Bilingual Education Problems?

Question

14 years ago we came from NI (Belfast) to Germany. I am bilingual myself, so I spoke German to my now nearly 15 y.old daughter from the beginnig on. Her father spoke english to her and our language spoken at home was English (her father didn't know too much German) when she was 4, her father left us. From that day on, she refused to speak any English, now she needs English at school, ever worse, I'm contemplating about going back to Britain to work. The little bit of English left, she pronounces with a really bad NI accent, but grammar and most of the words are gone. If I talk to her in English, she answers in German, she understands every word. What can I do to help her getting her English improved?

...later..done a bit of "mummy-whatching" there a while ago, when she returned from school...noticed, that, when ever I blow my top, its getting blew in english...must remind her (subliminal) to the arguments between her father and me before we split up , also in english...German is the friendly mummy-language, English the "getting told off"-one..guess thats why ?

Answer 1

hi, Perhaps I can help you a little bit. If I understand you correctly, you started to speak German to your daughter because you wanted to help her with the language when you moved to Germany. Now in the same way you want her to speak English with you so she will learn that language again, if she ever lost it. Without going into deep psychology about your daughter and her father, it probably doesn't make sense to a 15-year old to suddenly speak in another language with her mother. Small children learn a language because they connect it to a person. Even for me - I am fifty - I noticed that I speak Dutch with some native English speakers living in Holland and English with others equally fluent in Dutch, because when I got to know that person that was how we started.
My mother tried speaking in English and French when I was your daughter's age. It did not work. What worked was that I expected that I would be able to speak other languages when I would grow up, because I had heard my parents speak other languages.

So perhaps my answer to your question is that you did something wonderful for your daughter in the past and that solution may now not work at all. Hopefully she has good teachers in school and when you move to Britain, she will learn to speak English very quickly and have an advantage there, because she is truly bilingual.

Mit herzlichen Grüßen,

Erica
Netherlands

Answer 2

I dont think of bilingual training makes the challenge extra beneficial-i think of it somewhat is sturdy to have the skill to communicate with your neighbours and immigrants;so a techniques as English is going-in keeping with risk there could be extra ESL instructions available at decrease costs for immigrants and extra immigrant help. I stay in Canada nevertheless, yet here there are a lot of ESL instructions available for immigrants and places which will help the immigrant learn English and help with their skills so they might get a activity. That suggestion is handy for immigrants and at a low fee or no fee in any respect.

Answer 3

i am a bit confused: you live in germany: are you english yourself? if you are english then carry on talking english to her: she will give up: she is 15 and if her father spoke english to her since she was born she must be fluent. what i can't understand is that her dad left you when she was 4? and she is now 15? so she hasn't spoken english in 11 years? and now you wnat to do something about it?

Answer 4

The best way to learn a language is to be in that country.

Answer 5

Act naturally... i.e. watch English movies, sing English songs, travel to England etc. etc... and leave her alone to do her own thing. She'll be alright.

Answer 6

Refuse to communicate with her other than in ENGLISH.
That way she will have to eventually communicate with YOU. Make ENGLISH YOUR ONLY LANGUAGE!

Answer 7

Get her an English penpal (Web friend)