Comments on: Multilingualism http://balancedmeltingpot.com/2008/08/04/multilingualism/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:20:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Deborah http://balancedmeltingpot.com/2008/08/04/multilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Deborah Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:49:50 +0000 http://balancedmeltingpot.wordpress.com/?p=7#comment-13 It's true that inevitably our children will go on to make their own decisions about their lives. I think that's why it's so important for me to instill as many values, especially those relating to our minority culture, as much as possibly while they are still impressionable. It’s true that inevitably our children will go on to make their own decisions about their lives. I think that’s why it’s so important for me to instill as many values, especially those relating to our minority culture, as much as possibly while they are still impressionable.

]]> By: Fritz G. Fanfan http://balancedmeltingpot.com/2008/08/04/multilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Fritz G. Fanfan Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:23:41 +0000 http://balancedmeltingpot.wordpress.com/?p=7#comment-12 If I am an immigrant leaving in the US, naturally, my kids will speak english, in Spain, my kids will speak Spanish, in France, my kids will speak french. However, because I am an immigrant, I came from somewhere else other then the country I am leaving in right now and that place has a culture that is imperative to my opinion to teach to my kids. It is my duty to do that not only by my own experiences and by facts (books) but I also need to take them back physically to their roots. With that being said, they would need to know how to communicate on their own, do their own research, get their own knowledge. Only then will they understand who we are as their parents, their friends. Is it best for them to pick up a second language that would benefit them perhaps financially in the future or is it better for them to know who we are, therefore, who they are? There is a thin line between the two and only them should decide to cross or not to cross. If I am an immigrant leaving in the US, naturally, my kids will speak english, in Spain, my kids will speak Spanish, in France, my kids will speak french. However, because I am an immigrant, I came from somewhere else other then the country I am leaving in right now and that place has a culture that is imperative to my opinion to teach to my kids. It is my duty to do that not only by my own experiences and by facts (books) but I also need to take them back physically to their roots. With that being said, they would need to know how to communicate on their own, do their own research, get their own knowledge. Only then will they understand who we are as their parents, their friends. Is it best for them to pick up a second language that would benefit them perhaps financially in the future or is it better for them to know who we are, therefore, who they are? There is a thin line between the two and only them should decide to cross or not to cross.

]]> By: Deborah http://balancedmeltingpot.com/2008/08/04/multilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Deborah Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:35:14 +0000 http://balancedmeltingpot.wordpress.com/?p=7#comment-11 I think that making the decision to raise your children bilingual is only half as difficult as following through with it. We have the same problem in deciding who speaks which language and how often. Using the One Parent One Language (OPOL) method is just not practical for us, so our daughter tends to pick the language that she feels like using in any given coversation; regardless of the one spoken to her. Now that she's going into the first grade, we are starting to think about how long we should leave her in the bilingual program. The tough decisions never end... I think that making the decision to raise your children bilingual is only half as difficult as following through with it. We have the same problem in deciding who speaks which language and how often. Using the One Parent One Language (OPOL) method is just not practical for us, so our daughter tends to pick the language that she feels like using in any given coversation; regardless of the one spoken to her. Now that she’s going into the first grade, we are starting to think about how long we should leave her in the bilingual program. The tough decisions never end…

]]> By: phdinparenting http://balancedmeltingpot.com/2008/08/04/multilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-10 phdinparenting Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:10:53 +0000 http://balancedmeltingpot.wordpress.com/?p=7#comment-10 It is very important for us. I am an anglophone that grew up in Quebec and learned French as a second language. I met my husband while studying in Germany. He grew up bilingual German and French (his dad is German, his mom is French). We are raising our kids in Quebec and speak English and German at home. We are sending our kids to a trilingual school (French, English, Spanish) and most of the other kids there are French-speaking. It is not always easy. Our kids have taken to English much more than German, even though my husband and I speak German with each other. They see that the outside influence of the world around us is primarily in English and have gravitated towards that. My husband has a natural reaction to respond in the language that people speak to him in, so he speaks a lot more English to our kids than we would like. It is very important for us. I am an anglophone that grew up in Quebec and learned French as a second language. I met my husband while studying in Germany. He grew up bilingual German and French (his dad is German, his mom is French). We are raising our kids in Quebec and speak English and German at home. We are sending our kids to a trilingual school (French, English, Spanish) and most of the other kids there are French-speaking.

It is not always easy. Our kids have taken to English much more than German, even though my husband and I speak German with each other. They see that the outside influence of the world around us is primarily in English and have gravitated towards that. My husband has a natural reaction to respond in the language that people speak to him in, so he speaks a lot more English to our kids than we would like.

]]> By: beyondbostonchic http://balancedmeltingpot.com/2008/08/04/multilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-9 beyondbostonchic Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:26:05 +0000 http://balancedmeltingpot.wordpress.com/?p=7#comment-9 A lot of parents struggle with this issue. I don't have children yet, but I'm already trying to decide which language(s) I will use in raising my offspring. Good job. Looking forward for future posts. A lot of parents struggle with this issue. I don’t have children yet, but I’m already trying to decide which language(s) I will use in raising my offspring. Good job. Looking forward for future posts.

]]>