Bilingual Children
Sometime ago we on this forum had an intense debate on whether immigrants should be expected to learn English if they live in NYC. Well
the NYT has recently published a piece which states parents in the city are employing foreign speaking nannies because they want their kids to be bilingual and even trilingual. Ironic isn't it?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/nyregion/19bilingual.html?pagewanted=all
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the NYT has recently published a piece which states parents in the city are employing foreign speaking nannies because they want their kids to be bilingual and even trilingual. Ironic isn't it?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/nyregion/19bilingual.html?pagewanted=all
9 Comments
uptowngirl
2yrs+
I speak a few languages myself, English of course and Hindi which is the official language of India. I also speak a bit of Marathi which is the official language of the state of Maharashtra where Mumbai is located and do understand other tongues like Gujarati and my own native tongue which is Sindhi.I am still grappling with Malayalam which is a lot like the ancient Sanskrit and is spoken by my husbands family and I do speak passable French and do understand Spanish.
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Uraniumfish
2yrs+
I'm expecting my kinds to be trilingual at the very least. It's a great skill you can give them quite easily, by having access to other languages while they are young and absorb it easily.
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ajadedidealist
2yrs+
I grew up trilingual (French, Italian, English) and it was great - it makes my life so much easier and now I can pick up languages with fluency and ease.
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uptowngirl
2yrs+
I have to start my Putonghua or Cantonese classes soon .. have been so busy setting havent had time to do much,
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NeverSleeps
2yrs+
I don't blame rich people for trying to educate their children in other languages - and it seems like the cheapest way to do that is to hire a nanny (as you were probably going to get one anyway) that can teach your small child simply by speaking to them.
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Uraniumfish
2yrs+
@NeverSleeps Definitely not only a rich people thing, though. I mean exposing your kids to other languages, that is.
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ajadedidealist
2yrs+
Indeed! It's only a pity that our failing school systems makes the process so much harder! If only schools taught languages better - then parents wouldn't need to look outside the system for teaching.
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uptowngirl
2yrs+
@ajadedealist Its so important to speak the local language! last week I went for dimsum to the world's cheapest Michelin starred restaurant, Tim Ho Wan. Its a small, hole in the wall that accepts no reservations and has huge crowds always but because I was with a cousin who speaks Mandarin we managed to get a seat easily as the hostess was most impressed with his language skills. My cousin incidentally learned Mandarin when he was a child at school in Singapore and I remember him hating Mandarin class but now its an invaluable skill that he has which is bound to stand him in good stead .
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JenMac
2yrs+
I would totally hire a latin nanny to get my kids to speak Spanish. I remember hearing, once, that a lady bought all of her kids' Disney movies in other languages to aide with them growing up trilingual.
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