Hey guys it's Ana, I have a development question. My son is almost two and has only recently started putting two words together, other moms here are telling me that I am causing him to have a speech delay because I speak to him in spanish and read spanish books and listen to Shakira and Mana and stuff like that. My husband speaks very little spanish (more since Josh has been speaking spanish to him) so he speaks to him in english. Josh seems to recognize when someone is speaking to him in spanish and uses more spanish words and uses more english words when you speak to him in english. I always thought it was good for him, but I don't want him to be delayed. His babysitter now speaks spanish but I'm afraid if I leave him with someone who doesn't he wouldn't be understood when he asks for something. Should I stop speaking spanish to him? I also speak spanish to my baby should i not?
Thanks
Bilingual babies
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Tue, 2005-06-21 07:07
#1
Bilingual babies
I don't say how teaching your children two languages can be doing them any harm.
I do know there are a large number of studies that show that it doesn't limit language development...and as you said, your son can differentiate between the two languages...so if he can do that, his language development is obviously not being compromised.
So with that in mind, you are doing a brilliant job...keep it up!!!
Make that I don't see how...
I think it's awesome and that you are doing something great for your kid. I've never known a bilingual kid who suffered as a result.
I don't think you're doing any harm. Children learn multiple languages at a faster pace than adults, so he'll pick up on both.
He is apparently learning to differentiate between the two, and that's a very good sign that he's learning correctly.
I think it's great when kids learn different languages. My half brother and half sister learned farsi because my step dad is from Iran. They don't know if fluently, but when they went to Iran (my mom, stepdad and those 2) in 2001, the kids understood what everyone was saying. Trent understands spanish, but can't speak it well and Lyric understands a little bit b/c Trent's mom speaks spanish and english. I think it's really cool. And I don't think it will caues any harm.
You are supposed to start when they are younger b/c they will grasp it more. My daughter is going to bilingual when she isnt so afraid of when people speak Spanish to her. When her daddy speaks it she cries. I think he does it too loud and fast, b/c when her grandma does, she is fine.
--Jessi
Faith 3/8/05
My tutor through highschool was a brillant woman who spoke both chinese and english to her baby, as well as sign language to go with everything. That baby is so smart, you wouldnt beleive. Learning two diffrent languages at a young age is supposed to be very good for a childs devlopment. I cant remembr everything she said about it, but I would trust her opinion on it.
okay i know I already posted but that is making me so angry that people would say things like that. This is the age where your childs age is developing the most and the fastest, learning so much all at once. Tell those mothers THAT when they say things like that. Or bring up the fact that childrens shows on television, like seaseme street, have spanish friends who speak in spanish sometimes, because it promotes not only acceptance of other cultures, but children to learn words in diffrent languages. Or that there is a line of baby videos you can buy your young BABIES called bilingual baby, that speak in a multitude of languages to stimulate childrens minds. While looking it up I found this sentance....
A baby is born with literally TRILLIONS of brain connections
just WAITING to be activated by experiences.
There are books you can buy that encourage and explain how to "create bilingual babies"
Dont listen to anyone who tells you that you are doing something wrong! You are doing an amazing job to enrich your childs life, and should be proud of it.
From everything I've read you're doing it exactly right. Most experts say it works best if one parent talks to the baby in only one language and the other parent in the other.
It doesn't sound like he's behind at all either if he's only just two.