj Rybke” A S Puškin, “Курочка-Ряба”, “Теремок” – русские народные сказки “Kuročka-Râba”, “Teremok” – russkie narodnye skazki (from Russian folklore).

Also, parents should understand that language of community they live in, will stay always dominant. That is why make priority and do not forget that a child needs listening Russian speech. The most elementary thing is to make audio background. Turn on Russian cartoons, for example: “Лунтик” - “Luntik”, “Маша и медведь “-“Maša i medved´ “.  Surely, you child will like this animation. Here are the links for cartoons on YouTube.

Besides, try to talk constantly in Russian, this will definitely help! If your child at least 3 years old, you may start exploring the Internet together. Funny alphabet games, songs and many other online activities will help your child to learn colors, sounds, letters, name of objects, etc.

http://www.petralingua.com/foreign-languages/online-russian-for-kids.php

http://www.purposegames.com/ww-search.php?q=russian

Finishing the thread, I will advice all families with bilingual children, where Russian is not minority language to read aloud Russian tales, make audio background, actively use online resources and travel to Russia from time to time.

Here is funny rhyme for kids: 

Гуси-гуси!

Гуси-гуси!

Га-га-га!

Есть хотите?

Да-да-да!

Что ж домой вы не летите?

Серый волк под горой

Не пускает нас домой!

Ну, летите как хотите,

Крылья, ноги берегите!

´Gusi-´gusi!

´Gusi-´gusi!

´Ga-´ga-´ga!

´Yest' kha´tite?

´Da-´da-´da!

´Shto zh da´moi vy ni li´tite?

´Seryi ´volk ´pad ga´roi

´Ni pus´kait ´nas da´moi!

´Nu, li´tite kak kha´tite

´Krylja, ´nogi biri´gite!

Geese, Geese!

Geese, Geese!

Honk, honk, honk!

Are you hungry?

Yes, yes,yes!

So, why don’t you fly home?

A grey wolf under the mountain

Does not let us go home!

Then fly any way you like

[russian_pianist]

Interesting observations, KatrinK.

Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult for the children born and raised outside of Russia to learn the language properly. Even if Russian is the tongue their mother speaks, it is not their "mother tongue", so to speak. (What a word play! ) If a child spends more time speaking a language of the country he/she was born and raised in, he/she learns more words, grammar usage, idiomatic expressions in that language, which is foreign to his/her parents.

Reality suggests, that most of these children will resist speaking Russian with their parents at some point and others will speak it with a dreadful accent.

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but the times of the Russian aristocrats who could speak at least 2 or 3 languages fluently in addition to their native Russian has passed, and those living and raising their children abroad nowadays are not necessarily bringing up polyglots.

This is a rather sensitive topic to touch upon, as some children cease speaking at all if forced to learn Russian by their well-intending parents.

Cheers!

[Katrink]

Hello!

I absolutely agree with you that, language of community, where a child is actually raised leaves a great impact. And sometimes learning Russian becomes too complicated for small creatures…  But who knows, if to study early, everything is possible. However, it also depends upon parents. Teaching children Russian outside of Russia needs enormous efforts and much free time.

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but the times of the Russian aristocrats who could speak at least 2 or 3 languages fluently in addition to their native Russian has passed, and those living and raising their children abroad nowadays are not necessarily bringing up polyglots.

In my opinion, still there are many Russian immigrants, who want their children to speak Russian and understand it. Most of families have grandparents in Russia – so I think it is the main reason to teach children Russian. There are many debates about this issue on different forums...

I want to invite linguaholic users to share their opinion and write comments in this thread!

[DDVSPB]

On 2/6/2014 at 2:14 AM, russian_pianist said:

Interesting observations, KatrinK.

 

Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult for the children born and raised outside of Russia to learn the language properly. Even if Russian is the tongue their mother speaks, it is not their "mother tongue", so to speak. (What a word play! ) If a child spends more time speaking a language of the country he/she was born and raised in, he/she learns more words, grammar usage, idiomatic expressions in that language, which is foreign to his/her parents.

 

Reality suggests, that most of these children will resist speaking Russian with their parents at some point and others will speak it with a dreadful accent.

 

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but the times of the Russian aristocrats who could speak at least 2 or 3 languages fluently in addition to their native Russian has passed, and those living and raising their children abroad nowadays are not necessarily bringing up polyglots.

 

This is a rather sensitive topic to touch upon, as some children cease speaking at all if forced to learn Russian by their well-intending parents.

 

Cheers!

for teenagers https://espaniero.online/ispanskij-dlya-podrostkov it would be easier to learn it)