https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:27:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184358 Wed, 20 May 2015 10:55:25 +0000 Andrea 2184358@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: yes, I was definitely planning on getting this set up for the kids so they can hear German at home, too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184223 Wed, 20 May 2015 09:13:52 +0000 looch 2184223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: another thing you can do is stream German language television, my husband watches Swiss news programs. It's really important to hear the pronunciation, and you can usually pick up a lot by the context. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184136 Wed, 20 May 2015 07:49:47 +0000 Andrea 2184136@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: Good idea on the used copy! They are so pricey. Honestly, I doubt I'll have time to pick up more than the basics so I would be thrilled to have school/restaurant German under my belt some day! </p> <p>@looch: Something like that looks perfect, thanks for the rec! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184101 Wed, 20 May 2015 07:22:47 +0000 looch 2184101@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: I have a 15 minute German CD and accompanying book, probably an older version of this:</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/15-minute-Eyewitness-15-Minute-Language-English/dp/1409331164/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&#038;ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1432124427&#038;sr=1-4&#038;keywords=german+language+cd+DK" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/15-minute-Eyewitness-15-Minute-Language-English/dp/1409331164/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&#038;ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1432124427&#038;sr=1-4&#038;keywords=german+language+cd+DK</a></p> <p>As for books, I have a reader at home, I'll check and see what the brand is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184092 Wed, 20 May 2015 07:17:12 +0000 lamariniere 2184092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: I'm definitely not the person to ask. I've been here 2.5 years and still barely speak anything other than restaurant German and daycare German. :silly: I've toyed with the idea of trying to find a used copy of Rosetta Stone to really learn it, but I just don't have the time to commit to it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184090 Wed, 20 May 2015 07:15:14 +0000 Andrea 2184090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: @lamariniere: do either of you have any book recommendations to help me learn some German? :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184086 Wed, 20 May 2015 07:11:39 +0000 lamariniere 2184086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I was going to suggest children's books. At least German pronunciation is somewhat logical, even if you have no idea what the words mean. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184083 Wed, 20 May 2015 07:09:55 +0000 looch 2184083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: Yes, he always does unless we're with other English only speaking children, then he speaks English so the other kids understand.</p> <p>My son was so shocked that I could speak like my husband, it's not perfect, but it's a start. I also can read in German, but I have basically zero comprehension, so my husband is going to order some beginning readers for the both of us, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184077 Wed, 20 May 2015 07:07:16 +0000 lamariniere 2184077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Yay, that's exciting! Does your husband always speak German to your son? Most of my (very paltry) German has come from learning it from my son. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2184069 Wed, 20 May 2015 07:01:36 +0000 looch 2184069@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: So, last night I randomly began speaking German to my son...and he started speaking German back, so I think we're officially changing the family language to German. Problem is my son's more advanced than I am, but I guess we're going to learn together! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181903 Mon, 18 May 2015 13:48:02 +0000 lamariniere 2181903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jasmine: I'm sorry to hear about your relationship with your mother. I hope you can find peace with it. You sound like a strong woman with a loving husband. As for language, someday maybe your children could have study opportunities or job opportunities with Mandarin, I know I would be thrilled if my children decided to study Mandarin some day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181858 Mon, 18 May 2015 13:26:46 +0000 thestairs 2181858@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>To "lamariniere", thank you for your suggestions.<br /> I mentioned this in my other thread that I had an abusive mother in my childhood. I left my mother house when I was 18, and this year I'm 30, so more than a decade I do not have a close relationship with my mom.<br /> Our relatiosnhip is pretty much over now. She disown me because I married my husband, an African-American guy that she disapproved.</p> <p>My mother is very unreasonable. Never once she try to met my husband. She totally rejected him since the beginning after she know his ethnicity. She doesn't even care to know his name, let alone his jobs or who he is as a person.<br /> Nobody in my Chinese family accept my husband, except one person that is my older brother.</p> <p>To my Chinese mother, I'm just a 'Dirty' girl in her eyes because I married a guy she disapproved. According to my mom words, my future children are also equally "Dirty" like me.<br /> My children going to just have to grow up with their paternal grandma. Because their maternal grandma thinks they are Dirty and full of shame just like me--their mom.</p> <p>I do not want my kids around my mother, not with her hateful attitude like that. Seem like my children going to just have to speak Chinese with me.<br /> Despite my mother disown me, I have no regrets that I married my husband. He is an awesome awesome husband! I have zero regret. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181841 Mon, 18 May 2015 13:13:22 +0000 Mama Bird 2181841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is 2.5 and mostly hears our first language at home and in day care, but they also do English lessons (not sure how much). He hears a whole bunch of other languages when we go out, and it must have had him confused for a while. I'm pretty sure he understands at least the basics in English, but he can't speak it yet other than individual words. I planned to be teaching him myself by now, but he took a while to start talking at all so that got put on the back burner. The way he's making strides now, though, I hope I'll be able to do more regular English lessons with him by the time he's three, so he's ready for preschool. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181830 Mon, 18 May 2015 13:02:09 +0000 lamariniere 2181830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jasmine: ANY language exposure you can give them is amazing, especially Chinese in today's world! Do you have Chinese speaking family? Even if your future children only use Chinese to speak to family members, that is really great. My father's native language is Thai and he also speaks some Cantonese, but he never taught either to me, so I cannot communicate with my Asian relatives. It's really a pity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181800 Mon, 18 May 2015 12:31:15 +0000 thestairs 2181800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Comment to follow this thread, and to learn from all the wonderful mommies here.</p> <p>I'm Chinese (Asian-American), I'm fluent 3 languages, including English. I speak English fluent and fast, but my English grammars writing is still terrible.<br /> I feel so bad because I immigrant to USA with my family at the age 12, and now at the age 30, I still haven't master English grammars.</p> <p>My husband is Black (African-American), obviously he fluent in English.<br /> Because of my husband, seem like our children will be speaking English as their first language.</p> <p>We will TTC in next year in 2016, and I still don't know should I teach my children to be fluent in Mandarin Chinese too? Or fluent in just English would be good enough? Of course they will know Mandarin, but should they be fluent in it?</p> <p>I do want English to be their native language, since afterall we living in America. And because I don't want to them to be like me--their mom who still terrible at English grammars, lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181778 Mon, 18 May 2015 12:16:06 +0000 lamariniere 2181778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: it was easy for me because that's the language we met each other in. I have to make an effort when I switch to English with him, but it comes automatically when I switch back and forth with the LOs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181757 Mon, 18 May 2015 11:55:41 +0000 looch 2181757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: I think I am going to have to just begin speaking more German! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181756 Mon, 18 May 2015 11:54:46 +0000 lamariniere 2181756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I speak English to the children but I speak 90% French to DH. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181749 Mon, 18 May 2015 11:50:30 +0000 PurplePeony 2181749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is 17 months do she doesn't talk all that much yet, but she understands both languages pretty well -- I guess somewhat more English because that's what she hears from me and at daycare. But she responds to pretty much everything DH says even though he's the only one who consistently speaks that language to her. About 95% of the words she says so far are in English but she has a couple words she'll only say in the other language. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181745 Mon, 18 May 2015 11:46:40 +0000 Andrea 2181745@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD has been advanced in English and Mandarin. I think she just has a knack for languages. We will be adding German soon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181730 Mon, 18 May 2015 11:36:31 +0000 looch 2181730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: can I ask you, what is your family language? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181706 Mon, 18 May 2015 11:11:57 +0000 lamariniere 2181706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My children are trilingual. We are a bilingual home with French and English and they go to German daycare. </p> <p>For DS, who is 4, he is exposed mostly to English with me, all day daycare is German and French when my husband is home. He is completely fluent in all 3 languages even though he makes grammatical errors and occasionally uses a word from a different language when speaking. He started German daycare at 2. </p> <p>DD is 18 months and has been exposed to German since she was 4 months (babysitter). It's hard to tell where she is, but I think her receptive language is equal across the board. She has more English than French words and I'm not sure if she is saying any German words yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181692 Mon, 18 May 2015 10:55:42 +0000 Charm54 2181692@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Dd is exposed to French and English. I don't expect her to be fluent in French or really delve into it until she enters the French immersion program in elementary school though. Our community and her daycare is bilingual so she hears it throughout her day, but Dh and I mainly speak English at home so that's what she's picked up on the most. I've been trying to read and speak to her in French more at home but I'm lazy about it . </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181670 Mon, 18 May 2015 10:43:26 +0000 aegie 2181670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my kid is turning 3 in a few weeks and she speaks and understands English completely. She understands Korean but will respond in English. She does speak some phrases in Korean because I consistently say those phrases in Korean. I will also put her in Korean school in a year or so.</p> <p>She does know all her alphabets in English but shows no interest in learning the Korean alphabet. But I don't want to push her, so for the time being, all I can do is speak to her in Korean more and more and hope she understands enough so Korean school won't be too difficult and off putting later on. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181561 Mon, 18 May 2015 09:24:45 +0000 sera_87 2181561@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Both kids are more or less equally exposed to French and English - SOs family is Francophone; his daycare is as well...I would say ds1 was slower in his expressive language until about he was 18 months and then had another 'explosion' around 2.5 years old. </p> <p>Now he mixes both English and French in the same sentence, uses some French words exclusively (like par ce que for because) some English excluvisely, and some interchangeably (like hat/chapeau). He'll be going into the French education system though, so basically will only speak English to family and friends. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181532 Mon, 18 May 2015 09:10:17 +0000 Mamasig 2181532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 understands both spanish and English but mainly speaks English. He only has a handful of spanish words. He was exposed to spanish daily as my mom took care of him for the 1st two years of his life. I told her to only speak to him in Spanish. I think it will be hard for him to speak in Spanish because now he primarily hears and is learning in English. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181523 Mon, 18 May 2015 09:06:47 +0000 Alivoo01 2181523@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS understands both English and Chinese, but like you, I'll eventually put him in Chinese school when he's a bit older. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181511 Mon, 18 May 2015 08:58:16 +0000 looch 2181511@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I had to quantify in percentages, my son is exposed to less than 10% of his second language over the course of a week. He more or less always answers in English and my husband is starting to question how we can get more of the responses in the second language...I suspect we will have to change our family language. The challenge there is really to my husband, he has a difficult time speaking to me in German. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181510 Mon, 18 May 2015 08:56:11 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 2181510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is exposed to English and Spanish, but much more English b/c her nanny speaks English. At 18 months she has 5-6 Spanish words and 12-15 English words, so I thinks she's right on track? Because both DH and I use a mix of English and Spanish, I don't really make a separation yet for her languages. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-bilingual-or-exposed-to-more-than-1-language#post-2181487 Mon, 18 May 2015 08:47:03 +0000 mrsjyw 2181487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>how were they as far as verbal development in each language?</p> <p>DS is equally exposed to both English and Korean. He understands and comprehends both fully, but speaks more and knows more verbally in English. We'll probably end up putting him in Korean school in a year or two to help develop reading/writing/speaking. </p>