Yes, I wish I could have done that with my kids.Is it ok for one parent to speak one language to a child and the other parent speak another?
It's fine! Kids absorb sooo much information in their little brains!
In Canada (where I'm from), many people speak both French and English. So it's not uncommon for a couple to speak both languages to their children. I know tons of people who grew up with one parent speaking English and the other speaking French.
I also know many people who grew up with immigrant parents, who had to learn 3 languages right from the start!
I am not a professional in any way, but I can tell you that form life experience, speaking several languages to children will not confuse them. In fact, my husband and I think that anyone who can speak more than 2 languages is extremely impressive.
: )
Alot of people do that successfully. I know alot of people say their kids will choose to not use the minor language if they don't feel the need to (ie: they dont live in russia, and mom speaks English anyways) so I think it would be helpful if you had some other Russian kids to play with, tv, or other influence to help them.
We are planning doing a similar thing: I speak English with the baby all day, Hubby speaks Japanese. Me and hubby speak Japanese together, and with the baby in public/around friends, but all tv shows, things at home etc are in English. I'm hoping it will work, it seems to with my other interracially married friends.
Most people said their kids had troubles with mixing languages at times, but by the time they were Elementary aged had a pretty good grasp of both languages. Might take alot of effort on your wife's part in teaching them to read and write proficiently in Russian as well, but I think it's really worth the time! (I'm asuming schooling with be in English? So that should be fine.)
Good luck to both of us!
No - I think it's a brilliant idea, so long as you don't notice that it is confusing her. Wonderful oppotunity for her and I wish my parents had been able to do that for me!! Lucky girl.
When you learn to speak a language, you have to learn to think in that language ...... if she grows up automatically switching from one language to another without thinking about it, she will be ahead of the game from day one - and when she's old enough, she will be able to know when to use which language.
No it won't be confusing as your child will know no different, I have a number of friends who live overseas with children and their husbands speak another language, they see it a massive bonus to have their children speaking at least two languages as it will serve them well in their future especially if one of the languages is English.
I only wish they taught more languages to children of primary school age as it's the best time for them to learn quickly and adjust to using different languages.
Yes, if one parent speaks one language and the other speaks another the child will pick it up. We have relatives who did that. Each spoke their native language to the children. They actually speak a third language between themselves as that was the 'mutual' language that they both understood when they met. Not only did the children learn both native languages, they were also fluent in the third language by the time they got to about 6 or 7 years old!
No, it would not be confusing for her. In fact, that is the recommended way for teaching two languages when more than one is spoken in the household. Just be certain that you speak exclusively in one language and your fiancee does the same.
There are resourceful books and websites about this topic that you should check out.
Hello Pierre,
The children of most bilingual families learn a dual language naturally.
The languages I would concentrate on first is of course English, and French. French as you both speak it,
When your child/children learn those two languages there is no reason why your fiance could not start teaching them Russian.
Poseidon
if you are consistent and he takes the time to teach shapes colors etc it ideal. I wish my mom who speaks spanish did that my dad did not speak spanish and here i am almost 30 and only have one language. My cousin was raised in similar house but one parent spoke spanish to him and he is fluent in both languages
Actually, that's how the recommend teaching a child two languages. You always speak one language, and he always speaks the other. It makes it easier for them to realize that its two different languages. My hubby and I are bad though and both speak English, Spanish, and Spanglish to her... I think we confuse her. :(
my boyfriend grew up with parents and family that spoke portugese, spanish, and english. he would start one sentence in one language but end it in the other two languages. i think he had to go to a certain school when he was younger to help teach him which language was which.
I think its a great idea, but i also think that instead of teaching her all these languages at once while shes learning to talk, you should teach her one language first, and when she has a pretty good grasp on it THEN go to another one, i think it would be confusing to throw it all at her at once.
I think thats a great idea, so long as you remember to communicate in the opposite language with each other in front of them. Kids are prime candidates for learning a language so its brilliant that you are using your skills to enhance theirs!
It's a common way to bring a child up bilingual - but if Russian isn't your fiancee's native language, it might not be a good idea.
My fiance speaks his native language (German) to our daughter, and I speak English.
no that is the way it should be in bilingual family's .she may be a bit late picking up her language, but it is normal
It'd work, though in the early stages you'd have to explain words in both languages - eg, point to a car and say car in english, russian, etc. Make sure you pass her all your languages, you're giving her the best start!!
Not only is there nothing wrong with it, it is the best way there is to learn other languages.
My mom grew up in a home where German was spoken in the home, English outside. She loved it.
The best way to teach a language is from a very young age, so she will catch on a lot quicker than like a 12 year old would! She is so lucky to learn all those languages!
my aunts baby grew up speaking spanish and english. She understands both now and she is very Intelligent. I think its a wonderful idea.
of course it is as long as one parent speaks the language of the child or children
Yes.. doing this will actually make her bilingual, it's a great idea!
There's nothing wrong with it at all.
I think it's good as they'll know more than one language.
Keep it up. (Y)
i think it will be a bit confusing. If you want your daughter to speak 2 languages you have to send her to school to learn especially the language you want. But the way you are teaching her right now it will be very confusing to her. You are trying to teach her too many languages at the same time.
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