Is it possible to teach more than one language?

[xhristina]

I grew up in a multi-lingual home, so you'd think I'd know the answer to this one already, but there are different circumstances that are making me question what I will do with my child.

I grew up in a home where my mom spoke Spanish and my dad spoke Greek. They both learned each other's languages as well. When we were little, my mom would speak to us in Spanish exclusively and my dad in Greek exclusively. ...and when we moved to the States, everyone around us spoke English, so we picked it up via neighborhood kids, school, etc..

I think that's why we never mixed languages and were so good at keeping them all straight - we associated a language with a specific person. So at the dinner table, I would address my mom in Spanish and in the course of the same conversation, without a 2nd thought, address my dad in Greek.

So now, I speak English, Spanish and Greek fluently. My DH understands Spanish but is intimidated by speaking it. He also speaks Italian, although he doesn't use it very often, so it gets rusty. My mom, who will be watching our daughter speaks both Spanish and Greek (although her Spanish is much better because it's her native tongue and we use it more often). My dad passed away 10 years ago, so we don't have him to practice our Greek as often anymore.

I've been thinking a lot about what to do when our daughter is born. What will I speak to her? I guess since I have my mom to teach her Spanish, I could speak to her in Greek, but then my DH wouldn't understand what I'm saying. Or should I speak to her primarily in Spanish, and sign her up for Greek school when she's old enough, and let her get it there?

I don't think DH will be very consistent about teaching her Italian. He uses little phrases here and there around the house all the time (like "amore" or "no me guardare con questa facha" or little sayings like that), but it's not his primary means of communication. So if she learns those little phrases from him, or if we have books in Italian, will it only confuse her (along with the Spanish and the Greek that she'll be picking up from me and my mom)? Or will it just add to her knowledge base?

Does anyone have any experience with teaching multiple languages in the home?

[jajacobsen]

My nephews grew up in a Chinese American household. They were very careful to only speak Cantonese in the home. This was so teh boys would develop a strong Cantonese language base. The boys also spoke English, as they had learned it fromtelevision and daycare.

When they were very little, they would mix up the English and and the Cantonese. But tehir parenst woudl explain to them about languages and what words were which language. By school age, tehy had sorted it out. The American father said he had no worries about his children learning English; but he did worry about them losing heir ability to speak Cantonese. So they try to be very discilplined about only Cantonese in the home.

It would be very hard for teh children to properly learn Greek or Italian if thso elanguages were not predominantly spoken in the household. But if you make Spanish teh promary language, I think they would be very successful in learning it.

[SiValleySteph]

It seems like your family might do well with the OPOL method - One Parent One Language. So you would speak Spanish to your DC exclusively and your DH would speak English to your DC exclusively and then your DC would be fluent in both.

My sister and her husband try to speak German to their DS exclusively since they live in the US and their child will get English elsewhere. However, I think they end up speaking a lot of English, just because they are in the US, so that's what they talk with their friends. Their DS is 2-1/2 and I think knows quite a bit of German, in addition to English.

Our DS gets Mandarin at his daycare and understands quite a lot now (almost 3). However, he only likes to say certain things (count, hello, bye, etc.). My DH is fluent in Mandarin, as well, but has not got in to the habit of speaking Mandarin at home to DS, so we do not reinforce at this point. I hope to send him to a school or to lessons as he gets older.

Good luck!

I wish we had tried a bit harder, but we just do what feels convenient and fits in to our lifestyle. Also, I did not know any Mandarin when DS was born, but have been learning more in the past year, so now I could contribute more.

[jennylou]

My sister is teaching my neice Spanish. When she's mastered that, she'll start on English.

[AmyE]

If your DH can't speak Italian like a native, or very very close to a native speaker, he probably shouldn't try to teach her Italian. Unfortunately, she'd pick up on any errors he commonly uses and on his pronounciation. Those errors- when learned very young and over a period of many years - are extremely difficult to break. Most language teachers suggest a parent who is not a native or near-native speaker shouldn't try to teach a foreign language. You're probably fine on the greek and certainly the spanish.

ETA: i grew up in Latin America and worked there as an adult, so my Spanish is fluent too. It only took me about 3 months to pick up Italian as an adult, and at a level where I could hold a professional conversation. Another reason, IMHO, to delay the Italian and focus on Spanish in particular, and Greek. English will just come to her!

[jarocha]

I am teaching my daughter both Spanish and English. Everything I tell her, I usually say it in both languages. For example, when she wants an apple, I always say "manzana" and "apple". I thought she would get confused with both languages, but she is actually picking them up very well and understands when you say either item in Spanish or English.

I kind of agree with AmyE regarding not speaking unless you are fluent in that language. My husband's Spanish is really bad and I rather him not speak to my daughter in Spanish because she will pick up the wrong pronounciation.

[zhannushka]

Both DH and I are fluent in Russian (and English). We plan on only speaking Russian at home to DS. When he goes to daycare/school - he will learn English there.

[katnbug]

We're not a multilingual family, but I have also heard that the OPOL method works very well. You speak only Spanish and your husband speaks only English.

Since neither my DH or I speak another language fluently, our son began Spanish language class at about 2 1/2. His ped. suggested it to us because as he said that age is perfect for beginning to learn a second language. I had concerns about him confusing languages, but he doesn't (yet). They somehow are able to distinguish.

I'm also told that infants are better able to pick up correct pronunciation and accents.

[xhristina]

Wow! I didn't even realize there was a NAME (OPOL) for this method! Thanks for all the input you guys! Has anyone read any good books on the subject that they can recommend?

...and AmyE - your'e right, when we travel to Italy, I can pretty much make out most conversations easily, because of my Spanish, so I guess if she loses the Italian, at the very least it'll be easier for her to learn down the road.

I think we're going to focus on teaching Spanish and Greek and letting her get her English from other kids/friends/being out and about, etc.

[IzzyJune2006]

I'll contribute with our current situation and plans. My native language is French (from Canada) and DH was born here from Vietnamese parents.

I speak to DD mostly in French but will use English when DH is around and I want him part of the communication. I make an effort to find as many toys, books and DVDs in French. She is still too young for DVDs, but when I do play the Disney's, I make sure to use the French track. Her daycare teacher knows some French and last week she commented that DD understands quite a bit of French words already. She's 14 months old.
So far, most of the words she tries to say are English. I hope that changes.

DH is supposed to speak Vietnamese at home, but he seldom does. He focuses on just a few words or sentences. When DD spends time with MIL, she seems to do well understanding her. But I doubt that a few hours/month will be enough for her to catch it.

When DD gets closer to 3, we plan to enroll her in a French pre-school program. We are not concerned about English. She will definitely learn it.

My niece is raised in the US with both parents speaking French at home. She attends American daycare. She is 4 and fluent in both languages. She corrects DH when he tries to speak French words by telling him the right English words he should be using. This does sound consistent with your description that the language is associated with a person and that helps them keep it straight.