LITTLE PIM BLOG
Happy Russian Language Day!
Russian Language Day, proclaimed by the United Nations in 2010, is observed annually on June 6th. It also coincides with the birthday of Alexander Pushkin (6 June 1799 – 10 February 1837), a Russian poet who is considered the father of modern Russian literature. Celebrate today by introducing your child to the Russian language with the help of Little Pim! Watch Little Pim, the Panda say the Russian words for all sorts of foods!
Did you know that Russian is spoken by almost 280 million people worldwide? It is the 5th most frequently spoken language in the world! The official language of the former Soviet Union, it is still spoken in 15 European and Asian countries. International political developments and growing business opportunities with multinational companies have led to increased demand for Russian speaking employees and experts, and thus, increased opportunities for Russian speakers.
Little Pim Russian helps children develop the unique speaking and listening skills necessary for learning the language.
Interested in more Russian Language Videos for Kids? Shop now and save 30% with code DISCOVERY on our website: www.littlepim.com
The Advantage of Multilingualism
The traditional view of imposing language learning on children is that the two languages would interfere with each other and slow literacy learning. There is some evidence that learning two languages in early education does impose additional stressors on the brain.
New evidence suggests that this stress actually improves mental ability.
The demand forces the brain to solve some fundamental learning problems which monolingual children never have to face.
The key difference between monolingual and bilingual children goes beyond the ability to control the suppression of one language and select the other language at will.
It seems to be about improvements in ability to monitor surroundings and sensitivity to the environment.
New studies indicate that the multilingual exposure is manifest in improved social skills in children.
These particular cognitive abilities, are improved through multilingual education:
The ability to monitor the environment is especially important for social interaction.
Children who have learned how to select among learned languages are better at considering the point of view of others.
This is a critical developmental faculty that the pioneering developmental psychologist Jean Piaget called "decentering."
Children in multilingual environments have ample practice considering the point of view of others.
They are also more aware that there is more than one point of view.
Children who learn more than one language are often raised in environments surrounded by multiple languages and cultures.
They learn early how to see the world through widely varied eyes, a range of different perspectives.
They learn to account for other perspectives in their communication and their attitude development.
Not only do they become more decentered (in Piaget's terms) but they become less "egocentric" as well.
At Little Pim, we believe that all children deserve to learn a second language. We use a natural immersive method of teaching. Please contact us to learn more.
Happy First Day of Spring!
Say "hello" to Spring in 5 different languages! Welcome the first day of Spring by teaching your little ones a new language. It's the last day to save 40% with code LUCKY at www.LittlePim.com.
What a great day to celebrate Spring by having your kids color in Little Pim’s Springtime coloring page. Print out this coloring page today and teach your kids how to say each color in a different language!
Share your finished page with #littlepim on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Enjoy your colorful day!
How to Watch Little Pim on Your iPhone or iPad
If you are a recent customer of Little Pim (as of Nov 2016), you can download the VHX app to watch Little Pim on your iPhone or iPad. VHX (a Vimeo company) powers Little Pim's streaming platform so you can watch our award-winning language learning series anytime, anywhere. Simply follow the steps below to setup your iOS device to play our videos for your little ones at home or on-the-go. If you purchased Little Pim prior to this update, please contact us and we'd be happy to create an account for you upon proof of purchase. Downloadthe free VHX iOS app so you can watch all of your Little Pim content purchases.
Logging in to the VHX iOS app, no password needed!
- Open the VHX iOS App on your device.
- Enter the email address you used to purchase Little Pim's video content. If you need help with your account, please email us at help@littlepim.com.
- VHX will send you an email with a sign in link.
- Open your email app on your device and click that Sign In link.
- Your device's web browser will load and let you know that you are logged in!
- Head back to the VHX iOS App, and your purchase library will load.
Watching videos
- Once you're logged in and your library has loaded, tap the thumbnail image of the video you want to watch. To watch in full-screen click the fullscreen button in the lower right of the video.
- You can also choose to turn on the subtitles in the VHX iOS app by tapping the subtitles icon.
Thank you for your Little Pim purchase and best of luck introducing your little ones to a new language! If you have any questions or need help setting up your app, please contact us via live chat or email or comment below. For more information about watching Little Pim via the VHX app, visit their website.
Simple Ways to Introduce Your Kids to Foreign Languages
Introducing children to foreign languages is not a far cry from encouraging kids to try sports. However, so long as our parental motives are pure, foreign languages are the simpler of the two! The following list includes unique ways to introduce your kids to foreign languages. You can integrate these ideas into Spring/Summer plans already made, and don't you worry, no athletic ability required!
Travel
Are you taking a trip via plane, car, or bike? Invite your child to be the guide! Previously teach and discuss key vocabulary words used when traveling through the foreign country. Make your tiny guide a badge, and write in the language he/she is learning. If your child is too young, then it's you! Role play as a pilot, taxi driver, or tour guide. Use new, simple vocabulary, and be sure to note the scenery you spot! If your child is just beginning, have him/her repeat the key words after you. You can also use music CDs and videos found here to keep them learning on-the-go.
Travel Vocabulary (English to Spanish)
Airport -----> el aeropuerto Plane -----> el avión Trip -----> el viaje Suitcase/bag -----> la maleta Bus -----> el autobús Train -----> el tren Ticket -----> el boleto Pilot -----> el piloto
Go all out: Dress the part, and pack along common snacks or candies found in your country of study.
Stuck Indoors
Whether you've been quarantined for days, or a few hours which feel as long, Little Pim offers of award-winning language learning videos and companion products to bring foreign languages into your home. Make a game with the flashcards and allow your child to quiz you! Read board books before nap time as your child snuggles a Little Pim panda plush.
Do you have any bilingual friends? Invite them over for a multicultural meal and let them know you're interested in introducing your child to the foreign language and culture. Request for this friend to speak only in the language new to your child. Before your guest arrives, discuss with your child a few questions to ask. If your child is a bit older, he/she can even conduct an interview.
Go all out: Prepare a cuisine native to the foreign country of study.
Outdoor Games
Plan a scavenger hunt! Using the foreign language of choice, give direction and leave clues for your child. Allow your child to invite friends to help solve the mystery of lost treasure. As for the treasure itself, pick up a new video, book, or tickets to a cultural experience; anything to further teach in an unforgettable way.
Pack a picnic! Bring along library books, trinkets, and colorful pictures of foods served in the appropriate country. Have your child make labels for each food item before you pack them. Play foreign music as you eat.
Go all out: Dine at the same time persons native to the country of study are also eating. As you eat your meal, excite your child, "It's as if we're really there!"
Need more resources, products, or help choosing which foreign language is best to introduce to your child? Please check out our language guide or email us at help@littlepim.com with any question. Little Pim is grateful to help!
Girls' Day Festival in Japan
Girls' Day or "Hinamatsuri" in Japan is celebrated annually on March 3rd for the health and wellbeing of young girls. This special day is also known as "Doll's Day" as families who have girls display ornate dolls (hina dolls or hina-ningyō) atop a 7-tiered platform covered with red carpet starting in February until March 3rd. Each step represents a layer of society from the Heian period in Japan. The dolls are traditionally dressed in court attire according to the period and represent the Japanese Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians. In many cases, these dolls are passed down for generations from a grandmother to mother to daughter. The origin of this festival dates back to over 1,000 years ago during the Heian period (794-1192).
In addition to displaying the dolls, the Japanese also celebrate by preparing and eating foods of the Spring season and of
pink color. For fun recipes to celebrate Girls' Day at home, check out this post from Just One Cookbook. The website features recipes for the special foods prepared for the festival, such as chirashi sushi, clam soup, and strawberry daifuku.
The strawberry daifuku sounds delicious, especially for those with a sweet-tooth and a perfect recipe to celebrate springtime!
Other fun activities to do with your kids to celebrate and learn about Girls' Day are origami crafts. Follow the steps on this website to create your own Origami Kusudama Flower or watch this YouTube video below to create your own Girls' Day origami dolls!
Have fun introducing your little ones to world cultures and celebrations! If you're celebrating today, share your creations with us using the hashtag #littlepim on Instagram, Twitter or tag us on Facebook. Thanks for reading!
Teaching your child Japanese? Little Pim's Japanese Complete Set opens the door to over 180 basic words and phrases.
Little Pim Valentine's Day Coloring Page
Here's a special Valentine's Day treat for your kids that doesn't involve sugar! Print out your free Little Pim Valentine's Day Coloring pages today and share your child's creation with us with #LittlePim on Instagram or Twitter for a chance to win a free Little Pim panda plush and "Say Hello" poster! Click the images below to print and start coloring. Joyeuse Saint-Valentin! (that's Happy Valentine's Day in French!)
Take a moment with Little Pim and learn how to express your love in French!
Little Pim Unboxing with Shonduras
We were so excited when Shaun McBride, aka Shonduras, a Snapchat celebrity and popular YouTube daily vlogger who was recently listed in Forbes Top 30 under 30 and his wife, Jenny McBride accepted our request to send Baby Adley (his adorable daughter) Little Pim language learning products in Spanish. Since Shaun spent some time in Honduras, hence his nickname of 'Shonduras,' and learned the Spanish language through immersion, we felt that he would want to the same for his child, and we were right on! Baby Adley already knows a few words in Spanish and is excited to learn more with the help of Little Pim. Check out Baby Adley opening her custom Little Pim package in Shonduras' daily vlog below:
The contents of her custom care package included:
- Little Pim Spanish (Vol 1 and 2) on an Amazon Kindle Fire Kids Edition
- Little Pim Trilingual Board Books
- Little Pim Spanish Words and Phrases Flash Cards
- Custom-printed Little Pim Coloring Book with Crayons
- "Say Hello" Poster
- Little Pim Plush Panda Bear
Order Your Spanish for Kids Complete Set to Start Learning Today!
The Benefits of Starting Early: Why Your Kids Need to Learn Another Language Now
Our world is no longer constrained by the borders on a map. It has become increasingly global in every realm from business to social relationships. For a child to flourish in this new and diverse climate, it's important that they get multilingual exposure and begin learning a foreign language before age 6 to experience the most benefits. In most non-English-speaking nations, particularly in Europe; instruction in another language is mandatory. Not only are children taught a second language, but they are often are raised in an environment where they are exposed to multiple languages; necessitating the acquisition of multiple tongues.
In places such as Switzerland and Belgium, there are many recognized languages and dialects, and therefore it is not uncommon for someone to speak three or four different languages. Meanwhile, the vast majority of English-speaking countries have no national mandate for teaching children a second language.
In the United States, foreign language instruction is lacking. According to an article in The Atlantic, only 1% of American adults were proficient in a foreign language. Many aren't exposed to a foreign language until their college years.
The United States isn't the only nation that fails to expose students to foreign languages at a critical age. According to Arlene Harris in her article, Learning the Lingo: Taking up a Foreign Language Before We're 3?; Ireland "lags behind the rest of Europe and should be starting kids off before they're 3."
It is a predominately western problem, perhaps because we are leaving an era dominated by English-speaking business and culture. With the advent of the Internet, success has spread in every direction; including eastward, with the future of industry looking strongly toward Asia and the Pacific. Children must learn languages early to stay ahead of the competition.
Most countries in Europe begin language instruction around the age of seven or earlier. It's not only possible, but beneficial for the budding mind. According to Dr. David Carey, "“All The children can learn another language at an early age [...] [The] young brain, before the age of 5, is able to learn to speak another language without developing an accent — to speak it like a native."
Starting language learning early has documented benefits. The childhood brain is elastic and able to learn and retain a multitude of information that someone in their early 20's would struggle with. It's been documented that it's easier for children to learn a second language than adults, so why wait until college to begin learning such an important skill? Exposing your children early is critical, and Little Pim has the resources you need to get them going!
Learn a New language in Record Time? Por supuesto, bien sûr, sì certo!
It doesn’t matter which language you want to learn, the answer is the same if you understand how to set about the task, of course you can! Many parents who choose Little Pim to teach their child a second language may not speak the language themselves, which is why we developed this parent guide to include information and tips so you can become your child’s first language tutor. Why not take it one step further? Make it your 2017 new year's resolution to learn a new language alongside your child.
This infographic below from UpgradedPoints shows you how you could achieve a level of fluency in most languages in record time, in fact it suggests that three months is all you need to make significant progress.
What you will discover is that there is a technique that allows your brain to retain more information and if you follow that path to learning a new language, you are more likely to succeed than spending hours trying to remember in a way that is highly inefficient. If you're interested in high quality resources to help yourself learn using similar techniques as Little Pim, but for adults, check out the Pimsleur Method, which was established nearly 50 years ago by our founder, Julia Pimsleur's father, Dr. Pimsleur.
