My Husband's famiy speak Spanish, and I only speak English. They alwas speak spanish to our son, and I've read that a child speaks the language that they are most exsposed to. We live with his mother and she always talks to our son in spanish although she can speak English. I just want to understand my son when he starts to speak.
2007-12-26 03:37:05 · 15 answers · asked by T Mommy 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Talk to your husband about this, encourage him to talk in English to your son and you speak and read to him in English.
Speaking both languages will confuse him, He will be saying half a sentence in English the other half in Spanish!
Good Luck!
2007-12-26 04:39:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
I took a linguistics class, and I learned there that a child can easily learn all the languages he's exposed to. (If exposed properly) I have the documentary to prove it.
So it's not really a problem him learning spanish while learning english, but in his current environment, I think it is likely that he will be speaking more spanish than english.
All it really takes is for him to be exposed in both an english and spanish environment, and he'll be okay. There shouldn't be any confusion, not unless a certain language came up as a shock. Should be a gradual and continuing process of language acquisition.
My proof is my nephew, who grew up in a Hiligaynon speaking environment (a minor language in the Philippines). He is exposed mostly to this language, though we do speak to him in English as well. But I believe his biggest exposure is the TV. Because he speaks very good english, and even with an american accent. The kid's the life of the party.
2007-12-26 04:01:51 · answer #2 · answered by mystified 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Your daughter is half dominican too and her learning spanish will only benefit her I'm mexican teaching my kids spanish their father in white and does not know spanish but he does not have a problem with it at all. You should try learning some spanish . My first language was spanish my parents only knew spanish and I speak fluent english your daughter will eventually learn english specially if the community is mostly hispanic the school she will attend will teach her. You should learn some spanish so you can communicate with her better when she's with you aswell as english. For example say the command in spanish, the right after say the same thing in english so she connects the words together. Your daughter being bilingual is beautiful.
2016-05-26 07:27:49 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is good that your child is being brought up in a bilingual home. That is the best way for them to learn multiple languages.
I am an English speaker, and I speak very broken Spanish and Czech.
My fiance is Czech and she speaks English, Czech and French fluently.
According to the pediatric psychologists and physicians we have spoken to about how to raise our children, it is best if I speak only english to them and she speaks only Czech. To have multiple people speaking multiple languages would be more confusing.
I understand your desire to understand your child when he begins to speak, but he is going to say what he is going to say. I think your best bet would be to learn Spanish yourself, and to get some more English speakers around your son...
2007-12-26 03:46:23 · answer #4 · answered by Geaux Ghoti 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
don't fear! in my family everyone speaks spanish at first, and then by age 2 and a half they forget it completely. knowing spanish in my early years only enhanced my english skills.
you should encourage your son to become bilingual. this is the age where he can learn best without worrying about him being confused.
i've seen studies where experts encourage one parent to speak the foreign language exclusively while the other parent speaks only english. as long as you speak english to him he will understand. english will stick, no matter what. my boyfriend's nephew speaks mostly english even though his parents don't speak it (at only 2yrs of age he speaks two languages)
babies are smarter than they get credit for.
2007-12-26 12:22:47 · answer #5 · answered by elizabeth 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Just keep talking to him in English. He'll learn. Children pick languages easier than adults. My husband family is from the USA, they don't speak Spanish, I'm the only one and my children are bilingual. Don't worry about it.
2007-12-26 16:13:39 · answer #6 · answered by loralaey 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That would be a great way for you to learn Spanish. Don't worry about the kid, He will sort it out. Berlitz grew up speaking like 7 different languages. You need to spend a lot of verbal time with the kid, read to him, talk to him, don't panic if he throws in a couple of Spanish words, and certainly don't punish him. (that could seriously delay his language skills)
2007-12-26 03:42:09 · answer #7 · answered by hasse_john 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
After showing concern about this to your husband, he may be willing to speak English more often. I know a 2 year old who is exposed equally to French, Spanish, and English, and is steadily developing speaking skills in all three. That being said, as long as you are speaking to him in English (so that he is exposed to it in some way), he should be fine.
Buena Suerte : )
2007-12-26 03:41:50 · answer #8 · answered by Jonathan S 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You haven´t said which country you live in and therefore which language your child will learn at school or when out playing. Help his English by always using it when you speak to him. Encourage both languages and he will have an advantage in later life
2007-12-26 03:47:19 · answer #9 · answered by Fuzz 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Dont worry kids at that age are like heavy duty sponges...
they can pick up somewhere 20 languages before startin school.
Think about us Indian kids most are fluent in atlest 4 languages by the time we start preK.
If your still worried jus read to the kid they can understand this eversince they sed to be a fetus...
Good luck!
2007-12-26 03:47:59 · answer #10 · answered by Ivy G 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋