Showa students.

Yesterday I took Noah to see Frozen on the big screen at the Copley branch library. I had also paired my family up with students from Showa on Saturday, and our meeting ended quickly as Grace returned with groceries that were spoiling in the car.  So our planned meeting was Frozen at the Library. Since we arrived a little early we did get a little conversation in. I realized that one of the easier ways to converse in English, was for me to try and learn Japanese. Why? Because I knew I was speaking too fast in English and we had to turn the tables a little (just like in the Spanish conversation group) both to get me into the right mind set and to give them a little more power.
Obviously there are some cultural issues with not wanting to "mess up" or being "nervous" to speak English etc.
After trying to learn a little bit of Japanese, my mind was exhausted, so I wouldn't say that that session didn't have enough time for speaking. And Noah was jumping and climbing everywhere because he was sort of shy. I learned a few things. Library in Japanese sounds almost exactly like it does in Chinese. I think I forgot everything else but I got a little more feel for the language.
Mostly what I learned from this experience was the importance of not being afraid to speak Chinese to my son, and also that I should be treating Chinese as a Second, learned language (because for me it is and for Noah it is) instead of trying to do it immersion style.) On the way back from the Library I had a basic conversation with Noah in Cantonese. Although he doesn't have a lot of vocabulary he has a feel for the rhythm of the  language, from BCNC.
I tried the same thing with Jonah today, and he resisted more because he doesn't have a feel for the language yet. But it's good to start. I just realized that maybe I don't know everything in Cantonese, but we can try to start talking, start learning. So that they will have some sort of Base.

Well obviously me and Noah liked the movie, but more on that next post.