Bilingual children

[The Lawspeaker]

Well, I kind of disagree here. I know you speak English extremely well, but you're not English, and unless you have children with an English speaking person, I completely disagree that you should teach them English before school. It is beneficial to a child in that it's more convenient to speak a language fluently early in life than have to learn the rules and grammar later on in life, but I think the Americanization/Anglicization of European langauges is actually really horrible and detrimental to those European cultures in general. I can't believe you don't understand how horrible it is to hear things like, "nice, schön nice" between two girls trying on clothes in a department stores dressing room.

Well yes. If I was to marry a fellow Dutch person then it would be strictly monolingual.

[Electronic God-Man]

As for the fully Greek/American thing, I think it can go either way. Absinthe actually has an American mother, but as far as I know, she feels and considers herself fully Greek, but of course she can correct me if I am wrong.

For me, it's not necessarily about trying to incorporate another culture into their lives with the language. I truly do believe if you move to any foreign culture, you're not subject to their culture and you need to respect it fully and assimilate. I don't feel some cultural connection to English, it just happens that it's the language that I speak natively, and I want to be able to speak the language that comes most naturally to me with my own children.

I know you wouldn't want to be incorporating another culture into their lives, but it would simply follow by virtue of having an English-speaking American mother and speaking English fluently as a native language.

[Debaser11]

jerney, I think you have the right attitude. The problem is when the mother lives in a foreign country and has no respect for the culture around her. The mother may speak the country's native language a bit and even encourage her child to learn it better than she can speak it, but only as a utilitarian measure. That's a huge problem. Your kids will be fine as bilinguals with the thought you're putting into this matter.

[Tyrrhenoi]

I personally will want to speak to my kids in my native language and have them speak back to me with the same level I can speak it.

I was raised bilingual, till a certain level - the first 10 years of my life I lived in Italy. - My mom is Dutch and my Dad Italian - so my mom started in my early years with reading me dutch childbooks and teaching me Dutch songs - often she spoke Dutch to me - from what I can remember she succeded - When I came to Holland (at age 10) I only needed 2-3 month to catch up the language-level of the Dutch kids my age.

The result is that I don't need the Italian language anymore - but when I am tired after a hard days work - I have the option on turning the telly and zapp to Italia 1 and listen to all the bullshit the Italians have to tell -
On this forum it is also very handy - I can talk with the Dutch in Dutch and with the Italians in Italian - How European !

In my opinion : it is a blessing

[jerney]

I'm not even opposed to speaking Greek to them when they get older, I just feel like in order to develop the bond I want with my children, I need to speak to them in my native language when they're babies/young children. There aren't many things in this world more "natural" than the bond between a mother and her child and during this time babies and children are spending most of their time with their mother and this is where that bonds develops. So accordingly I would want and need to communicate with them in the most natural way that comes to me in order to develop the relationship I want with them.

Once there is a strong foundation there I don't feel as strongly about speaking only English, but for that reason more than any other it's pretty important for me to speak with them in English from a young age. From a more practical angle, I do think it would be extremely beneficial for them to have the advantage over other Europeans (in academics, work, business, etc) by speaking two language at a native level.

[Raikaswinþs]

This is the best video I have ever watched about the subject of this thread. By far

[YOUTUBE]fOIM1_xOSro[/YOUTUBE]

[Óttar]

Learning 2 or indeed more languages is very beneficial to a child. Their brains soak up language like a sponge and they have not lost their childlike fascination. I would encourage you to teach your kids as many languages as possible, so German, English and Greek.

My kids will speak German and maybe some Hindi as well.

[Aemma]

Excellent thread and question jerney and excellent responses put forth. I too was raised bilingual: French and English. We spoke French with Mom and attended French school all through elementary school. We spoke in English with Da (who, despite being a French Canuck himself, had broken French at best since his own Mom was English, hence his own mother tongue actually being English) and attended high school in English. It worked out extremely well.

Sorry "a certain Greek man" but I think your concerns are unfounded. Your kids are going to be immersed in the Greek language and culture. They'll be Greek for all intents and purposes!! To learn English from their mom will just be an added bonus. There is nothing more heart-warming than watching a child's mom rock her baby to sleep while singing lullabyes in her own mother tongue, whatever language that may be.

You'll all be fine and have terrific Greek kids! Trust me!

And your instincts are all so very bang on, jerney!

[Loki]

Being fluent in English is a must, and will give the kid a massive headstart in life and career. Bilingualism is beneficial for cognitive development.

[Austin]

Lol if he wanted his kids to be 100% Greek and have a 100% Greek accent he should not have married an American. He is attempting the impossible with you already speaking English, unless you drop the language completely that is.