Dual Language learning

[Anonymous]

Hmm this is an interesting take. I didn't know children don't become fluent if they don't learn at home too.

I am trilingual and so are my children, they learn at school for 1 language but not for the other. I have noticed they are able to use all 3 languages, despite 1 not being reinforced in school.

Honestly, you could learn Spanish with your child? What I also like to do at home for my littles is everything is labeled in 2 languages, and we watch movies/read books in all languages too. Idk if you need to go so far as too get a nanny but you could have a basic understanding of Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We uh keep speaking Spanish regardless of what child does.

+1

Maybe not ask for advice on an anon board where people think learning two languages is a special/gifted skill if you are rich but expected if a poor Latino.

There are a lot of resources for raising bilingual kids.

Someone will sneer and belittle you EVERYWHERE you go. I'd rather ask in an anon forum for that reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We uh keep speaking Spanish regardless of what child does.

+1

Maybe not ask for advice on an anon board where people think learning two languages is a special/gifted skill if you are rich but expected if a poor Latino.

There are a lot of resources for raising bilingual kids.

Someone will sneer and belittle you EVERYWHERE you go. I'd rather ask in an anon forum for that reason.

Also, what are the resources that you recommend, PP?

[Anonymous]

We have done “such a good job” at raising bilingual kids during Covid that they don’t speak English at all, I think because we expected that they would do a lot of activities outside in English that they didn’t end up doing. We’re not worried about them picking up English, but are worried that they will get so excited by it that they won’t want to speak our language once they enter their immersion school. What we have heard is to just refuse to answer or respond if they speak English...which seems harsh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We uh keep speaking Spanish regardless of what child does.

+1

Maybe not ask for advice on an anon board where people think learning two languages is a special/gifted skill if you are rich but expected if a poor Latino.

There are a lot of resources for raising bilingual kids.

Someone will sneer and belittle you EVERYWHERE you go. I'd rather ask in an anon forum for that reason.

Also, what are the resources that you recommend, PP?

Does google work differently for you than for others?

And the situation of the OP is not new or special. There is no need to post your “problem” anywhere just read literally the hundreds of mommy blogs or books out there on this subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We uh keep speaking Spanish regardless of what child does.

+1

Maybe not ask for advice on an anon board where people think learning two languages is a special/gifted skill if you are rich but expected if a poor Latino.

There are a lot of resources for raising bilingual kids.

Someone will sneer and belittle you EVERYWHERE you go. I'd rather ask in an anon forum for that reason.

Also, what are the resources that you recommend, PP?

Does google work differently for you than for others?

And the situation of the OP is not new or special. There is no need to post your “problem” anywhere just read literally the hundreds of mommy blogs or books out there on this subject.

I am sorry life has been so tough on you - it seems to have drained the human kindness right out of you.

[Anonymous]

My kid is in 4th in a dual language school. Parents are monolingual and the kid will be nowhere near fluent by the end of 5th. Honestly, that's fine with me. She has a good accent, understands conversational spanish, and can read at a low level. Math in spanish is fine. The bigger challenge for our family is that our kid is really lagging in English reading and we seem to be the only people who thinks that's a problem. For years we raised concerns and were told that we should expect a lag for kids learning bilingually. Now, I've got a kid who is reading at a beginning 3rd grade level at the end of 4th (after 2 years of private OG tutoring from a certified reading specialist out of pocket because the school wouldn't provide services). Dual language isn't great for kids from monolingual homes who have academic challenges, and you can't know if your kid will struggle academically until you are in it. Add to that, the bigger issue of urban school with limited resources and here we are.

Eventually, I would like to send the kid for a summer to a spanish speaking country and I think she would come back close to fluent, which is certainly more than I could ever hope to accomplish as someone who had minimal foreign language exposure as a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in 4th in a dual language school. Parents are monolingual and the kid will be nowhere near fluent by the end of 5th. Honestly, that's fine with me. She has a good accent, understands conversational spanish, and can read at a low level. Math in spanish is fine. The bigger challenge for our family is that our kid is really lagging in English reading and we seem to be the only people who thinks that's a problem. For years we raised concerns and were told that we should expect a lag for kids learning bilingually. Now, I've got a kid who is reading at a beginning 3rd grade level at the end of 4th (after 2 years of private OG tutoring from a certified reading specialist out of pocket because the school wouldn't provide services). Dual language isn't great for kids from monolingual homes who have academic challenges, and you can't know if your kid will struggle academically until you are in it. Add to that, the bigger issue of urban school with limited resources and here we are.

Eventually, I would like to send the kid for a summer to a spanish speaking country and I think she would come back close to fluent, which is certainly more than I could ever hope to accomplish as someone who had minimal foreign language exposure as a kid.

I am sure you get a lot of unsolicited advice, so here is some more from the daughter of reading specialist. Whatever your kid likes to read (even if you think it's silly or poorly written) - buy for them in unlimited quantities. If they like bugs - buy bug encyclopedias. If they like comics, buy comics. The goal is to get them reading all the time for fun - and eventually make the material harder. It can be like a pilot light that needs to be re-lit. Reading for fun gets them going. Measuring reading ability is notoriously tricky - each text is not the same; each kid is not the same; kids have better reading comprehension if they already know the subject matter, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in 4th in a dual language school. Parents are monolingual and the kid will be nowhere near fluent by the end of 5th. Honestly, that's fine with me. She has a good accent, understands conversational spanish, and can read at a low level. Math in spanish is fine. The bigger challenge for our family is that our kid is really lagging in English reading and we seem to be the only people who thinks that's a problem. For years we raised concerns and were told that we should expect a lag for kids learning bilingually. Now, I've got a kid who is reading at a beginning 3rd grade level at the end of 4th (after 2 years of private OG tutoring from a certified reading specialist out of pocket because the school wouldn't provide services). Dual language isn't great for kids from monolingual homes who have academic challenges, and you can't know if your kid will struggle academically until you are in it. Add to that, the bigger issue of urban school with limited resources and here we are.

Eventually, I would like to send the kid for a summer to a spanish speaking country and I think she would come back close to fluent, which is certainly more than I could ever hope to accomplish as someone who had minimal foreign language exposure as a kid.

I am sure you get a lot of unsolicited advice, so here is some more from the daughter of reading specialist. Whatever your kid likes to read (even if you think it's silly or poorly written) - buy for them in unlimited quantities. If they like bugs - buy bug encyclopedias. If they like comics, buy comics. The goal is to get them reading all the time for fun - and eventually make the material harder. It can be like a pilot light that needs to be re-lit. Reading for fun gets them going. Measuring reading ability is notoriously tricky - each text is not the same; each kid is not the same; kids have better reading comprehension if they already know the subject matter, etc.

My mom is also a reading specialist, but I do appreciate the good and positive advice!