As my baby is still beginning to learn to speak her native language, she is only 10 months old, I’m wondering about how to teach English to her also. Should I just talk to her in two languages, our native language and English? Will that be too confusing for her? I tried to bring her to an English-speaking playgroup for international children in the city where I live, so that she could pick up English from other kids, but as I don’t have much time myself, we could only do that once a month, so this is so far not very effective. I also bought the Your Children Can Read DVD’s, but it seems my baby is also very confused about them, I guess she needs to adopt a new language in real context, as she’s still too small to understand what is going on on screen.
So I’m curious whether anyone here tried to teach English as a second language to their babies at this early age? Could you kindly share your experiences? Thanks so much!
Hello trieuhmich. I would like to know those experiences. My first language is Spanish, my baby is only three months and a half and I am teaching to teaching her. I have the same doubts. I speak to her in Spanish and sometimes in English…I have a lot to learn here…
Our native language at home is Arabic. I started teaching my son English along with other foreign languages since birth. I added a couple of them later on as I noticed he doesn’t really bother with the variety I am offering him. We followed a schedule and used material for both right brain (flashcards) and left brain (language programs, books, etc.). As of now, he speaks and understands fluently 3 of them. He also reads in all the others although he doesn’t speak them quite well (as we don’t practice them enough). I detailed our curriculum here: http://babyalbab.blogspot.com/2012/05/curriculum-update-for-my-19m-toddler.html
If there is a piece of advice to give you is DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE your child. She WON’T get confused or anything. Babies learn languages differently, much more easily than we adults do.
Please keep on showing her YBCR DVDs. You will be so pleased when she will finally read the words to you. You are already doing a great job by taking her to international playgroups. You can also try LR English. That will really boost her vocabulary as well as her reading skills.
I started teaching my child English since he was born with singing and playing nursery rhymes and lullabies to him. Later I introduced him to flash cards and LR. Now he is 2,5 y.o. and at home I speak only English to him. I perfectly understand your concerns And I agree with the opinion voiced above - do not underestimate your child. Believe in your child. And try to xpose her to the English language and culture as much as possible - speak English to her, show flashcards, watch cartoons, play audios.
You can also split the roles in your family - for ex. you’ll speak only English to your child, and another member of your family (or all others) - your native language. Or choose certain days when you all will speak only English.
Hi,
I am Polish native speaker, but I speak to my children both in Polish and English. My husband is a Polish native speaker as well - so Polish has been spoken most of the time at home.
Thanks to watching Tweedlewink DVDs, Your Baby Can Read, listening to English Audio Books, singing songs, reading a lot in English, they both have started to speak English very early. They are 3 and 5 now and are communicating in English confidently.
We learn other languages as well - mostly watching flashcards, DVDs, reading books - but it is more of a passive knowledge at the moment. Anyway, it seems to me that the more languages is around, the more the kids absorb and understand. There are no limits! Do not worry if you might not now the language you want your children to learn - learn along with them. They will sense your interest and love for the language you are all learning and it will speed up the process.
All the best!
Hi Ola , when do you use Polish and when English language at home?
I guess we are all using the same pattern but I am curious.
Do you switch from one language to another during the day? Do you correct them to use certain language?
Our daughter just turned 8 months and responds great in 2 languages (Romanian and English). My husband only talks to her in Romanian and I only talk to her in English…if she’s awake, we also talk in English to each other. I always have some sort of audio program/music/story on the background throughout the day in any of these languages…so I imagine this helps as well. Since we’re living in London…she is also exposed to English and British culture and the playgroups I take her have mixed nationalities, but the communication happens in English. However, our circle of friends is mainly Romanian related and their children speak Romanian…so I would say she has a fair share of both languages.
So far she doesn’t seem to have any problem understanding both languages…she hasn’t started talking (she’s only 8 months)…but she blabbles more than enough :):). I know for sure she can understand English because she opens her mouth when I ask her to, she raises her hands when I ask her to…she comes to me when I call her, she kisses me when I ask for kisses…etc.
I am very curious to see her talking…and see what language she will chose as her main one…
