How was your weekend?
Mine was very social.
After two weeks of not leaving my apartment, I’m finally walking again.
Saturday was a lovely day here in Prague and I met two friends in the park.
They’re both married.
They both married women from another country.
And they both have kids.
Here are the languages they speak at home with their kids:
Friend 1: Polish and German
Friend 2: Dutch and Russian
What language will the kids not learn at home?
English!
Well, as an English teacher, I thought that was a mistake.
“They’ll learn it at school,” said friend #1.
“They’ll learn it from the internet,” said friend #2.
I hope.
Do you agree with them?
Wouldn’t it be great if you had grown up speaking English?
Hi. I think the both couple is speaking English when they are from diferent cauntry…But maybe they speaking together is Polish. Its a pitty, their kids not speaking English. I see how young people speak perfect, because they learned at base school already… On saturday I was at work and on sunday and today I had relax day finally. I was visit my mother and we had a good time. Its good you are going !
The best solution is to learn language as a kid, or more languages while growing up.
These couples with kids live in Prague?
What about Czech? Do the children go to school? Maybe English school? Do the parents work in Czech Republic? But, for kids, living in Prague, it is important to learn Czech.
Parents would like their children can speak their native languages. That is expected. English is needed, of course. They will learn English too. It would not be their native language, but maybe it is not possible to be.
If I was like you(english speaker and english teacher) I would have the same reaction : these kids should learn english … but their parents are not english.. so what a complicate choice because children would not be able to communicate with their grandparents or have access with their origins!!!English should be a third language to integrate into today’s world!Most bilingual children can handle learning another foreign language…It’s such richness on a cognitive, social and cultural level, even if vocabulary development is a little more complex!
And of course,,It would be great if I had grown up speaking English….but that’s not the case.. too bad!!!
A child must definitely learn the languages of their parents, if only to be able to communicate with their grandparents and not lose their roots. They must also learn the local language where they live. So, in fact, the question is how much a child is capable of at the same time. There are still bilingual kindergartens and schools where they teach in the local language and English. Maybe that would be a solution. But yes, really, children learn from the Internet…. I see it every day. They no longer know their native language, say a word in English and ask how it is in their native language.
Hi. My son live in Norvay with your Norvigian girlfriend, his name is Henrikke, and they have a son, her name is Alexander. He is 5 months old. She speaks to Alexander in Norvegian, while Andrea speaks to him in Italian, and among them they speak English. This was recommended by their paediatrician. He told them that Alexander will start speaking a little later than other children, but not to worry because he will then be able to understand and then speak in three languages. I think it is a good start to get to know different languages.
My daughter is living In Netherland. She speaks English, and her boyfriend too, so their common language is english. They want a baby, and they will use own language – Hungarian and Dutch – when they speak to baby, so the baby will have a great advantage. I think it is a good idea.
I thought that was a mistake, they must speak English at home.