Quadlingual Environment: Experiences, suggestions?

[yellowmud]

Well, in Chinese the way we speak is different from writing and Chinese characters are harder to write, that's what I think.

Ok, fair enough. I thought it is about speaking only. Here I think there are no substantial differences for children in picking up just about any language.

 

[FutureHKmom]

Thanks Spockey for all the useful info!

 

[yuukalim0404]

Hi Spockey,
I speak English (no code switch) to my girl and my hubby speaks Cantonese (again no code switch) to her. But I speak Cantonese completely to my hubby all the time as he is more comfortable and refuses to speak English.
My in laws speak Cantonese completely and little Mandarin to her, and they care for her in the daytime.

I hope I am doing this right because I really want my girl to get a good start in English and I am trying to keep up with speaking English to her at all times since she was 8mths old and now she is almost 1. English is my native language btw, and though I speak Cantonese, is it not highly fluent.

 

[spockey]

Yuukalim0404

There is no right or wrong method.
Consistency is probably more important. Keep at it.
Don't think there is anything wrong with what you're doing.

She probably understands Cantonese and English. But given that her primary caregiver speaks in Cantonese, she may start with that. Don't worry if she does, she'll also show signs of English language development as you are speaking to her only in English and if she attends English playgroup, she's exposed to it regularly too.

Cheers!