Currently, I teach my little girl English & my mum who is taking care of using Mandarin. Is this good for her ?
Oh, I think this is a wonderful arrangement. :yes: Babies are amazing at being able to know the difference. She will learn both languages quite easily. Sometimes it takes the baby longer to start speaking, but they make up for it when they start speaking in two languages.
Check out this thread it has an article that state it is ok for kids to learn more then one language at a time
http://forum.brillkids.com/teaching-your-child-signing-speaking-foreign-languages/learning-more-then-1-new-language-at-a-time/msg53076/?topicseen#new
Hi splee,
Actually, the thinking that teaching your child more than one language will confuse him/her is an old but common misconception. If you go the section in this forum on teaching your child signing, speaking, and languages: http://forum.brillkids.com/teaching-your-child-signing-speaking-foreign-languages/ , I am sure you will find many parents who are teaching their children two, three, or even four languages at a time. My own daughter, who is now 22 months old, communicates with her dad in English and Filipino, with me in Mandarin, and with her daycare teacher in Spanish. She is also learning to read English and Mandarin. When we started out teaching her, I found the following websites and books to be very helpful in answering the questions I had (re: confusing the child, possible speech delay, etc.) and also in providing practical advice on how to go about raising a multilingual child.
http://multilingualchildren.org/faq.html#confused
http://www.multilingualliving.com/category/families/
http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Three-Languages-Parents-Teachers/dp/1847691064
I hope this helps. And, good luck! 
My son whose 2 years old has been exposed to trwo languages as well. He’s perfectly using Russian and English to communicate with us, can easily translate words from one language to another. He’s also exposed to Mandarin trough DVD’s and TV. I believe that exposure to many languages is enourmously beneficial for them in so many ways!
I’m currently conversing with my baby in English. I plan to speak to her in Mandarin later … But I’m really unsure when’s the right time to introduce another language, as I’m concern it might confused her. My friend said I shoud wait till she develops conversation skills in one language first before introducing another.
Nevertheless, I sing to her in both languages, hopefully this would help her later in acquiring Mandarin speaking skills.
I do something similar. I speak almost solely with my toddler (now 22mths) in mandarin while the rest of the family speaks to him in English. He is effectively bilingual and can converse and understand both with any person (even strangers). He can also read in both of these languages. He will speak in the language that he is spoken to, and automatically translates to his father what he’s speaking with me about and vice versa.
Laralinn,
Is your child 2 yrs old now and have been expose to Russian an english since baby?
Is he talking in those languages or mainly understanding what you say.
I read and sing to my grandson a lot in english since he was a baby. Now he is 3yrs,5 month and speaks spanish (native language) but does not pronounced too well. He knows many words in english especially singing old mac Donald but sometimes when i speak in english or watch a movie he asks for spanish.
Maybe he difference is that in our case those are our native languages besides Mandarin.
i speak to my gal in english & cantonese and other family members speak to her in Hakka and mandarin since born. She get used to it. She will know which language to speak with different people. Amazing… but sometimes she will mixing few language in one sentence.
it would be good to expose the kids with different languages since young… :yes:
i totally agree even on behalf of mixing some words it is very beneficial to expose them to many languages. They get a better pronunciation when exposed earlier in life.
Talking about ‘amazing’, I am amaze with many thing I listen to my grandson. Today when he was in the car leaving my house, he ask for ‘the three animals’. At first i did not understand if they were 3 books or what but he emphasize it was a movie with a kangaroo, crocodile and an eagle. Then I realize he refered to a DVD that was on top of my bed but we had not played. It’s amayzing
hello everyone, I have a 8 months old baby girl and we just started with english intensively as a second language.I am glad to read that she will not get confused using both languages
I can only agree with all others. I learn my Son (27 months) in addition to German, the English language and have a few weeks ago started with Spanish. All new toys now have Spanish names like “Verde” or “Negro” … Works great. And the kids can sort everything good in the brain.
ilima,
I saw the link to : http://www.parentsthebestteachers.com/ and seems interesting Do you have a language selection?
Is there anyone around your kid that speaks spanish?
No, not yet, but I’ll work on it.
Greetings from Germany