First baby. Two cultures. Language?

BabyL0Ve · Mar 7th, 2010, 14:12 PM

Hi ladies,
we are expecting our firts baby, and I am wondering in what language to speak to it...we live in the States and English is the primer language, I was born in Bulgaria but have lived in the states for long time now and only speak Bulgarian with my parents. Should I talk to the baby in Bulgarian or English? My parents speak English but they talk to eachother in Bulgarian and me and DH in English. What would be best for the baby?

Marlarky · Mar 7th, 2010, 14:16 PM

My husband is Mexican and I'm straight American. We both speak Spanish and English, but my family only speaks English and his family only speaks Spanish. He speaks Spanish a lot better than I do, but since the baby will be with his family a lot too, it is very important that we teach the baby both. Whenever you teach the baby a word in English, repeat it in Bulgarian.

Goodluck!!

Hollys_Twinny · Mar 7th, 2010, 14:21 PM

I think teaching the both languages at the same time would be confusing! I'd let my LO get used to picking up 1 language, then introduce the second!

isolabella · Mar 7th, 2010, 14:31 PM

Hi I'm a language teacher and am studying linguistics. I would personally say for you to speak in bulgarian to your LO and for your OH to speak English to him/her. Babies and children pick up language so quickly and without realising it. My cousin was born in Italy to an english mother and an italian father, they spoke to her in their respective languages and by the time she was talking you could say in english I don't understand italian what is it in english and she'd be word perfect. It's not only important to teach your child your language but it's part of their heritage too.

Sarahkka · Mar 7th, 2010, 14:35 PM

I have friends that speak both Spanish and English to their son and he's doing beautifully in both languages.
I speak to my son in French and English and he cheerfully disregards me in both languages!

I am suspicious that this is more to do with being a willful toddler than comprehension...
I have heard that having one voice (dad, for example) speaking one language and the other parent speaking the other has worked really well for lots of multilingual families, but I've also seen several examples of switching back and forth between the languages with no problems at all.

bky · Mar 7th, 2010, 15:20 PM

I baby sat for a family that spoke Dutch and English and each parent spoke a different language to the baby (since Dutch was both their native language I think they spoke rather more Dutch when alone). Just make sure that the child learns important communicative words (like 'no', 'dangerous' etc) in BOTH languages early on in case you need to use a non-bilingual caretaker. I ran into some problems where the child did not understand certain important things in English (which was all I spoke, though I could limp along in German at the time).

BabyL0Ve · Mar 7th, 2010, 16:07 PM

Thank you ladies

kmac625 · Mar 7th, 2010, 17:14 PM

Both dh and I speak english but I also am fluent in french so I plan on talking to baby in french also. We also get some great educational french children's shows here so I think that the little bit of tv this child gets to watch will be in french too. That way when she starts school in French Immersion in junior kindergarten she'll already speak some french whereas I didn't speak any when I started.

Trying4ababy · Mar 7th, 2010, 17:22 PM

There are a couple Filipino ladies at my church who are both married to American men. They speak in Filipino to the children and their husband speaks in English and the kids can speak in either language.

Plus2 · Mar 7th, 2010, 17:40 PM

I speak to my children in both Arabic and English. My DH speaks to them in mostly Arabic.
I was brought up speaking both languages - it's a great!!

Mar 7th, 2010, 14:12 PM	#1
BabyL0Ve Pregnant (Expecting) Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Paradise Posts: 540	First baby. Two cultures. Language? Hi ladies, we are expecting our firts baby, and I am wondering in what language to speak to it...we live in the States and English is the primer language, I was born in Bulgaria but have lived in the states for long time now and only speak Bulgarian with my parents. Should I talk to the baby in Bulgarian or English? My parents speak English but they talk to eachother in Bulgarian and me and DH in English. What would be best for the baby?

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Mar 7th, 2010, 14:16 PM	#2
Marlarky Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA Posts: 2,042	My husband is Mexican and I'm straight American. We both speak Spanish and English, but my family only speaks English and his family only speaks Spanish. He speaks Spanish a lot better than I do, but since the baby will be with his family a lot too, it is very important that we teach the baby both. Whenever you teach the baby a word in English, repeat it in Bulgarian. Goodluck!!

Status: Offline

Mar 7th, 2010, 14:21 PM	#3
Hollys_Twinny Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Uk Posts: 4,231	I think teaching the both languages at the same time would be confusing! I'd let my LO get used to picking up 1 language, then introduce the second!

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Mar 7th, 2010, 14:31 PM	#4
isolabella Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 659	Hi I'm a language teacher and am studying linguistics. I would personally say for you to speak in bulgarian to your LO and for your OH to speak English to him/her. Babies and children pick up language so quickly and without realising it. My cousin was born in Italy to an english mother and an italian father, they spoke to her in their respective languages and by the time she was talking you could say in english I don't understand italian what is it in english and she'd be word perfect. It's not only important to teach your child your language but it's part of their heritage too.

Status: Offline

Mar 7th, 2010, 14:35 PM	#5
Sarahkka Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 8,750	I have friends that speak both Spanish and English to their son and he's doing beautifully in both languages. I speak to my son in French and English and he cheerfully disregards me in both languages! I am suspicious that this is more to do with being a willful toddler than comprehension... I have heard that having one voice (dad, for example) speaking one language and the other parent speaking the other has worked really well for lots of multilingual families, but I've also seen several examples of switching back and forth between the languages with no problems at all.

Status: Offline

Mar 7th, 2010, 15:20 PM	#6
bky Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Christchurch, NZ Posts: 4,013	I baby sat for a family that spoke Dutch and English and each parent spoke a different language to the baby (since Dutch was both their native language I think they spoke rather more Dutch when alone). Just make sure that the child learns important communicative words (like 'no', 'dangerous' etc) in BOTH languages early on in case you need to use a non-bilingual caretaker. I ran into some problems where the child did not understand certain important things in English (which was all I spoke, though I could limp along in German at the time).

Status: Offline

Mar 7th, 2010, 16:07 PM	#7
BabyL0Ve Pregnant (Expecting) Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Paradise Posts: 540	Thank you ladies

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Mar 7th, 2010, 17:14 PM	#8
kmac625 Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario Canada Posts: 5,310	Both dh and I speak english but I also am fluent in french so I plan on talking to baby in french also. We also get some great educational french children's shows here so I think that the little bit of tv this child gets to watch will be in french too. That way when she starts school in French Immersion in junior kindergarten she'll already speak some french whereas I didn't speak any when I started.

Status: Offline

Mar 7th, 2010, 17:22 PM	#9
Trying4ababy Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 1,212	There are a couple Filipino ladies at my church who are both married to American men. They speak in Filipino to the children and their husband speaks in English and the kids can speak in either language.

Status: Offline

Mar 7th, 2010, 17:40 PM	#10
Plus2 AutoSignup (SAAB) Active BnB Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 702	I speak to my children in both Arabic and English. My DH speaks to them in mostly Arabic. I was brought up speaking both languages - it's a great!!

Status: Offline

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