Raising a bilingual child
In our house, we do not speak English. I did not know how to approach the topic, but today I was inspired to just share.
My husband was not born in the USA and we met when I lived abroad in Israel. Our first language that we spoke together was not English, but Hebrew so we naturally wanted our children to be able to speak it with us at home.
My family does not speak or understand Hebrew and at first, was not as supportive about it. They have begun to learn words with Baby Bear and I find this really nice. My dad even decided to go by the Hebrew word for Grandpa סבא (Saba) and she has since decided that he is just Ba- Ba.
She is starting to talk with different words in both languages. I think she decides what is easiest and just uses that word, but it seems like she says more English words. I speak to her more then anyone and only in Hebrew, so I find it odd that she does not say more Hebrew words! She also started talking later then most of the kids her age, but we were told that bilingual kids usually start talking later. She understand BOTH languages fully.
If I am talking to someone else, then I always switch to Hebrew to directly address Baby Bear.
What language(s) do you speak with your children?
I think you have the right idea starting at a very early age. I have repeatedly read that this early age is the best and easiest time for people to be able to soak up and learn other languages and develop the brain synapses for it as they are developing. My daughter is only 21 months old, but we are introducing her to English, Spanish, and French. :-)
ReplyDeleteWow Katie, that is incredible!! How are you teaching her all of those languages...please share!
DeleteSo good to hear other families are doing this. I am teaching my son Dutch. From day one I have spoken to him in Dutch. My husband speaks to him in English so he knows both languages. Though generally he chooses to speak Dutch (well the few words that he is saying). http://www.nzecochick.com/2011/10/raising-bilingual-child.html
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