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Categories > Your Questions — General > newbie: what system would you choose?
 
 


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Avi
  Posted   Reply with quote  #1 
We currently live in Israel and speak to our 10 m old in English, assuming that she would pick up Hebrew outside. However, we are moving to the USA in 2 months, so English will no longer be the minority language. I speak French fluently and my husband speaks Dutch fluently. However, we both feel that English is our “best” language, and that we would lose out by speaking French/Dutch with our daughter. But we also want to give her at least one other language. I find the idea of not being “allowed” to speak to her in English devastating – what language system would you adopt in this situation?
 
sobreira
  Posted   Reply with quote  #2 
Forget about where you have been living and Hebrew, he’s too young and you’re leaving very soon before he starts speaking, unless you back to Israel later (you’re not telling). I know that being forced to choose not your favorite language it’s not great, but it’s her future. After some weird time at the beginning, you’ll find yourself weird but then not being able to speak to her in French: you’ll get used to it. You can speak to your partner in English, or if she starts speaking late and you can find quickly and afford a good French (or Dutch) babysitter, see what happens when shifting to English (I guess you’ll notice not dramatic change unless she’s been speaking for at least 6 months). What feels your partner about he speaking Dutch? Would he give up hardly too?
We had a kid, everything was bilingual (we and granparents and most of context in Galician and part of context -TV, some neighbours- in Spanish), we separated when he was 1 y.o. and started speaking, I shifted then to English (being no native!!), and now he is 2 y.o. and he can understand and speak the three good enough. He’s better in the community language indeed, and he’s a bit silent or shy in English, but I guess it’s normal (we spend 5 hours a day together in the mornings only, but he has practically no English context other than me and cartoons). I imagine that he’s trying to guess what language to speak with any people he meets when he’s with me.
Best wishes,
S.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Avi
We currently live in Israel and speak to our 10 m old in English, assuming that she would pick up Hebrew outside. However, we are moving to the USA in 2 months, so English will no longer be the minority language. I speak French fluently and my husband speaks Dutch fluently. However, we both feel that English is our “best” language, and that we would lose out by speaking French/Dutch with our daughter. But we also want to give her at least one other language. I find the idea of not being “allowed” to speak to her in English devastating – what language system would you adopt in this situation?
 
Immersion Parent
  Posted   Reply with quote  #3 
Here are links to a couple of articles about parents in a similar situation as you:

http://www.multilingualliving.com/2010/10/05/the-opol-fanatics/

http://www.multilingualliving.com/2012/03/03/still-trilingual-at-ten-livias-multilingual-journey/

I recommend the website as it has a lot of articles (you can search through the older ones) from parents in the same situation as you.  I would really try not to worry about your fluency as much.  You will get better with practice and also the finer things can be worked on later.

Stay the course because you have the chance to give your kids the gift of being able to speak multiple languages – at the age when it isnt difficult for them to learn!  There are many parents (like myself) that wish we had the ability to do the same.  It takes work on the parents’ part (not so much the kids) and some determination.

Good luck to you!
 
Immersion Parent
  Posted   Reply with quote  #4 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Avi
We currently live in Israel and speak to our 10 m old in English, assuming that she would pick up Hebrew outside. However, we are moving to the USA in 2 months, so English will no longer be the minority language. I speak French fluently and my husband speaks Dutch fluently. However, we both feel that English is our “best” language, and that we would lose out by speaking French/Dutch with our daughter. But we also want to give her at least one other language. I find the idea of not being “allowed” to speak to her in English devastating – what language system would you adopt in this situation?



Here are links to a couple of articles about parents in a similar situation as you:

http://www.multilingualliving.com/2010/10/05/the-opol-fanatics/

http://www.multilingualliving.com/2012/03/03/still-trilingual-at-ten-livias-multilingual-journey/

I recommend the website as it has a lot of articles (you can search through the older ones) from parents in the same situation as you.  I would really try not to worry about your fluency as much.  You will get better with practice and also the finer things can be worked on later.

Stay the course because you have the chance to give your kids the gift of being able to speak multiple languages – at the age when it isnt difficult for them to learn!  There are many parents (like myself) that wish we had the ability to do the same.  It takes work on the parents’ part (not so much the kids) and some determination.

Good luck to you!
 
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