By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Raising bilingual hulks. Halp...
I welcome any and all advice. We've since had some new members, and I'd appreciate everyone's input.
I want the Mini-Hulks to speak more than just English. Minihulk is due in less than 4 weeks, so I need a head-start on the challenges/advice/etc. Thanks!
Xpat.John, THIS MEANS YOU TOO!!!
10 years 35 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
You are back in the US now, right? Getting the mini-hulk to talk anything but English after about 4 is going to be a real challenge.
In my home, the general rule is mom speaks to them in Mandarin & I speak to them in English.
My little hulks are coming to the US next month. They will be in for a big culture shock, but I think they will do good.
Some of my friends who raise mixed kids have real problems getting their kid to be multi-lingual. The successful ones also send their kid to weekend classes to learn Chinese.
Personally, I think it is a huge benefit for a kid to speak as many languages as possible, so I will also probably be sending them to a weekend class to keep up their language skills.
Hulk:
Yar, back in the United States of 'Murica (puck yeah!).
But since they'll be bombarded by nothing but English in the U.S., we've long-ago decided to make sure the wife only speaks to them in Chinese. We want our baby to be able to communicate with her family in China.
This is honestly all thanks to you... after reading your posts like 2 years ago, I decided if I ever got married and had kids, we'd do it that way.
So why is it a challenge after 4?
Xpat.John:
The main challenge after 4 comes from them starting school and being out in the English speaking world more and more.
In China it was easier because they were also forced to speak English in school (Their school was English only). But in the US, the only Chinese they will ever have access to is from mommy & family back in China.
Another reason for the Chinese classes in the US is to keep up their ability to read & write Chinese. To me, that is just as important as being able to speak the language.
Hulk:
We bought a SHITLOAD of books from China, and I may be going back soon to buy more. 99% of the books we bought were children's books.
Good point. We do have a Chinese school here, so that might help.
Scandinavian:
there must be some horrible childrens tv available on PPStream as well
Hulk:
My ex girlfriend referred to PPStream as "ghetto farmer shit."
We got some children's DVDs (or "VCDs") in China, and we'll use those too. Don't forget funshion... at least I think that's the right one. Baidu helps too...
It's simple. Daddy Speaks English, Mommy speaks Chinese.
I have several friends who have bilingual kids that from a young age speaks two languages, most are my native tongue and some other language like English, Farsi, German, Spanish or Russian. A kid can easily handle two languages at the same time, all it takes is that when Mini-Hulk knows a word in one of the languages, then you help by adding the word in the other language. When kids reach 3 years or so, they can learn more per day than you can possibly teach them.
As you live in the English world, the kid will be overexposed to English, maybe a Chinese speaking friend would be good, some Chinese childrens tv etc.
GuilinRaf:
One of my friends back home, he is Puertorrican of Finnish parents, so he grew up speaking 3 languages.
His wife is Egyptian, so in addition to the three languages the mother also speaks Arabic to their kid.
The kid is only 6 years old, yet it is amazing to see him switching between four languages with absolutely n o effort!
The earlier the better.
My parents did not start teaching me Spanish until I was 7. Today, at 45 I am fluent in the language BUT I have a very pronounced North American Accent.
Hulk:
Not until 7? But you're so fluent. We're planning to start immediately.
Scandinavian:
anyone can learn a language later in life, the point in starting early is that as the brain develops it has a stage where it is geared for massive learning, tap into this and strike gold. the important thing is to make it a natural part of life for the kid, if you do a "now sit down and learn some Esperanto" then you are not utilizing the childs natural curiosity for knowledge.
Hulk:
I wouldn't know, being a gringo and all. 
You both seemed to be handling your Spanish really well.
Better stick to your mother tongues. If mom is speaking chinese, she is sure to even use some slang you might not use. Like the ya, a, la etc. but if you speak in english your sure to use words she might not use like brat, little man, tough guy etc. this is even further expand the vocab I would imagine. I don't know. I'm taking a guess. But if it works out for you. I'll know for my own future kids haha
I think your wife is critical in this endeavor as she'll be the only one speaking Chinese with them so she must spend lots of time with them and of course only speak Chinese. I find when I don't spend as much time with my kids then their English regresses and they resort to speaking Chinese almost all the time. However, when I'm spending lots of time with them then their English improves and they speak more and more English everywhere. Its not that my English is good its just there's no environment for it if I don't create it. So hope your wife likes playing with the kids in that sense. Also you need to decide now if you want your kids to learn to write/read in Chinese as this is an enormous task and will require a lot of discipline in America which is a weak point in American education/child raising. Try to set up a schedule and stick to it when the fellow is young (2-3). Sending them to a Saturday school to learn Chinese is also not a bad idea. Also if there's only one person talking to them in that language you are going to have to supplement with interesting DVDs and books as mom's Chinese might not be standard and they certainly can't be expected to have a wide vocabulary by any means by just talking to her. For example, I never ask my kids "How are you" but occasionally people ask them outside and they have no idea what they are talking about even though they can speak English to me. And don't push too much, some kids aren't good at languages. If yours is not then just focus on one and let them get confidence in that one first. Kids who can speak 2 languages but neither at native or near native level can encounter lots of problems including being very shy which can lead them to be ignored or even made fun of.
You don't want your kids to learn your native language. Iroquoian is pretty much extinct and of no use nowadays. Try to find someone to teach them your slave masters' language, English.
Hulk:
I'll humor you.
Firstly, the Seneca, Onondaga and Mohawk languages are alive and well, in addition to others. Secondly, I'm not part of the Iroquoian people; I'm a mix of Navajo and Apache. Lastly, go build my railroad.
Thanks for your input!
My Guatemalen friend spoke only spanish at home with his family, and outside spoke engliish. He didnt even have an accent when speaking either languages.
.... a good start is to get one language right and learn to spell "Help" in that language.
Scandinavian:
not quite, although the Scanidanian words are obviously from the same source as the English "Help" they are "Hjelpe"/"Hjælpe"/"Hjälpe" depending of which flavour of the Scandinavian Language you speak.
If you need to challenge baby Hulk to also be able to communicate with Scandinavians, then just take one portion English, and one portion IKEA furniture names, should do the trick.
