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High9 
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 Topic: Language
Posted: 13 June 2010 at 11:31am |
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This is just a quick question.
DD is 1/4 Samoan, and we've been told if she can learn another language from an early age it will be beneficial for her.
We are in the process of teaching her Samoan as well as English.
My question is, does your child learn more than one language?
Oh and how are they doing with it?
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ALittleLoopy
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Posted: 13 June 2010 at 12:16pm |
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we plan to teach charlotte baby signing if ya count that!?
will have to let you know how it goes lol
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Raspberryjam
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Posted: 13 June 2010 at 12:40pm |
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I taught Milla a little spanish when she was just learning to talk, but from the reasearch I have done I think its better once they have an understanding of 1 language first, so I will try again in a few months
I guess it depends which school of thought you go with , but I must say Milla did pick up very quickly some words were for Mummy and some for daddy so I probably should have perservered
Probably easier if lots of people around her are speaking both languages
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fire_engine
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Posted: 13 June 2010 at 1:18pm |
Can't remember much about bilingualism (uni was a few years ago now  ) but if both languages are being spoken all the time at home, then they will pick them up easier and switch easier than if they're being taught a language for the sake of it.
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hils10
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Posted: 13 June 2010 at 2:03pm |
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My DP is German and always speaks German to our DD who is 4 months, in the hope that she'll grow up bilingual. We have quite a few german friends and her grandparents in germany don't speak any english so she has a reasonable amount of exposure to it. It will be interesting to hear what she comes out with when she starts to speak!
I heard that it can take bilingual children a bit longer to start speaking, and to sort out the 2 languages, but in the long run they have better language skills. And starting them with 2 languages right from the start is definitely the easiest way to do it, especially if one language is consistently coming from one person, and the other language from another (I think this helps them recognise that its 2 different languages)
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sem
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Posted: 13 June 2010 at 2:13pm |
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I'm also German and my DH speaks it a little bit. We are planning on me to only speak german to the baby from when she is born. Am also hoping this will improve DH's german and ideally we would love to only be speaking German at home or in front of baby.
Children will start to talk a bit later when they are brought up bi-lingual and it can be very hard on parents as you have to be very strict to stict to only one language (specially once they get older and understand but will reply in english) but for us it is something very important so we will try our best at it!
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Here we go again, another baby on it's way! 
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hils10
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Posted: 13 June 2010 at 4:07pm |
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Yeah my german has improved since DP has been speaking it to the baby (lots of repetition is good!). Still a way to go before we can speak it full time at home though!
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High9
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Posted: 13 June 2010 at 5:33pm |
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Nic I've heard babies apparently pick up sign language really really well and often before they learn to speak!!
Interesting what everyone has said, DP knows a little Samoan, and I can pronounce it so can read stories etc to her, her great Nana and Poppa only speak Samoan and little English so she constantly hears it whenever we go to the ILs (they're neighbours). But because in our house we speak English, she'll probably be better with English...
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Bee2010
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Posted: 13 June 2010 at 10:12pm |
I'm German as well and only talk German to my lil boy.
DH is Samoan and only talks Samoan to him.
For us it is important that he can speak German and Samoan. He will learn English on the way  .
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sem
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Posted: 14 June 2010 at 8:48am |
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I agree Bee. Kids will be exposed to english from so many others sources (TV, friends etc) that it is less important to speak it at home.
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Here we go again, another baby on it's way!
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MissAngel
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Posted: 14 June 2010 at 12:50pm |
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Thomas can speak lots of Maori :P And thats just from what he's seen on kids programs and at kindy!
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Alex, Thomas and Lily 
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KitKat
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Posted: 14 June 2010 at 1:40pm |
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a friend of mine has kids who speak 3 languages, it blows me away, and they flit between them... funny thing is they have cracker kiwi accents lol
They have been speaking 2 of those languages from birth- well, yknow- its always been around.
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High9
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Posted: 14 June 2010 at 3:48pm |
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I know a fair bit of Maori too from school, was made compulsory in primary for us until I got to year 9.
My friend can speak 3 dialects of Chinese but she was speaking a dialect her parents didn't even speak! (She picked it up quickly due to her grandma's weekly visits). Her English isn't that good though tbh...
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Stogglebox
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Posted: 15 June 2010 at 4:59pm |
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I have spoken English to my daughter and my husband has spoken Japanese to her - she can understand most of both (now nearly 17mths), can speak a lot more English than Japanese (I guess cos she has more exposure to English) but can also do some baby sign language to fill the gaps! I would definitely do all langs from the start.
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Mother of Natsumi Sarah born on 23 January 2009
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High9
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Posted: 15 June 2010 at 5:46pm |
That's cool! I learnt Japanese throughout college and had to teach myself 7th form due to a time table mix up, been to Japan a couple of times now, and even went to school there for a bit, although I'm a bit rusty with it now 
We're both reading to her at night in Samoan, I've learned my pronunciation so doesn't sound too off! Guess time will tell how she goes although I know she will definitely be more fluent in English.
Her nana and poppa are keen to babysit her, even for the night which isn't a bad idea if we want her to speak it...
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Language
