Anyone learning Korean and Chinese at the same time? Any linguists on this board?

[Anonymous]

My son (4) will start Korean one day school, immersion style this year. Next year for kindergarten we are considering chinese immersion school. DS would still go to Korean school on the weekend. Would this be too challenging. Korean and Chinese are different. Right now DS knows some spanish from preschool doesn't seem to be an issue but worried about Korean/Chinese parallel learning. Any linguists out there?

[Anonymous]

I can tell you there are lots of kids that grow up learning 2 or 3 or even 4 languages at once. Usually, this isn't all classroom learning -- perhaps parents speak one language at home, they get instruction in another language at school. Or perhaps a nanny speaks another language to them.

[Anonymous]

Unlike, say, English and Spanish, which use virtually identical alphabets, Chinese and Korean use completely different character sets, the Korean being alphabet-based, and the Chinese mostly ideographic.

Since your son will be also be learning literacy in English, having him study these three languages simultaneously means that he will have to master three different forms of writing.

[Anonymous]

OP, where is this school?

[Anonymous]

Yes, would love to know where this Korean school is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unlike, say, English and Spanish, which use virtually identical alphabets, Chinese and Korean use completely different character sets, the Korean being alphabet-based, and the Chinese mostly ideographic.

Since your son will be also be learning literacy in English, having him study these three languages simultaneously means that he will have to master three different forms of writing.

OP here: Ah the key point, this would be too much for a preschooler. Maybe we'll try spanish along with Korean, less stress. For other pp, the Korean school we attend is in Minnesota, but check with a local Korean church in your area. I am sure one of them in the area has a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unlike, say, English and Spanish, which use virtually identical alphabets, Chinese and Korean use completely different character sets, the Korean being alphabet-based, and the Chinese mostly ideographic.

Since your son will be also be learning literacy in English, having him study these three languages simultaneously means that he will have to master three different forms of writing.

OP here: Ah the key point, this would be too much for a preschooler. Maybe we'll try spanish along with Korean, less stress. For other pp, the Korean school and Chinese immersion school we are considering is in Minnesota, but check with a local Korean church in your area. I am sure one of the churches has a Korean school.

[Anonymous]

Actually, it's not too much for the kids -- it is amazing how fast they can pick up languages, and I personally know kids who grew up with 3 languages. However, the situation would be difficult for the parents and difficult for the kids to retain unless there was ongoing support in all the languages outside of the classroom.

For example: Parents speak Korean to the kid at home. They hire a Chinese nanny who speaks only in Chinese to him. And they send him to an English preschool. The kid will understand all 3 languages (although vocabularly will be limited to the context each language is spoken in.)

[Anonymous]

Not to be snarky - - really just curious - - if you live in Minnesota, what are you doing on DC Urban Moms? Are you planning a move?

[Anonymous]

Husband commutes to DC Area for work every week, although I am not from Minneapolis. I love it here so I holding off on the move... For now until I get to know DC Area better. There isn't A Savvy Parents forum like this one in MN.

[Anonymous]

Yeah! Someone likes and approves of DCUM! I also quite enjoy it. Not sure why people complain about it so much.

[Anonymous]

Hi!

Would it be possible for you to post which Minnesota Korean church school your child attends? I am in Minnesote (Twin Cities) also and am looking for a new Korean language school for my son. The one he went to last year closed.

This thread popped up when I googled "Korean church schools in Minnesota". I hope I'm not out of line for posting for this bit of info.

[Anonymous]

Catholic Church-St Andrew Kim - St Paul, MN, 55116 - Citysearch
[phone] · 1850 Mississippi River Blvd S, St Paul, MN 55116

Here you go.. Class is on Sunday's 2-4 PM, starts this weekend but I am sure early enough to enroll.

[adinaINdc]

My kids are learning three completely different languages: English, Chinese and Hebrew. Don't underestimate what the are capable of. 8)

[Anonymous]

adinaINdc wrote:My kids are learning three completely different languages: English, Chinese and Hebrew. Don't underestimate what the are capable of. 8)

I have a pre-ker at YY and while dc is too young for Hebrew school now, would love a recommendation for one for future reference.