Comments on: Even More Reasons to Raise Bilingual Kids: The Latest Studies http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/ Raising Bilingual & Bi-Cultural Children Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:27:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Titi http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-59092 Titi Fri, 25 Nov 2011 04:48:29 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-59092 Dear Danielle, You are not alone raising multilingual kids, I have 2 of my own, they are 6 and 3 yo and they can pick up more than 3 languages while the eldest one start the fourth one slowly . I have found no difficulties in raising them in even 3 languages, what I feel the success keys are all start at home. Me and my husband, we are communicating in English, me and my kids are Bahasa Indonesia, and kids to dad in Urdu (native language of Pakistani), Initial they r still (and still is) using some words in English or in Urdu to the words they couldn't get in bahasa, I don't think it's a big deal, because every kids will develop their vocabulary accordingly. Just check out my blog Dear Danielle,
You are not alone raising multilingual kids, I have 2 of my own, they are 6 and 3 yo and they can pick up more than 3 languages while the eldest one start the fourth one slowly . I have found no difficulties in raising them in even 3 languages, what I feel the success keys are all start at home. Me and my husband, we are communicating in English, me and my kids are Bahasa Indonesia, and kids to dad in Urdu (native language of Pakistani), Initial they r still (and still is) using some words in English or in Urdu to the words they couldn’t get in bahasa, I don’t think it’s a big deal, because every kids will develop their vocabulary accordingly.

Just check out my blog

]]> By: Umar – SATU Belas « *Enjoying Little Muffins* http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-25614 Umar – SATU Belas « *Enjoying Little Muffins* Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:06:30 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-25614 [...] Even More Reasons to Raise Bilingual Kids: The Latest Studies [...] [...] Even More Reasons to Raise Bilingual Kids: The Latest Studies [...]

]]> By: Viviana http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-7727 Viviana Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:53:43 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-7727 My husband and I were born in Mexico and brought to the U.S.A when we were preschoolers. Our native language is Spanish. We spoke spanish at home and English at school "stictly". When we both met we interacted speaking only English. We got married and now have three beautiful children. I tried speaking all spanish with my first born but wasn't consistent. All three children speak the community language which is English. I wish I could say thier domminant language was Spanish...it's not. The oldest is 9 and the youngest is 4. It's hard to balance the languages since my husbands and my language is mostly dominant in Eglish. We had no formal education to support our native language so this makes it hard to sometime be discriptive in our native language. Is it too late to teach my children their harritage language? Where do I get support? Thank you My husband and I were born in Mexico and brought to the U.S.A when we were preschoolers. Our native language is Spanish. We spoke spanish at home and English at school “stictly”. When we both met we interacted speaking only English. We got married and now have three beautiful children. I tried speaking all spanish with my first born but wasn’t consistent. All three children speak the community language which is English. I wish I could say thier domminant language was Spanish…it’s not. The oldest is 9 and the youngest is 4. It’s hard to balance the languages since my husbands and my language is mostly dominant in Eglish. We had no formal education to support our native language so this makes it hard to sometime be discriptive in our native language. Is it too late to teach my children their harritage language? Where do I get support? Thank you

]]> By: The Beginner’s Guide to SpanglishBaby « SpanglishBaby http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5915 The Beginner’s Guide to SpanglishBaby « SpanglishBaby Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:46:33 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-5915 [...] Raise Bilingual Children and Even More Reasons to Raise Bilingual Kids: The Latest Studies and Yes, it is a Great Idea to Raise Them [...] [...] Raise Bilingual Children and Even More Reasons to Raise Bilingual Kids: The Latest Studies and Yes, it is a Great Idea to Raise Them [...]

]]> By: Roseelva Stevens http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2754 Roseelva Stevens Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:39:42 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-2754 I raised two bilingual children and they succed in school with good grades took additional spanish classes in school and went on attend college. They both have found the they being bilingual has made a difference in their employment. I taught ESL in the 70's to spanish speaking children and their parents. The children went on to do quite well in their classrooms and keeping their spanish language and heritage. I raised two bilingual children and they succed in school with good grades took additional spanish classes in school and went on attend college. They both have found the they being bilingual has made a difference in their employment. I taught ESL in the 70′s to spanish speaking children and their parents. The children went on to do quite well in their classrooms and keeping their spanish language and heritage.

]]> By: Carrie_in_TN http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2442 Carrie_in_TN Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:59:49 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-2442 Anybody who says learning two languages at once will slow language acquisition needs to meet my Cotorra. Glad new studies are debunking that myth. Anybody who says learning two languages at once will slow language acquisition needs to meet my Cotorra. Glad new studies are debunking that myth.

]]> By: Roxana http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2372 Roxana Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:24:44 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-2372 Congratulation on raising a bilingual child, John! And thanks for visiting!! You're totally right, your son is a very lucky boy and yes, it is amazing how quickly they learn!! Good luck and congrats on becoming fluent in Chinese yourself! That's no easy task!! Congratulation on raising a bilingual child, John! And thanks for visiting!! You’re totally right, your son is a very lucky boy and yes, it is amazing how quickly they learn!!

Good luck and congrats on becoming fluent in Chinese yourself! That’s no easy task!!

]]> By: Danielle http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2362 Danielle Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:02:26 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-2362 another point - I have taught a student whose heritage language was French. By late primary, she was refusing to speak any french and chose to study indonesian at high school. By the time I met her (Year 10 - approx 15 years old) she was refusing to try in Indonesian, and still refusing to speak French. How do I ensure that my little girl (now 15 months) loves languages rather than hating them? Aduh! Saya bingung! another point – I have taught a student whose heritage language was French. By late primary, she was refusing to speak any french and chose to study indonesian at high school. By the time I met her (Year 10 – approx 15 years old) she was refusing to try in Indonesian, and still refusing to speak French. How do I ensure that my little girl (now 15 months) loves languages rather than hating them? Aduh! Saya bingung!

]]> By: Danielle http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2361 Danielle Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:58:45 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-2361 Thanks for this - very timely for me. Our problem - both my husband and myself have English as our first language, but I can speak Indonesian reasonably well and bits of French. My husband doesn't speak Indonesian, and has less French than me - I don't want him to be left out of discussions with our daughter so haven't been using Indonesian or French with her so far (other than songs and occasional words). To add to the mix - my mother also can speak indonesian. So ... Indonesian & English? French & English (would be hard work for both hubby and me) or all 3? or just English? Thanks for this – very timely for me. Our problem – both my husband and myself have English as our first language, but I can speak Indonesian reasonably well and bits of French. My husband doesn’t speak Indonesian, and has less French than me – I don’t want him to be left out of discussions with our daughter so haven’t been using Indonesian or French with her so far (other than songs and occasional words). To add to the mix – my mother also can speak indonesian. So … Indonesian & English? French & English (would be hard work for both hubby and me) or all 3? or just English?

]]> By: John Biesnecker http://spanglishbaby.com/2009/07/a-closer-look-at-why-raise-bilingual-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-2360 John Biesnecker Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:02:06 +0000 http://www.spanglishbaby.com/?p=5023#comment-2360 I like the "because sometimes a word sounds better in a particular language" line -- I know exactly how you feel. This is a great blog. My wife is Mongolian Chinese, and I'm American. Her parents are native Mongolian and Mandarin speakers, but she grew up never learning Mongolian. My parents are monolingual, and over the last seven or so years I've pushed my Chinese up to fluency. We have a 13-month old in the house now, and it's amazing how quickly he's learning. He already can understand quite a bit in both languages, and the his first word ('ba ba' -- 'daddy' in Mandarin) has been followed by several in both English and Mandarin. The kid's so lucky -- he's going to have better English than my wife and better Chinese than me in about two more years :) I like the “because sometimes a word sounds better in a particular language” line — I know exactly how you feel.

This is a great blog. My wife is Mongolian Chinese, and I’m American. Her parents are native Mongolian and Mandarin speakers, but she grew up never learning Mongolian. My parents are monolingual, and over the last seven or so years I’ve pushed my Chinese up to fluency.

We have a 13-month old in the house now, and it’s amazing how quickly he’s learning. He already can understand quite a bit in both languages, and the his first word (‘ba ba’ — ‘daddy’ in Mandarin) has been followed by several in both English and Mandarin. The kid’s so lucky — he’s going to have better English than my wife and better Chinese than me in about two more years :)

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