Question I have a dilemma - we are a bilingual couple, my native language is English and my husband is German. I have studied German so I am more or less fluent in it having spent a few years in Germany. We live in the US and none of my husband's relatives live here,...
Hindsight is a wonderful thing they say … well, it really is – if you share your experiences with others who are at the start of the journey of bringing up a bilingual children! I have asked parents whose children have grown up to become bilingual if there was...
Yes, I am stating the obvious – of course, all parents need patience! As a mother or father of a bilingual child, there will however be times when you need an extra helping of this specific virtue. By applying lots of patience, you will succeed in keeping the family...
1 – Ní “le draíocht” a tharlaíonn sé Ní shealbhaíonn páistí dhá theanga “le draíocht”. Samhlaítear go forleathan go bhfuil “páistí ar nós spúinsí ó thaobh teangacha de” agus go bhfoghlaimeoidh siad gach teanga a chloiseann siad go rialta. Níl sé seo fíor. Má tá na...
1 – Δεν συμβαίνει ως δια μαγείας Τα παιδιά δεν γίνονται δίγλωσσα «ως δια μαγείας». Υπάρχει ένας επίμονος μύθος που λέει ότι «τα παιδιά είναι σαν σφουγγάρια με τις γλώσσες» και ότι μαθαίνουν όλες τις γλώσσες που ακούν τακτικά – αυτό είναι απλώς λάθος. Ναι, υπό τις...
Parents who want to bring up their kids to speak more than one language can learn a lot from families who have been successful at bringing up bilingual children. However, I also think that a great deal can be learnt from those parents whose children grew up to be...
As parents, we often wonder whether we are doing the right thing for our kids. When I read the questions from fathers and mothers of children who grow up with more than one language, it is obvious that the addition of one or more languages to the family’s life...
… do you worry about what will happen with the minority language? Whether it will still be the means of communication between you and your child, or whether the majority language will take over? If you are a bit concerned, you are not alone, but there are steps you...
Question I have 3 and 5 year old children, with whom I speak the minority language, while they speak the majority language with their father and at daycare. They understand and speak my language without problems, though they use the majority language predominantly. My...
Kids tend to come with surprises – raising a child in more than one language can only add to the bewilderment. Bilingual children can certainly surprise their parents (and others), because they … … sometimes refuse to speak one of their languages There are several...