Bilingual kids
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My friend looked into this: So basically each parent only talks to the child in their language. Exclusively. Even if you are at a table and you and your partner speak English to each other you will have to speak to your child in your language. Itās apparently the only way. They need to learn that youāll only respond to your own language. Itās difficult. I am trying that at home with my 5.5 month old but itās too easy to slip into speaking English especially when her dad is around
@Jana that's exactly what I've been doing since birth. I'm grateful that he understands 100% but it's a bit frustrating when he only responds in English š
Every single person I know who is bilingual, their kids respond and talk exclusively in English (young kids and teenagers). I no longer have high hopes mine will be any different. So far, he is like any other bilingual kid, understands everything in both languages and responds 90% in English and 10% in other language. Iām grateful for those 10% even though he might stop responding even in that 10% soon haha. Heās 3.5 now.
Yes, my lg prefers English over Hungarian. She understands everything but English is definitely her first language.
I feel so sad as Iāve tried so hard to raise my son bilingual (I am also bilingual). My mum spoke one language with me and I spoke another with my dad so Iām now fluent in both. I tried it with my son but maybe because Iām bilingual too, it didnāt come naturally to just do one, I flipped between both. So now I fear no matter how hard I try, as heāll go to school here etc heāll exclusively speak English and the little Greek he knows will fade.
@Leanne I can totally relate. Seems like English outweighs all other languages. Itās totally normal but a bit sad.
My nephew lives in Germany with his German mum and my brother. He only started to really talk to us properly in German when he was about 4.5/5. But his mum only speaks German to him, even when they are in England she will not talk to him in English. My brother does that and so do we! Itās a lot for them to learn, process and understand two languages and then to respond correctly is hard for them. One day it will just click if you stick to it!! Good luck x
Mine can form a mixed sentence of two languages. And only say some in Thai, and some in English. Yes and no are English, but words like grandma and grandpa are in Thai, so my daughter would answer back in Thai. Whichever words become more dominantly used, that will be the language theyāll answer in, and if theyāre easier to say in another language then theyāll almost always pick those over the more difficult one. So I.e. grandma and grandpa is just one syllable in Thai, yes and no are easier sounding words than the ones in Thai
Iām not there yet. But my aunt says her kids would do that and she would respond with āI donāt understand what youāre sayingāand wouldnāt respond back to them until they replied in the same language (in this case Spanish). She had as a rule that in the house they spoke Spanish and whenever they were out they only spoke English. Both are fully bilingual now.
My boy is the same! He understands Arabic perfectly and knows a few sentences/words but he always answers back in English. Sometimes I tell him that mummy doesnāt understand English, only to get him to practice Arabic more, but I feel like this approach isnāt ideal š he tries but I guess English makes more sense to him and itās easier for him to communicate his feelings/needs.