Bilingual kids

[Nataliochek]

I have heard different points of view about bilingual kids (kids that are tough to have two native languages). Some scientists say that can slow language development in children others believe the earlier you start teaching the second language the better.

Does anybody on the forum meet such kids in real life? And how do you think it affects children? Or maybe if you are about to meet the situation in your family, how you are planning to deal with it?

[Sveta's Hero]

Our children's native language will be English, but Sveta wants to teach them Russian too, and I agree with her. I'm not sure that it will slow them down, since they will learn very young. Also it will be nice for them to be able to talk to their grandma and auntie in Russian:)

[Nataliochek]

Paul, how are you going to teach them? I know in some families every parent speaks only her/his language to the kid. Others wait till the baby starts speaking the first language and then introduce the second language.

[Sveta's Hero]

Paul, how are you going to teach them? I know in some families every parent speaks only her/his language to the kid. Others wait till the baby starts speaking the first language and then introduce the second language.

I wont teach them, Sveta will. I think we will both speak English to them, but also as they grow, she will be teaching them Russian.

[Voobrazheniye]

I've always heard that if a child grows up in a bilingual environment, from birth, he or she learns both languages perfectly and is more capable of learning new languages as well. This seems to be true, as I have a family example of a child who is three years old now and has grown up in a mostly English environment (in the U.S.) but also learning Dutch (from her father).

Next year, after some traveling, the family plans to move to Flanders, which is probably where the child will begin school. There, she will undoubtedly add French, German and some other languages to her list.

The earliest years are when a child's mind is "wired" for how he or she will learn and process information. So it makes sense that this is a great time to have a child start out understanding the concept of using multiple languages.

[Nataliochek]

I've always heard that if a child grows up in a bilingual environment, from birth, he or she learns both languages perfectly and is more capable of learning new languages as well. This seems to be true, as I have a family example of a child who is three years old now and has grown up in a mostly English environment (in the U.S.) but also learning Dutch (from her father).

Next year, after some traveling, the family plans to move to Flanders, which is probably where the child will begin school. There, she will undoubtedly add French, German and some other languages to her list.

The earliest years are when a child's mind is "wired" for how he or she will learn and process information. So it makes sense that this is a great time to have a child start out understanding the concept of using multiple languages.

Thank you. I think I even know what baby you are talking about.
So I have a question for you, Paul. Does the girl understand that they are two different languages or she tends to use both of them at the same time?

[Gabber]

My children are fluently bilingual in English and French and have begun to learn Spanish. Neither has ever shown developmental slow-down but then again, every kid in their respective schools is also 100 percent bilingual.

As Paul wrote, if they are learning at any early age it becomes natural. Anyone who speaks more than one language has more opportunity to fully experience another culture/land.

[Nonna]

I do know such kids.They have no problem to speak either German or Russian.On my opinion,they will have much more opportunities in finding a better job and,of course, without obstacles to talk to their grandmother & granfather as well :).

[saprosky]

In Catalonia, children study catalan and spanish from primary school and from some years also english.

Several studies checked that children learning and talking 2 or more languages are more skilled to learn languages when adults than the rest.

[Voobrazheniye]

Thank you. I think I even know what baby you are talking about.
So I have a question for you, Paul. Does the girl understand that they are two different languages or she tends to use both of them at the same time?

It seems that she sort of understood that there were different ways of saying the same thing, and that one way worked better with her daddy. Of course, she's too young to fully understand the concept of different languages, although by now she might be starting to. But I think she got the idea pretty quickly that there was a reason to use different words in different situations for the same thing. I'll ask further about it next time I talk with them

[yankee]

My granddaughter (4 yrs) and grandson will soon be living in the US. Of course they will learn English as well as their native Russian. My granddaughter already knows some English and we talk to each other (only a very little!)

[Mnguy2007]

My granddaughter (4 yrs) and grandson will soon be living in the US. Of course they will learn English as well as their native Russian. My granddaughter already knows some English and we talk to each other (only a very little!)

Do you know if they were being taught both from the beginning?
I have heard that it is not good to teach both from the beginning. But at the same time I have heard it is ok also so I am confused.:confused:

[yankee]

Do you know if they were being taught both from the beginning?
I have heard that it is not good to teach both from the beginning. But at the same time I have heard it is ok also so I am confused.:confused:

My granddaughter started learning English this summer. Her brother is not even two years old yet. He is still learning Russian!

[Umka]

Bilingual children don't show slowed down development:lol: , they just start speaking coherently later, than the same child would start if they only knew one language from the beginning.
Learning a language when you are so young is very easy and it's a priceless gift for a person to know any additional language. I applaud any parent who understands how important it is to teach their native language to their child!