sagira Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Ds (just turned 8 yesterday!) started third grade last week. Since birth, I spoke another language to him, my own. Dh is American (so is ds) and only speaks English to him (and always has). Everyone around here speaks English: his grandparents, uncles, aunt, grew up around English speakers. This kid has been read to since birth - in both languages by both parents. He was surrounded by lots of books, enrichment, taken to playgroups regularly, heard adult conversation all his life, started reading English at 5, reads daily.. When he started homeschooling I started teaching him in English, and since then he has a hard time understanding me in my language (Papiamento). I'm coming to terms with this, even though I'm disappointed. I put a lot of work and effort gosh, the first five years only speaking to him in my language even though no one else speaks it (Papiamento). However, I can live with that. What is strange is the fact that we narrate, discuss all the time and he always uses simple words - he got it, they took, etc. I thought, okay, this is perhaps normal. However, we pick up Singapore Science (which he really likes), and he struggles, struggles, to understand and comprehend what the words mean - and he can't remember them. He really tries too. What are these words? Diversity. Similarities. Purpose. Classification. It was truly disheartening to see how difficult it was for him. I remember now how when I use bigger words in my speech, he gets lost. I have to explain it to him in simpler terms, break ut down to him. We did two years of SOTW, and now I wonder how much he missed. His oral narrations were mostly okay, if not simplistic. Did I ruin him by speaking another language from birth? I thought for sure, surrounded by English otherwise, he would be fine. More importantly, should I be using a vocabulary program? I like the looks of Vocabulary Workshop and wonder if this is something this particular child needs. My dd4 speaks only a smidgen of the foreign language (Papiamento), and is so ahead of ds in many ways at that same age. Should I drop my language completely? Just read to them in it once a week? Use higher vocabulary in daily language (it will be exhausting for weeks trying to explain seemingly basic things daily)? Watch Frasier on Netflix? Please help. I'm frustrated. Learning proper English is important to me. Grew up speaking four languages. So normal to switch from one to the other. Perplexed. So is my mom, who still lives in Aruba (she doesn't understand why doesn't speak Papiamento - she speaks English fluently). I need a hug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinapod Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 :grouphug: The words that you put up as having to explain (diversity, similarities), I would have to explain to my 3rd grader too. She was 8 in February. I don't think you should drop your language, but I am certainly not familiar with 2 language households. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 :grouphug: I think I'd have to explain those words to DS as well. They are terms usually taught as vocabulary words in science. I don't think your second language is harming him. It sounds like he has a typical young boy's vocabulary? Maybe you could give an example of his narration and see if other 7-8 year old boys are doing narrations like that? If you look at the examples in WWE and SOTW for oral narrations, they're often very simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 For the science I would either get him a subscription to an appropriate nature or science magazine--one with lots of color and pictures to engage his interest. Then he will have more practice with the format in a fun and interesting way. Another way to increase vocabulary in practice is audiobooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Could he have some kind of mild language processing disorder? Language might be naturally difficult for him. If you're concerned, I'd look into it because I would think he would retain some of his second language, and use bigger words, at least on occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutella08 Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 :grouphug: I would NOT give up Papiamento. I think being able to learn another language in childhood is a gift you are giving your kids. But I agree with the posters above that you might consider getting an evaluation if you're concerned. I grew up in a bilingual household and am trying my best to raise my kids bilingual. For DD, it was a breeze; she excels at language and picks up vocabulary/grammar effortlessly. For DS, I struggled with similar issues as you (possibly more severe). He started speaking quite late and still doesn't quite use language with the same "sophistication" as other kids his age. He underwent some speech therapy. The professional recommendation was that he's neurologically fine but may experience faster progress if we stuck with only English. My reasoning for staying bilingual ... As you've noted, outside the US, being multi-lingual is often a non-issue. My own father is a professional translator who speaks 7 languages (some better than others). He's been speaking half of them since childhood and learned the rest effortless because he was already a polyglot. Most of my cousins who grew up overseas all have very similar, multi-lingual backgrounds. As adults, these people are all full functioning citizens today, none with any noticeable handicaps with being overburdened by too many languages. Although I'm no longer in the field, the only thing that stuck from many years of Linguistics study is that there's a window of opportunity in childhood where it's most easily acquired. So, while it may be a burden/handicap now, but I believe being bilingual will have long-term benefits. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Please help. I'm frustrated. Learning proper English is important to me. Grew up speaking four languages. So normal to switch from one to the other. Perplexed. So is my mom, who still lives in Aruba (she doesn't understand why doesn't speak Papiamento - she speaks English fluently). I need a hug Several studies I've read show that bilingual kids score less well on language tests in the early years in both languages than their monolingual peers. However, they do better, on average, by the high school years than their peers. Studies also show that it if one of the languages is so rare in the outside community that the child never hears it, it is easy for the child to think (perhaps subconsciously) that the language isn't important, and not to focus on it. So, keep up the good work, keep speaking both language to both kids, and remember that in some ways, it is good to be worried about your kids -- it shows that you care and are paying attention! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted September 5, 2011 Author Share Posted September 5, 2011 Thank you for the reassurance and the great ideas. Sometimes I think because he's my first and I have next to zero previous experience with kids, he's my experiment :) I will keep on speaking to him in Papiamento during the day at least some of the time, and teach in English. Thanks for the info about the studies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted September 5, 2011 Author Share Posted September 5, 2011 Could he have some kind of mild language processing disorder? Language might be naturally difficult for him. If you're concerned, I'd look into it because I would think he would retain some of his second language, and use bigger words, at least on occasion. Now that I think of it he does use bigger words like frustrated, or magnetized on occasion. I'm going to read up on processing disorder and see if he would qualify, though. I appreciate the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 We have raised our kids bilingual from birth. Our first child (ds) is completely fluent in both languages and has never had any issues with reading or vocab. Languages seem to be his strength. Our dd isn't as fluent in dh's language as ds is, partly because she had a sibling with whom she was also speaking English, in addition to the rest of her environment. However, she still speaks reasonably well and is understandable in dh's language. She does have a very basic vocabulary in both languages, and has a hard time understanding material that I read aloud to her, as well as retrieving the correct name/term for things. She is dyslexic, and I am having her tested soon for language processing disorder. I am sharing this to demonstrate that, two children raised in the same bilingual environment, have completely opposite language outcomes, not because of the environment, but because of who they are. I don't believe raising dd in a monolingual household would have improved her reading or vocabulary in English. Keep working on English vocabulary, and keep speaking your language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 I have heard that bilingual kids often have a lower vocabulary in each language for awhile and then they catch up. I would definitely NOT stop speaking your language. I think it is awesome to have a bilingual child!!! That can only help him in the long run. I say keep doing what you are doing. Vocab is hard for everyone. Just help him define words as you come upon them (and have him look up some in the dictionary). I wouldn't be too worried about this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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