Which language do you speak with your child?
How many languages can your child understand and speak?
Can a child learn more than 1 language without getting all confused?
Re: Language
If you want your child to be bi-lingual start early - children learn and absorb a lot more information when they're younger
Re: Language
Growing up in our house my parents had a rule that at home we were to speak urdu with each other because english was something that you pick up really quickly once you start school and i know a lot people that can't speak proper urdu cuz they didn't speak it growing up and it's harder to learn something the older you get
I would want my kids to learn Urdu so at home i will IA have them speak Urdu while they are young so they learn it and then they can learn English once they start school
Re: Language
I speak in Punjabi & English with my Son, And hubby speaks in Urdu :)
Re: Language
Little kids are like sponges, don't think the majority have any problem speaking and understanding two different languages..
Re: Language
babies pick things quicker than grown ups :)
Re: Language
my parents speak with my girl in urdu and I speak with her in both english and urdu. Most of the good schools here force the children to talk only in english in school so I think it's necessary for her to understand both. Right now at 1 year she knows that "nahin" and "no" means the same thing. She can understand "good girl" and "achi bachi" and nods her head when anyone tells her that.
Re: Language
^Now, I am assuming you are the only one speaking in english to her? Or does everyone else also do that? Is it possible for a child to get confuse, if you converse with him/her in different languages? (this is a general question)
Re: Language
I knew of a couple who spoke different regional languages.
Mother used her language with the kids and father used his. Kids learned both languages. They knew which language to use with which parent.
They also learned urdu as they were living in karachi and conversed in urdu with rest of the people. They learned english once they started going to school.
They may not have been an expert in english or urdu but they could read, write and speak.
I thought that was very nice.
I speak urdu with my son and his teachers at daycare speak english. What I have read is that, he or such bilingual kids, may start speaking properly later than the kids who use single language.
As for being confused, I do not think he is confused. Atleast I know he understands me in urdu and also if i say something in english.
Re: Language
My aunt is Persian and speaks that and English to her kids, their dad converses with them in Urdu. Growing up they spoke, and still do speak, all three languages with no problems or confusion. Language confusion is a very adult concept, IMHO. Kids are much faster and better learners. We plan to speak to the bean in Urdu, Hungarian and English ia. I'm sure they'll choose to respond in english at a certain point and that's a consequence of growing up in an English- speaking country- it doesn't bother me so long as they understand and can respond in Urdu when spoken to them.
Re: Language
GET THEM EXPOSED TO AS MANY LANGUAGES AS POSSIBLE EARLY ON.
Without even putting any deliberate effort, our 12-month old understands and speaks quite a bit.
**
Urdu she speaks*: khud hafis, Allah hafis, Allah, nana, nani, phuppo, chacha, mamoon, chota, shezadi (she doesn't just copy these words; she speaks them on her own in the appropriate context)
**Some Urdu she understands: gana sunao, tali bajao, sher kaise bolta hai, bil-lie kaise bolti hai, takar karo, ghummy ghummy, muje dedo, nahin
*
English she speaks*: clap, love you, yummy, nummy, mama, papa
**Some English she understands*: dance, hungry, doggie, ducky, Dora, just the words "itsy bitsy spider" and "twinkle twinkle" get her hands moving up and down and the dancing begins in anticipation of a song, bye bye, thank you, can I have it?, give me, no
In fact, she surprises me every day by indicating that she has understood something I've said. Even nuanced things. I speak to her mostly in English, as does her father. But she is lucky to have her grandparents close by.
A couple times my dad stuck her toy on her head and then said, "dahi lelo, dahi lelo". The next day she said it on her own, without any prompting!
Re: Language
My daugther speaks urdu and german. She can understand some english, I would like her to learn more if it in future.
Re: Language
^Aww that is so cute :)
Actually I have someone in my close by family, who is being described as being confused between two languages. At home they speak urdu, outside at kindergarden obviously they speak another language. Though, he has been going to kindergarden for like 2 years, he has yet not mastered the other language, nor does he speak clearly or fluently in urdu. His mother thinks it is because he has been exposed to too many languages and now he is confused. His teachers at the kindergarden have done test on him and said that he doesnt have enough vocalbury nor in urdu or the other language. My own personal observation is that him he has not been exposed enough to either language. Like the parents have not had "conversations" with him, but rather told him one or two words sentence, which the kid now speaks. When you try to talk with him or ask him about things, he 99 % of the time wont answer or will blaber something un-understandable. I would like to help, but I dont know how?! or where to start.
Re: Language
Encourage conversations that involve visual as well as aural cues. Ask questions and offer options for answers. There might also be developmental delays and the language confusion is a symptom. Perhaps take him to a specialist.
Re: Language
Growing up in our house my parents had a rule that at home we were to speak urdu with each other because english was something that you pick up really quickly once you start school and i know a lot people that can't speak proper urdu cuz they didn't speak it growing up and it's harder to learn something the older you get
I would want my kids to learn Urdu so at home i will IA have them speak Urdu while they are young so they learn it and then they can learn English once they start school
same here. we strictly had to speak urdu at home. i also started to speak urdu with my son. this was really hard, bcz the 6 yrs before he came, i only spoke german with my hubby. so it was a huge change.
when son started to go to the kindergarten with 3 he always tried to speak in german with us. he is 5,5yrs now and always forget the urdu words! grrrrrr