Bilingualism/Multilinguism
- Thread starter Sedenya
- Start date
Nobody can share their experience?????????????????
We are english speaking parents wanting to send our child to government kindergarten but "affraid" of the difficulty for our kid to get along with the other kids and being outcasted because of the language barrier. I wonder how long it will take to settle and not speak but at least understand cantonese.
Our plan is to afterward send him to an international primary school. As I said it's just for him to learn the language of the country he's leaving in.
We are english speaking parents wanting to send our child to government kindergarten but "affraid" of the difficulty for our kid to get along with the other kids and being outcasted because of the language barrier. I wonder how long it will take to settle and not speak but at least understand cantonese.
Our plan is to afterward send him to an international primary school. As I said it's just for him to learn the language of the country he's leaving in.
i speak to my lo in mandarin, hubby speaks to her in english and mil speaks to her in cantonese..
i think she is only picking up cantonese though, coz my mil takes care of her and see her well, like 5 days a week.
hmmmm.. it might be an idea to send your lo to local kindergarten,, i am sure she'll be able to pick up some cantonese..
i think she is only picking up cantonese though, coz my mil takes care of her and see her well, like 5 days a week.
hmmmm.. it might be an idea to send your lo to local kindergarten,, i am sure she'll be able to pick up some cantonese..
reei - you are in the ideal situation my hubby want us to be in!! 
except that i haven't been very good at fulfilling my part of the bargain. i can speak mandarin, but not a native mandarin speaker, so i end up reverting to english all the time.
i do understand from other friends with mixed parentage that each parent should speak to the child exclusively in their respective (but different) language and the child will be able to understand both well.
Sedenya - chances are that in a govt kindergarten, your child will be able to pick up the local language much faster than an adult can. One thing though is that you may not be able to assist them with their Chinese homework ....
except that i haven't been very good at fulfilling my part of the bargain. i can speak mandarin, but not a native mandarin speaker, so i end up reverting to english all the time.i do understand from other friends with mixed parentage that each parent should speak to the child exclusively in their respective (but different) language and the child will be able to understand both well.
Sedenya - chances are that in a govt kindergarten, your child will be able to pick up the local language much faster than an adult can. One thing though is that you may not be able to assist them with their Chinese homework ....
i am not a native mandarin speaker too, so for those words, i dont know, well, i just speak english.. hehe.
of if could remember long enough to find out, i can ask my colleagues when i go to work, lucky that i have colleagues from mainland china.
as for assisting the lo with chinese homework, when my lo goes to k1, i intend to get an easel, where she can 'teach' me chinese with that. we can play 'classroom' and she can be the teacher, i'd be the student.
things that we dont know, we can always ask her daddy, or,, if needed, i can bring to work to ask colleagues..
there is always a way to work around it,,
of if could remember long enough to find out, i can ask my colleagues when i go to work, lucky that i have colleagues from mainland china.
as for assisting the lo with chinese homework, when my lo goes to k1, i intend to get an easel, where she can 'teach' me chinese with that. we can play 'classroom' and she can be the teacher, i'd be the student.
things that we dont know, we can always ask her daddy, or,, if needed, i can bring to work to ask colleagues..
there is always a way to work around it,,
somebodyfamous
Registered User
Yeah they say that but my mother spoke Cantonese and English to me growing up. As long as you don't use BOTH in the same sentence, your child is never confused.....
Children pick up languages easily and it's usually their parents that they learn racism from, sure a kid can see another kid is different color hair whatever but they don't normally care!!
I knew a German family who sent their son to a Chinese local kindy then primary, he spoke fluent Cantonese, wrote it and had friends from school as well as his parents friends children to hang with, spoke fluent German, English and Cantonese. He left HK at 11 yo, he's going to surprise some people when he's older hahahahaha
Not true. Code-switching can confuse a child but not always the case. In the early stages, code-switching (mixing language words in a sentence) is not encouraged. But as a child grows older, it can be a strategy as part of learning a language.
My parents code-switched when we were little. My mum used Teochew (a Chinese dialect) and English. Currently, my son is old enough to distinguish between the languages and we code-switch to help him learn a second language when we feel it is necessary.
On this similar topic since I see at least two moms who try with Mandarin but are not native speakers, does anyone have any advice on whether it is detrimental to speak imperfectly to your child in a language (in this case, Mandarin), when you are actually trying to help them learn it? I had a naysayer tell me that I should just speak English to my child and then hire help to teach her Mandarin. But I feel like that's such a waste because I can speak it, only not really that well...that shouldn't be an issue when she's just learning languages though - or is it?
Yes, I agree. Once a child understands that there are two (or more) different and separate language systems operating in his world, the 'confusion' that people speak of is not an issue.
I speak to my son in English about 85% of the time, my husband uses Khmer about the same. The rest of the time we use the other's language, and sometimes I speak to him in Korean, but usually only for songs. He goes to nursery school in Cantonese.
He's doing very well linguistically. At 21 months he understands both English and Khmer very well, can answer questions, make simple sentences and follow instructions in both. He's not yet old enough to realise that he has two languages, even though he uses two different words for the same thing. It's pretty amazing to watch, really.
His English is strongest, and we expected that, given that much of his socialisation with family and friends of the family is in English.
As a mother with a masters in early childhood language development, I think my son is amazing and feel I'm blessed to witness his development. He's like my own little case study!
somebodyfamous
Registered User
It depends if the child knows there is 'code-switching' though!!!! I had the embarrassment of calling an elevator a 'leep' (cantonese word) when I was a teenager. As my mother had substituted the cantonese word for elevator whenever she spoke English, I presumed 'leep' was the English word for elevator.
So mix your two languages at risk of embarrassing your child who may or may not know you are 'code-switching'
Koan - His universal grammar must have been set right Hence, he has no problems picking up language. Great job mum! Congrats!
Newmommie - There is no right or wrong way to teach a language once the universal grammar is set. You can only create circumstances to encourage it's development. I don't speak German but I do remind my son of German words. So when we are speaking in English out and about, I ask him for the word of X in German and he tells me. Or, something as simple as 'Teach me to count in German.' We also sit together with dad and learn words from a children's picture dictionary.
Hence, he has no problems picking up language. Great job mum! Congrats!Newmommie - There is no right or wrong way to teach a language once the universal grammar is set. You can only create circumstances to encourage it's development. I don't speak German but I do remind my son of German words. So when we are speaking in English out and about, I ask him for the word of X in German and he tells me. Or, something as simple as 'Teach me to count in German.' We also sit together with dad and learn words from a children's picture dictionary.
Shenzhennifer
Registered User
I hope it doesn`t make a difference. My husband speaks Japanese to our son, I speak English, but my husband and I speak English together. His English is far from perfect, but I don`t think it will affect my son`s English. Growing up in Canada where many of my friends` families were from another country and spoke imperfect English didn`t affect theirs at all (mind you they grew up with English all around them, but still).
The research on immigrant families tends to show that if the family keeps the native language at home the children do better with languages than if the family swaps to the new country?s language.
I believe this is because they learn two correct languages. They assume all the language they hear are correct and so learn it. So this is a problem if someone is speaking with poor language skills around them.
I believe this is because they learn two correct languages. They assume all the language they hear are correct and so learn it. So this is a problem if someone is speaking with poor language skills around them.
LLL_Sarah
You are absolutely right when it comes to dealing with the young. Using a language that is native to you builds your innate linguistic skills. So sticking to what you know best first is the best way to become bilingual in the long run. If your universal grammar is set, it is easier to become a bilingual.
Let's say that there are 3 languages involved.
Language X - your native language
Language Y - a learned language but you are not fluent
Language Z - another language you've learned but not fluent in either
Scenario 1 - You use either Language Y and/or Z to speak as his native language (first language/mother tongue language learnt). Your child is most likely (in the long run) going to have trouble with languages (in the long run). Research results are not set in stone but more about probability. And, there have been success stories with hard work but do not achieve nativelike fluency. But nativism may not/will most likely not be achieved.
Scenario 2 - You use your native language to communicate. You expose (setting conditions) your child to Language Y/Z. There is a higher chance of success (close to native like proficiency).
Every parent needs to realise that bilingualism occurs in degrees. There is no such thing as a true bilingual. One language is always better. And, the definition of being bilingual can also be very loose. It depends on what you think bilingualism and which definition you choose to abide by. There are children who understand two/three languages but speak only one - They are still considered bilingual - passive bilingual.
Nativelike proficiency is very difficult to achieve. So, it all depends on your needs and wants for your little bilingual child. A lot fo Hong Kongers are bilingual/trilingual but few are nativelike in two/three languages.
If you want your child to speak, read and write in two languages, the work is made easier with early childhood exposure but the road is long... Continually effort is required. There are a lot of research papers on this -French Immersion programmes in Canada are most commonly cited. There are also a lot of studies on Immigrant immersion programmes in Australia.
Early exposure simply makes long term learning easier. You can be bilingual if you start later. But the probability of achieving nativelike fluency if you start later is slim. Research has shown that sometimes there is little difference between kids who start at 3, 5 or 7 but it makes a difference if you compare someone who started at 3 or 5 with someone at 11/13. However, parents should note that the later age groups while they don't achieve nativelike pronunciation are more conscious of learning and learning can actually be easier.
I should note that in my research (based on expat parents in HK), parents who stuck to their native language at home e.g. Italian, Mandarin, English, German, French... raised successful bilinguals as in HK. There are a whole heap of factors involved in their success but in general, sticking to what you know best first, is your safest bet.
E.g. Language X (both parents not English) used at home. Sent kids to English playgroups/nurseries/kindergartens --> Kids became effective bilinguals early on. When this foundation was set, a third language was introduced and kids picked it up easily.
You are absolutely right when it comes to dealing with the young. Using a language that is native to you builds your innate linguistic skills. So sticking to what you know best first is the best way to become bilingual in the long run. If your universal grammar is set, it is easier to become a bilingual.
Let's say that there are 3 languages involved.
Language X - your native language
Language Y - a learned language but you are not fluent
Language Z - another language you've learned but not fluent in either
Scenario 1 - You use either Language Y and/or Z to speak as his native language (first language/mother tongue language learnt). Your child is most likely (in the long run) going to have trouble with languages (in the long run). Research results are not set in stone but more about probability. And, there have been success stories with hard work but do not achieve nativelike fluency. But nativism may not/will most likely not be achieved.
Scenario 2 - You use your native language to communicate. You expose (setting conditions) your child to Language Y/Z. There is a higher chance of success (close to native like proficiency).
Every parent needs to realise that bilingualism occurs in degrees. There is no such thing as a true bilingual. One language is always better. And, the definition of being bilingual can also be very loose. It depends on what you think bilingualism and which definition you choose to abide by. There are children who understand two/three languages but speak only one - They are still considered bilingual - passive bilingual.
Nativelike proficiency is very difficult to achieve. So, it all depends on your needs and wants for your little bilingual child. A lot fo Hong Kongers are bilingual/trilingual but few are nativelike in two/three languages.
If you want your child to speak, read and write in two languages, the work is made easier with early childhood exposure but the road is long... Continually effort is required. There are a lot of research papers on this -French Immersion programmes in Canada are most commonly cited. There are also a lot of studies on Immigrant immersion programmes in Australia.
Early exposure simply makes long term learning easier. You can be bilingual if you start later. But the probability of achieving nativelike fluency if you start later is slim. Research has shown that sometimes there is little difference between kids who start at 3, 5 or 7 but it makes a difference if you compare someone who started at 3 or 5 with someone at 11/13. However, parents should note that the later age groups while they don't achieve nativelike pronunciation are more conscious of learning and learning can actually be easier.
I should note that in my research (based on expat parents in HK), parents who stuck to their native language at home e.g. Italian, Mandarin, English, German, French... raised successful bilinguals as in HK. There are a whole heap of factors involved in their success but in general, sticking to what you know best first, is your safest bet.
E.g. Language X (both parents not English) used at home. Sent kids to English playgroups/nurseries/kindergartens --> Kids became effective bilinguals early on. When this foundation was set, a third language was introduced and kids picked it up easily.
When my first baby was a child (about twenty years ago) I read a book I borrowed from the PPA library about bilingualism. It was written by a professor of German linguistics in a Australian university. I found it very interesting as he was bringing his children up with both English and German (even though both parents were native English speakers) and he mentioned a lot of research. I remember the research around the Italian/ French boarder where the children grow up with both languages and have no problem with the parents and everyoe else swapping languages all the time.
Unfortunately I can't remember either his name or the name of the book. I would really like to see if he has a more up-to-date book.
Spockey, as someone who knows this field you have any idea who I'm talking about?
Unfortunately I can't remember either his name or the name of the book. I would really like to see if he has a more up-to-date book.
Spockey, as someone who knows this field you have any idea who I'm talking about?
LLL_Sarah, There are hundreds of books and research papers on bilingualism. So I'm not sure. And I've read A LOT because of my research paper on raising bilingual kids in HK. Some books/articles I've read for my research went as far back as the 1960s. But in general, rule of thumb is not to go back more than 10 years (if possible)
Here though is an extract from Wigglesworth (for parents who are interested and deciding on creating relevant contexts):
In your readings, you may come across researchers who make the distinctions between primary contexts and secondary contexts. When used, primary contexts refer to situations where a child acquires both languages in a naturalistic setting without any structured instruction, while secondary contexts refer to the situation when a child acquires one of the languages in a structured setting, usually school. This creates a clear division where one language is acquired in a naturalistic setting and the other is acquired in a formal setting, usually a classroom. This distinction is sometimes referred to as natural bilingualism versus school bilingualism (Skutnabb-Kangas 1981).
Children who acquire both languages in a primary context acquire the languages as a result of natural input in the environment. This input is usually provided by caregivers, often the parents and/or siblings, when the child is an infant, but as the child enters early childhood, the input can also come from other sources, such as the extended family and the wider community. As we will see in Unit 3, there are many detailed reports on children being raised in bilingual situations like this ? often where one parent speaks one language and the other speaks another.
Within the primary context, a further distinction is made between naturalistic fused and naturalistic separate. In a naturalistic fused setting, there is no separation of context for both languages, and the child is exposed to both languages in the same context. So, for example a Mandarin-English bilingual child may receive input in both languages from each parent, siblings or peers. In such situations, both languages are used by the same speaker. In contrast, a bilingual in a naturalistic separate context may hear and use Mandarin only with one parent and English with the other parent. In this context, one language is associated with a specific parent. This latter model is commonly referred to as the one-parent-one-language model. Apart from parents, it is also common for the separation to be made according to other interlocutors such as siblings, peers and grandparents. So, in Singapore, a trilingual child may speak Mandarin to the parents, English to the siblings and Hokkien to the grandparents. More rarely, the physical environment is different, as in the case reported by Ginsberg (1996), where the child spoke to the parents in Spanish exclusively in the home, but in English outside the home; this system of separation was rigidly maintained throughout the child?s life. In this case, the child learnt to use the physical environment as a cue to switch between the two languages with the same interlocutors.
It is often assumed that language input in the pre-school years takes place in a naturalistic environment. While this is true for most bilinguals, for a large proportion of bilingual children in Asia, for example, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, structured language-focused teaching may begin when the child is as young as two. In Singapore, a child may speak both Mandarin Chinese and English without any formal teaching at birth but once they start attending childcare, which can be as early as two years of age, it is common for childcare centres to provide structured teaching in both languages. So, in such cases, the distinction between primary and secondary contexts may not be as clear-cut as in other settings.
The issue of primary and secondary contexts is important especially in the study of the language development in bilinguals as there is some debate about whether one context is more beneficial in promoting desired outcome in the language development of bilinguals.
I've kept a word copy of the book but I think it's illegal to publish it. I had access to it as a research student for my project. I am by no means a guru and my research was conducted 2 years ago now! Right now, I'm working on possibly writing a Language Programme Evaluation on Translingualisation (the new multilingual approach to language - particularly English) - which personally I think is a horrible way to learn English in HK - it's like a cop out!
I must say though, the latest research paper I just read (two days ago!)which reviewed succesful immersion programmes in 3 schools in Vic, Australia paved the way for the need for immersion for kids to pick up a language effectively - creating conditions for them to use it.
The reality is that the more you read about it (bilingualism), the more you realise that there is no right or wrong only creating situations for language development to blossom. As parents, that is probably our best bet. Just keep on creating conducive situations as long as it isn't burning a hole in your pocket!
Here though is an extract from Wigglesworth (for parents who are interested and deciding on creating relevant contexts):
In your readings, you may come across researchers who make the distinctions between primary contexts and secondary contexts. When used, primary contexts refer to situations where a child acquires both languages in a naturalistic setting without any structured instruction, while secondary contexts refer to the situation when a child acquires one of the languages in a structured setting, usually school. This creates a clear division where one language is acquired in a naturalistic setting and the other is acquired in a formal setting, usually a classroom. This distinction is sometimes referred to as natural bilingualism versus school bilingualism (Skutnabb-Kangas 1981).
Children who acquire both languages in a primary context acquire the languages as a result of natural input in the environment. This input is usually provided by caregivers, often the parents and/or siblings, when the child is an infant, but as the child enters early childhood, the input can also come from other sources, such as the extended family and the wider community. As we will see in Unit 3, there are many detailed reports on children being raised in bilingual situations like this ? often where one parent speaks one language and the other speaks another.
Within the primary context, a further distinction is made between naturalistic fused and naturalistic separate. In a naturalistic fused setting, there is no separation of context for both languages, and the child is exposed to both languages in the same context. So, for example a Mandarin-English bilingual child may receive input in both languages from each parent, siblings or peers. In such situations, both languages are used by the same speaker. In contrast, a bilingual in a naturalistic separate context may hear and use Mandarin only with one parent and English with the other parent. In this context, one language is associated with a specific parent. This latter model is commonly referred to as the one-parent-one-language model. Apart from parents, it is also common for the separation to be made according to other interlocutors such as siblings, peers and grandparents. So, in Singapore, a trilingual child may speak Mandarin to the parents, English to the siblings and Hokkien to the grandparents. More rarely, the physical environment is different, as in the case reported by Ginsberg (1996), where the child spoke to the parents in Spanish exclusively in the home, but in English outside the home; this system of separation was rigidly maintained throughout the child?s life. In this case, the child learnt to use the physical environment as a cue to switch between the two languages with the same interlocutors.
It is often assumed that language input in the pre-school years takes place in a naturalistic environment. While this is true for most bilinguals, for a large proportion of bilingual children in Asia, for example, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, structured language-focused teaching may begin when the child is as young as two. In Singapore, a child may speak both Mandarin Chinese and English without any formal teaching at birth but once they start attending childcare, which can be as early as two years of age, it is common for childcare centres to provide structured teaching in both languages. So, in such cases, the distinction between primary and secondary contexts may not be as clear-cut as in other settings.
The issue of primary and secondary contexts is important especially in the study of the language development in bilinguals as there is some debate about whether one context is more beneficial in promoting desired outcome in the language development of bilinguals.
I've kept a word copy of the book but I think it's illegal to publish it. I had access to it as a research student for my project. I am by no means a guru and my research was conducted 2 years ago now! Right now, I'm working on possibly writing a Language Programme Evaluation on Translingualisation (the new multilingual approach to language - particularly English) - which personally I think is a horrible way to learn English in HK - it's like a cop out!
I must say though, the latest research paper I just read (two days ago!)which reviewed succesful immersion programmes in 3 schools in Vic, Australia paved the way for the need for immersion for kids to pick up a language effectively - creating conditions for them to use it.
The reality is that the more you read about it (bilingualism), the more you realise that there is no right or wrong only creating situations for language development to blossom. As parents, that is probably our best bet. Just keep on creating conducive situations as long as it isn't burning a hole in your pocket!
In case anyone is interested in light reading. There's a lot out there but not everything is freely published. I had to write a short article and this was my bibliography - I had access to a library though:
Barron-Hauwaert, S. (2004). Langauge Strategies for Bilingual Families: The One Parent-One-Language Approach. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Clyne, M. (1991). Community Languages: The Australian Experience. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cunningham-Andersson, U. and Andersson, S. (1999). Growing Up in Two Languages: A Practical Guide. New York: Routledge.
De Houwer, A. (1999). Environmental Factors in Early Bilingual Development: The Role of Parental Beliefs and Attitudes. In G. Extra and L. Verhoeven (Eds.) Bilingualism and Migration (pp. 75-96). New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Dopke, S. (1992). One parent one language: An interactional approach. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Eisenberg, A., Murkoff, H. and Hathaway, S. E. (1989). What to expect the first year. New York: Workman
Garcia, E. (1986). Bilingual Development and the Education of Bilingual Children during Early Childhood. American Journal of Education 95 (1): 96-121.
Jackson, L. (2006). Foreign fathers ? Native English speaking fathers? contributions to bilingual child-rearing in intermarried families in Japan. New Voices: Cross-cultural Encounters in the Australia-Japan Relationship. The Japan Foundation (Nov.): 87-98
King, K. and Fogle, L. (2006). Raising Bilingual Children: Common Parental Concerns and Current Research. CAL Digest (April)
Lambert, B. (2006) Issues in Family Language Planning and Transmission: The Example of German in Australian Family Settings. Dissertation. The University of Melbourne.
Langley, M. (1999). Bringing up(bilingual)baby ? Marketers rush to meet demand for toys, tapes and classes; achieving ?total immersion?. Wall Street Journal (Eastern ed.) (Oct.): B1
Patterson, J.L. (2002). Relationship of expressive vocabulary to frequency of reading and television experience among bilingual toddlers. Applied Psycholinguistics 23: 493-508.
Shin, S. (2005). Developing in Two Languages: Korean Children in America. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Snow, C. (1990). Rationales for native language instruction: Evidence from research. In A.M. Padilla, H.H. Fairchild and C. M. Valdez (Eds.) Bilingual education issues and strategies (pp. 47-59). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Press.
Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2001) Raising Multilingual Children: Foreign Language Acquisition and Children. Westport: Bergin and Garvey.
Yamamoto, M. (1995). Bilingualism in International Families. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 16: 63-85
Yamamoto, M. (2001). Language Use in Interlingual Families: A Japanese-English Sociolinguistic Study. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Yamamoto, M. (2005). What Makes Who Choose What Language To Whom? Language Use in Japanese-Filipino Interlingual Families in Japan. The International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 8 (6): 588-606
Barron-Hauwaert, S. (2004). Langauge Strategies for Bilingual Families: The One Parent-One-Language Approach. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Clyne, M. (1991). Community Languages: The Australian Experience. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cunningham-Andersson, U. and Andersson, S. (1999). Growing Up in Two Languages: A Practical Guide. New York: Routledge.
De Houwer, A. (1999). Environmental Factors in Early Bilingual Development: The Role of Parental Beliefs and Attitudes. In G. Extra and L. Verhoeven (Eds.) Bilingualism and Migration (pp. 75-96). New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Dopke, S. (1992). One parent one language: An interactional approach. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Eisenberg, A., Murkoff, H. and Hathaway, S. E. (1989). What to expect the first year. New York: Workman
Garcia, E. (1986). Bilingual Development and the Education of Bilingual Children during Early Childhood. American Journal of Education 95 (1): 96-121.
Jackson, L. (2006). Foreign fathers ? Native English speaking fathers? contributions to bilingual child-rearing in intermarried families in Japan. New Voices: Cross-cultural Encounters in the Australia-Japan Relationship. The Japan Foundation (Nov.): 87-98
King, K. and Fogle, L. (2006). Raising Bilingual Children: Common Parental Concerns and Current Research. CAL Digest (April)
Lambert, B. (2006) Issues in Family Language Planning and Transmission: The Example of German in Australian Family Settings. Dissertation. The University of Melbourne.
Langley, M. (1999). Bringing up(bilingual)baby ? Marketers rush to meet demand for toys, tapes and classes; achieving ?total immersion?. Wall Street Journal (Eastern ed.) (Oct.): B1
Patterson, J.L. (2002). Relationship of expressive vocabulary to frequency of reading and television experience among bilingual toddlers. Applied Psycholinguistics 23: 493-508.
Shin, S. (2005). Developing in Two Languages: Korean Children in America. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Snow, C. (1990). Rationales for native language instruction: Evidence from research. In A.M. Padilla, H.H. Fairchild and C. M. Valdez (Eds.) Bilingual education issues and strategies (pp. 47-59). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Press.
Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2001) Raising Multilingual Children: Foreign Language Acquisition and Children. Westport: Bergin and Garvey.
Yamamoto, M. (1995). Bilingualism in International Families. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 16: 63-85
Yamamoto, M. (2001). Language Use in Interlingual Families: A Japanese-English Sociolinguistic Study. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Yamamoto, M. (2005). What Makes Who Choose What Language To Whom? Language Use in Japanese-Filipino Interlingual Families in Japan. The International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 8 (6): 588-606
It's not detrimental, rarely can linguistic input be deemed detrimental. I think it depends on what you want.
Do you want your child to learn Mandarin? If it is important to you, then continue to speak to your child in Mandarin but I'd also ensure that the child has a opportunity to socialise with other Mandarin speakers. If you are the only Mandarin your child ever hears, then she'll only learn as much as you can teach.
If you want your child to be exposed to and develop an interest in Mandarin, but a certain level of competency is not important to you, then don't worry about it!
Our household - including live-in grandparents - speak about 50% English, 30% Cantonese and 20% Mandarin. Neither our 4 1/2 year old or 1 1/2 year old seem confused and can respond to all three. In fact, my older one will ask for words in different languages, just for fun. We're pleased that they seem open-minded and we don't expect native fluency to be achieved in every case, but hope that they will come away with a degree of appreciation and comfort for other languages and cultures.
My 4 1/2 year old is currently attending Singapore International School, which is conducted in 50% English and 50% Mandarin. When we were living in Singapore, his playgroup and nursery were divided along the same lines. My 1 1/2 year old will go to a local kindergarten which is about 70% Cantonese, 20% English and 10% Mandarin. He, too, will attend SIS if we remain in HK. However, we will watch TV/DVD, read books and sing songs in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, as well as occasionally in French, Italian and others.
My 4 1/2 year old is currently attending Singapore International School, which is conducted in 50% English and 50% Mandarin. When we were living in Singapore, his playgroup and nursery were divided along the same lines. My 1 1/2 year old will go to a local kindergarten which is about 70% Cantonese, 20% English and 10% Mandarin. He, too, will attend SIS if we remain in HK. However, we will watch TV/DVD, read books and sing songs in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, as well as occasionally in French, Italian and others.
It was very long to read. Lot valuable infos, thanks to ALL!
I guess we are not doing the right thing since I speak the language A, my husband B, and communicate with the language C (which is english)!!!!! Wrong!!!! In addition to that I mix my mothertongue (language A) with english when I speak to my son.
After reading all your posts I had tried not to mix, but it seems like it's impossible!!!! Anyways, hope for the best........
Thanks ....
I guess we are not doing the right thing since I speak the language A, my husband B, and communicate with the language C (which is english)!!!!! Wrong!!!! In addition to that I mix my mothertongue (language A) with english when I speak to my son.
After reading all your posts I had tried not to mix, but it seems like it's impossible!!!! Anyways, hope for the best........
Thanks ....