[quote=“Tigerman”]The reason that we try to stick to speaking our respective native languages to our boy is that it makes little sense for my son to hear his mother’s less than perfect English and my less than perfect Mandarin.
Children learn by imitating. Why give them poor examples to imitate?[/quote]
The OPOL method sounds pretty good, but what about when the whole family is together, say, eating dinner? I know the answer will depend on individual circumstances, but would having to choose a language when the parents are together affect the language learning of the children?
I guess I need to read some more on this OPOL thing, because there are some basic questions that I still don’t have the answers to. I’m envious that my future kids will be much more bilingual than I am.
[quote=“scomargo”][quote=“Tigerman”]The reason that we try to stick to speaking our respective native languages to our boy is that it makes little sense for my son to hear his mother’s less than perfect English and my less than perfect Mandarin.
Children learn by imitating. Why give them poor examples to imitate?[/quote]
The OPOL method sounds pretty good, but what about when the whole family is together, say, eating dinner? I know the answer will depend on individual circumstances, but would having to choose a language when the parents are together affect the language learning of the children?
I guess I need to read some more on this OPOL thing, because there are some basic questions that I still don’t have the answers to. I’m envious that my future kids will be much more bilingual than I am.[/quote]
OPOL is a guideline. Nothing need be 100% one way or the other. I like speaking Chinese to my son. We normally speak English, but sometimes switch. No biggie.
[quote=“Tigerman”]The reason that we try to stick to speaking our respective native languages to our boy is that it makes little sense for my son to hear his mother’s less than perfect English and my less than perfect Mandarin.
Children learn by imitating. Why give them poor examples to imitate?[/quote]
[quote=“scomargo”]The OPOL method sounds pretty good, but what about when the whole family is together, say, eating dinner? I know the answer will depend on individual circumstances, but would having to choose a language when the parents are together affect the language learning of the children?
I guess I need to read some more on this OPOL thing, because there are some basic questions that I still don’t have the answers to. I’m envious that my future kids will be much more bilingual than I am.[/quote]
I don’t think its going to kill all chances of attaining true bilingual ability if on occassion my son hears me speak Mandarin… Heck, he thinks that the only time I really speak Mandarin well is when I am speaking with taxi drivers. Usually, he laughs at my Mandarin.
Its only important that you make an effort to speak your native language whenever practical and possible. Certainly, at a table setting as you described, it would be impolite for my boy and I to limit our conversation to English in the presence of my in-laws.
[quote=“Tigerman”][quote=“Tigerman”]The reason that we try to stick to speaking our respective native languages to our boy is that it makes little sense for my son to hear his mother’s less than perfect English and my less than perfect Mandarin.
Children learn by imitating. Why give them poor examples to imitate?[/quote]
[quote=“scomargo”]The OPOL method sounds pretty good, but what about when the whole family is together, say, eating dinner? I know the answer will depend on individual circumstances, but would having to choose a language when the parents are together affect the language learning of the children?
I guess I need to read some more on this OPOL thing, because there are some basic questions that I still don’t have the answers to. I’m envious that my future kids will be much more bilingual than I am.[/quote]
I don’t think its going to kill all chances of attaining true bilingual ability if on occassion my son hears me speak Mandarin… Heck, he thinks that the only time I really speak Mandarin well is when I am speaking with taxi drivers. Usually, he laughs at my Mandarin.
Its only important that you make an effort to speak your native language whenever practical and possible. Certainly, at a table setting as you described, it would be impolite for my boy and I to limit our conversation to English in the presence of my in-laws.
As jdsmith opined… “no biggie”.[/quote]
Yeah, what you guys said.
It’s not such a strain as it sounds, and it really only applies for a couple of years. tigerman’s pretty much on the money.
As far as the dinner w/ the in-laws scenario goes, scomargo, like I mentioned previously, it isn’t like the kid isn’t allowed to hear you speak Mandarin, it’s just in matters of direct address, and only for the first few years of pattern-imprinting.
In our house, Daddy (me) and junior speak only English to each other. We’ve always done right from when he was still wearing nappies, so we both think it’s funny when a Chinese word pops into a conversation by accident. He always asks me for a word if he doesn’t know the English. That means we sometimes have to consult Mummy !
Mummy and junior speak English and Chinese to each other depending on what they feel like, whether they are at home or outside - it’s about half and half.
It works out pretty well, however, my son does pick up some odd phrasing here and there because my wife’s English is not perfect. I have to interject a sort of offstage whisper sometimes, especially with correct verb tenses, which my wife considers optional. I don’t let it become an issue because I know if the situation were reversed, the limitations of my spoken Chinese would soon become apparent.
I live with my inlaws, and the cousins and aunt are also here often. I am the only native English speaker, but I am home with my son a lot. My son has only just turned one. His vocabulary: bath, diaper, tiger, dog, Cubeez, lunch, out, no, yes, fish, soup… so far no Chinese words that we can pick up, except something that sounds like :“bo dwei bo dwei bo dwei chi”. We are facing our first language challenge - what sounds do animals make? The other day my son said, “dog, woof, woof,” and my niece (4) said in Chinese, “You know, dogs go wang wang, but my cousin can’t talk yet so he just goes woof woof…”
I face the challenge that relatives want to speak to my son in English all the time, and I wonder:
If he later hears people tell the kids to speak to him in English to practice, won’t he feel a bit weird, I mean he is Taiwanese, why don’t they speak Chinese to him?
Will all these people speaking English with their non-native pronunciation, grammar etc affect his English-speaking ability, or make him feel more like it is a normal thing to speak English?
Is it OK to tell my son only to listen to my English (with a good NZ accent of course ), or will that offend grandpa, who is proud of his English ability, unecessarily?
Then, I speak Chinese a lot at home to the inlaws and nieces. I do try to speak to my son only in English but sometimes I forget. I wonder:
Will this situation result in my son not expecting to speak English with me?
Will he imitate my bad Chinese or just laugh at me and learn the real thing?
Hmm, I didn’t know I had that many questions, and my son’s not really talking yet!
[quote=“asiababy”]I live with my inlaws, and the cousins and aunt are also here often. I am the only native English speaker, but I am home with my son a lot. My son has only just turned one. His vocabulary: bath, diaper, tiger, dog, Cubeez, lunch, out, no, yes, fish, soup… so far no Chinese words that we can pick up, except something that sounds like :“bo dwei bo dwei bo dwei chi”. We are facing our first language challenge - what sounds do animals make? The other day my son said, “dog, woof, woof,” and my niece (4) said in Chinese, “You know, dogs go wang wang, but my cousin can’t talk yet so he just goes woof woof…”
I face the challenge that relatives want to speak to my son in English all the time, and I wonder:
If he later hears people tell the kids to speak to him in English to practice, won’t he feel a bit weird, I mean he is Taiwanese, why don’t they speak Chinese to him?
Will all these people speaking English with their non-native pronunciation, grammar etc affect his English-speaking ability, or make him feel more like it is a normal thing to speak English?
Is it OK to tell my son only to listen to my English (with a good NZ accent of course ), or will that offend grandpa, who is proud of his English ability, unecessarily?
Then, I speak Chinese a lot at home to the inlaws and nieces. I do try to speak to my son only in English but sometimes I forget. I wonder:
Will this situation result in my son not expecting to speak English with me?
Will he imitate my bad Chinese or just laugh at me and learn the real thing?
Hmm, I didn’t know I had that many questions, and my son’s not really talking yet![/quote]
FWIW, it’s pretty much accepted around our house that (former teacher and communications professional) Pop has the last word on English and (also former teacher) Ma on Chinese (since it’s also pretty much accepted that Pop’s Chinese is crap).
There’s kind of constant correction, which isn’t anywhere near as arduous as it sounds, in grammar and structure, so hearing someone else’s garbage English (especially the boneheads on the street who are compelled to scream HA-LOE! and HA AH YOO! at her) isn’t really any kind of influence.
We actually have running jokes about crap English pronunciation inflicted by TV advertising (Me: EE TEE TOODAAY Her: DAT CAHM, uproarious laughter ensues).
As for the reverse, my own shite Mandarin pronunciation is also regarded as a running gag.
), or will that offend grandpa, who is proud of his English ability, unecessarily?