I speak English, but my fiance' speaks Japanese and little English. We plan on having children, but would our different languages confuse them? Which would be best?
2007-03-14 10:35:40 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
Your child will learn both, most likely. Sometimes they might be slightly delayed in both languages but they easily catch up and go on to do extremely well. Plus having two languages is quite rare, especially Japanese, so will be a real bonus when it comes to job hunting! It's such an opportunity and your children will thank you for it later.
I know a lot of kids who are bilingual and I know a girl who grew up in the UK with Spanish and Italian parents, even she managed to cope and is trilingual.
My friends bringing up bilingual kids say that the key is for one parents to speak only 1 language and the other parent to speak only the 2nd language, at least to and in front of the kid, for the first few years. This means that the kid separates the languages and learns that they are different and although they will mix the languages a bit at first (causing confusion at nursery!) they soon sort it out. If you are in the UK your kid will end up speaking better English because school will be in English, you can help make sure her Japanese is good too by buying Japanese children's videos and books, and when you're in Japan, letting her play with Japanese children - perhaps leave her at a play group or similar.
My children will be bilingual, although we have the advantage that my partner and I speak eachother's languages so we'll be able to understand what the other is saying to the child. We'll also be teaching them a third language so they can communicate with their cousins. Young children learn languages so much better than adults do!
2007-03-14 11:10:13 · answer #1 · answered by KateScot 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you live in America or another English speaking country it would be better to speak English as main language, around 6-7 years old when they have learned the basics of english they could learn japanese as this age is optimal for learning, and not just languages.Take it from me as I am Latin and went to a bilingual school, so i spoke spanish at home and english at school.
2007-03-14 10:43:47 · answer #2 · answered by juan l 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm from Gibraltar and here we speak 2 different languages(English and Spanish) so my daughter speaks both and isn't confused, but as she is only 2, she doesn't understand that some people don't understand both languages, and she mixes both when speaking, my advise is if your future children learn both English and Japanese when they are older it would be an advantage
2007-03-14 10:46:55 · answer #3 · answered by Karen P 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to know a famly from Algeria. They spoke English, French and Arabic around the house and their todler was learning words in all three languages at the same time. I was sure the kid would be all messed up but to my astonishment, when he started stringing words together into phrases and then sentences, he kept them in a single language.
Frankly it made me feel pretty dumb because this two year old would come up to me and ask me something in French and I'd shrug my shoulders, then he's ask me in Arabic and I'd shrug again. Finally he'd ask in English.
I don't know how common that is, but that kid, at least, seemed to have no problem and now he is probably fully tri-lingual.
I would encourage you both to speak to your child in your best native language. That would be better than if the child learned bad English from your spouse or bad Japanese from you.
2007-03-14 10:43:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
raise them using both english and japanese equally, knowing more languages makes a child more intelligent, and at the ages of 0-5 is much more easily learned and remembered than learning as an adult. if they have basic english skills they will be able to build up their english more in school, and japanese can be extra or just used at home.
2007-03-14 10:43:15 · answer #5 · answered by tapeface88 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope it will be good for the child. You speak English only to the child and your fiance speak Japanese only to the child and the child will learn to speak two languages.
2007-03-14 10:39:03 · answer #6 · answered by JS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually it is SO good to have a baby be surrounded by different languages at birth. Babies are like little sponges and they have the ability to absorb both langauges and seperate them out.
Studies show that it's rare for the children to mix up the languages after a few years...and they can readily switch between them. I know parents who each speek a different language with their child. Go for it!
2007-03-14 10:38:56 · answer #7 · answered by Gimmer05 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. The human brain is a magnificent organ. In time (maybe not immediately) your child will be able to distinguish between the two seamlessly. It's so great that you are going to teach your future child two languages at once. Good for you! There should be more couples like you in this world, in this country, of ours!
2007-03-14 10:39:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No not at all, my friend's daughter is totally bilingual, mum's english dad's spanish and doesn't speak a word of English. They may be slightly slower speaking to start with but it's a huge boon later on.
2007-03-14 10:40:50 · answer #9 · answered by gerrifriend 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Bilingual children do much better in life. Teach them two different languages at an early age.
2007-03-14 10:38:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋