# Chinese Opera Mask Traditional Chinese Opera, or Xiqu, has existed in China for over one thousand years. This type of musical theatre, accompanied by traditional Chinese instruments, features unique exaggerated makeup and masks of different colors. Fun fact: The color of a character’s mask gives clues to the audience about who they are and what qualities they have. For today’s activity, you will create your own Chinese Opera mask and color a beautiful opera scene. Before you begin, grab some crayons or colored pencils, a pair of scissors to cut out your mask when you are done, and some string to tie it on your face. # Download Activity Sheet: \ Download PDF](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/60f5a89e108c2683c870592d/6142f3c2fd985d4fcd339ec1_TT_LearningHub_Lesson36.pdf) TAGS - Animals - Art - Customs - Food - Geography - History - Music & Dance --- # Ask a Bilingual Expert Raising a bilingual child? On this page, our very own Director of Learning Design and Efficacy, Sophia Espinoza, addresses some of the most common questions, concerns, and curiosities around the benefits of bilingualism. **Get the scoop below!** Sophia Espinoza is a career educator and curriculum designer with seven years of experience teaching in private and independent schools across the country. She is an expert in 21st-century education, including technologically-powered personalization, multilingual and multicultural curriculums, and social-emotional learning. Sophia began teaching in Chicago Public Schools through Chicago Teaching Fellows, learning to support both English Language Learners and students with neurodiverse needs. Among her proudest accomplishments is launching the AltSchool Spanish Immersion Program, with the mission of creating bilingual global citizens who are socially conscious and environmentally aware. Sophia holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and M.A.Ed. from Dominican University. # Benefits of Bilingualism (FAQs): ## Any advice on managing two Spanish dialects in the household? Does this cause confusion for kids? Now that our world is more interconnected than ever, there are plenty of families where each parent could be from a different country in Latin America, with distinctive dialects, vocabulary, slang, and culture. And that’s totally ok for kids to be exposed to. Their perspectives are broadened and they learn to communicate cross-culturally; it’s a thing to be celebrated. ## What do you recommend if I’m not completely fluent and my child’s school doesn’t have an immersion class? I always encourage as much Spanish exposure as possible. Don’t worry about immersion classes availability or not being completely fluent as a parent. Use the Spanish you know, even if you may need to speak Spanglish, I sometimes only know a word in Spanish or vice versa, which is totally okay. ## Do you recommend teaching different subjects in different languages? For example, the solar system in English and the days of the week in Spanish? Or is it better for kids to try to learn in both languages all the time? Parents who live in an English-speaking country need to remember that children are always going to learn English; Their world is in English, their peers speak English. . . However, though it can feel a little counterintuitive, it’s important to give kids as much education as possible in the home in Spanish. ## We speak Spanish and English in our home but my child almost always answers or talks back in English. How can I go about encouraging her to respond and speak more in Spanish? Many kids may be in a classroom where they hear English all day, before going home and hearing Spanish. While this might worry parents, the biggest advice I can give is to ask your child in a very low-pressure way to try again in Spanish. ## Should I set aside time or create activities for each language or is it okay to mix them both together? It’s very important to provide authentic opportunities for children to speak both languages. While parents may feel inclined to set aside “Spanish time” and “English time”, this often ends up making language learning seem like a chore to kids. ## Any advice for households where one parent speaks Spanish and the other English? Can this be confusing for children? It’s fine if there are two, or even three languages spoken in the household; what’s most important is that parents freely speak their native language around their kids. ## How can my child learn language through play? Play-based learning in children aged PreK/K should take the form of pretend play. Pretend play, where prompts and props are used to spark an imaginative game or scenario, are crucial in not only developing social skills but cognitive skills too. ## What are the social and cultural benefits of bilingualism? Learning a new language goes hand in hand with learning about that language’s culture. It’s an opportunity to tap into the food, customs, stories, and other aspects of culture new to your child. Additionally, children who are bilingual can communicate with more people, bridging the gap between their world and the world of others. ## What are some of the cognitive benefits of bilingualism? By introducing your child to a second language early, you are giving them the chance to access the cognitive benefits to being bilingual. Research shows that bilingual brains have better executive functioning in the following areas: 1. Focus 2. Mental multitasking and self-control 3. Working memory ## What are some strategies for raising bilingual children? 1. **Start early**: Babies’ brains are sponges; Their rapidly forming neural connections allow them to learn everything, including languages, much easier. 2. **Stick with it**: If children start to speak their second language instead of their native language at home, don’t give in and start speaking to them in their native language too. 3. **Make it Joyful**: The best antidote to resistance or lack of motivation around practicing their native language is to make it fun! ## What are some common misconceptions about raising bilingual children? 1. **Misconception:** Learning two languages can be confusing for children. 2. **Misconception**: It’s easy to learn a second language simply by exposing it to your child. 3. **Misconception**: Bilingual children struggle academically.