Baby speaking two (or more) languages...

SAMANTHAGP · April 2009

My parents are off the boat from Poland, I grew up on Polish, I learned English when I started school...so naturally I would like my son or daughter to speak Polish as well. Not only may it benefit him/her in the future, it is important to me to for my son/daughter continue our heritage...

Problem: my boyfriend is second generation Italian and doesn't want him/her to speak a language that he doesn't. If he spoke Italian, I would be encouraging him to teach it to our baby. His grandparents are the only ones who speak Italian (and since no one else understands, they all communicate in English)...

Anyone else going through something similar? Am I wrong in wanting our child to be bilingual?

mrskisses · April 2009

I think its great to expose children to different languages and encourage them to speak......DH speaks Spanish and so does his family so we will encourage our child to speak both Spanish and English

ivs112 · April 2009

You are not wrong! A bilingual child has an advantage. I grew up similar to you, I learned Spanish first and then English. My mom only speaks Spanish and she will be watching the baby when I go back to work so obviously the baby will pick it up. My boyfriend doesn't speak any other languages but he is not opposed to the baby learning Spanish at all.

Samantha82 · April 2009

I don't understand why your bf has that sort of reaction.

My husband is from India and his native language is Hindi. His entire family speaks Hindi and some of his relatives do not speak English at all.

So what we're doing is most likely I will speak English to the baby and my husband will speak only in Hindi. You would think that this would be confusing. But one of our friends does this with their son and he's 3 and is speaking both languages and does not get confused or put the languages together.

I'm not fluent in Hindi, but I don't mind my husband wanting to teach our child a language that is part of its herritage.

RD'sgirl · April 2009

I agree, babies that are bilingual have an advantage. dh want to teach our dd italian and I am all for it!

ivs, you look so cute in your new siggy pic, where di you get that dress?

cutelilfishstick · April 2009

I don't think you're wrong. Bilingual is a huge advantage in today's world no matter what the language. DH could try to learn spanish with the child. My aunt learned spanish with her children and she loved the experience. DH and I are not bilingual but I want my child to speak spanish because of the schools he'll attend.

lmonty · April 2009

I think it is great that your child will have the opportunity to learn another language. It is very easy for children to pick up additional languages, my son also speaks spanish, my DH is Bolivian and MIL lives in the same city. MIL and I get along very well, DS and I see her a couple times a week and she only speaks spanish to him, he can speak spanish almost as well as english. From what I've seen in our extended family the children start to lose their second language once school starts. Keep the second language consistent in the house.

I did not speak spanish very well before moving near MIL but have picked it up along with DS.

WildHorseFeathers · April 2009

Well look at this way. From age 4 on in most european countries children are taught up to 5 languages. IF we did that here, wow we'd be a bunch of smarty pants!

LizBusch · April 2009

i was a spanish major in college and hubby doesn't know how to speak it, but he is totally supportive of me wanting to teach the baby spanish as well as english. i think he realizes that it is going to be to the baby's benefit (especially with the way the country is going now) to know that second language, and it's so much easier for them to learn when they are little.

At1stsight · April 2009

Your bf needs to get over himself: you're doing the right thing. My dad immigrated to the US from Korea when he was in his 20s and married my mom from Wisconsin. He thought about teaching me and my brother Korean and decided against it (not because my mom was against it; back then they weren't sure if it would confuse a child, which it clearly does NOT). To this day we regret not learning the language when it would have been so easy for us to pick up. Do what's best for your baby: teach him/her Polish!

magdusia · April 2009

SAMANTHAGP:
Anyone else going through something similar? Am I wrong in wanting our child to be bilingual?

haha.. umm VERY similar. I'm Polish, came here when i was 10 so my mom only speaks Polish and i will speak and teach the baby Polish also (Most of my family is in Poland).

so, again, very funny... my husband is Italian but doesnt speak it, and doesnt care much about teaching the baby another language.

I'm currently learning Spanish (from Spain, which is very close to Italian) and i hope to teach the baby that also.

I have a friend who's daughter (16 years old) speaks fluently English, Spanish (Latin), Italian, and sign language because of her mixed race and she loves it.

I think a child learning more languages is wonderful!

o0oStefankneeo0o · April 2009

I think 2 or more languages is a great idea! Think of the opportunities the child will have when it is older. My BF is Portuguese so our baby will learn both English and Portuguese. I cannot speak Portuguese and can understand a little but it doesn't bother me at all. I would of loved the chance to learn a second language when I was growing up.

peppermintgirl · April 2009

I was raised speaking two languages - one of which my mother only had a very basic understanding of. I think it's a great idea. Maybe you could teach your husband Polish as well, so that he can be involved in the process with your child, and so he won't feel like the two of you have some secret language.

afg · April 2009

I am from Wales and my first language is Welsh but I grew up speaking both English and Welsh. I don't remember learning Welsh. MH does not speak Welsh but he is more than supportive of our baby speaking Welsh.

Our plan is that I will speak to her in Welsh and he will speak to her in English. I don't understand what his objection is...does he not realize that she'll be taking foreign language classes when she goes to school and will speak a lang that he doesn't?

Monsieur_et_Madame_Ha · April 2009

I can't believe someone would keep their child from learning a language simply because they don't speak it themselves! I mean, it's such a unique opportunity! My DH is Chinese, so his first language is Cantonnese. I don't speak a word of it (well, I am able to name a few food items) but you can bet I will do everything I can to make sure my child speaks it. I even joke around with DH about how he and the LO will be able to talk behind my back!

heather_09_15_07 · April 2009

Is he going to object to your child learning another language in school? This makes no sense.

heather121184 · April 2009

My DH says he will teach the baby whatever language he ends up learning for the Marine corp (he is going to be a linguist). So that will be fun, hopefully I will get to learn some too!

SAMANTHAGP · April 2009

heather_09_15_07:
Is he going to object to your child learning another language in school? This makes no sense.

Not learning a language in school, I think his objection is related to the fact that my family primarily speaks Polish and that when his son/daughter will communicate with them (for example at family functions) he will feel more out of the loop by his own child...

I don't agree with him, but it was just a question if someone had somthing similar going on...

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