Reply to If your child goes to weekend language schools of your heritage (Chinese, Korean, etc.)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am bilingual (English and Russian). I was born here but my parents are from the Soviet Union. [b]I never went to language school but I speak fluent Russian because we always spoke it at home, [/b]and I taught myself how to read Russian at 12. [b]My mom only spoke to us in Russian and my dad spoke to us in English and Russian as he was fluent in English but my mom wasn't. [/b]She was fluent enough to talk to teachers though. My sister doesn't know Russian as well as I do. I think talking to her in Korean and having her watch Korean TV, etc. will help. How did you learn your first language?[/quote]

Exactly. It's about using it consistently and expecting the kids to use it with you too (which is harder than just allowing them to use the dominant language over and over again).[/quote]
Nope, not really, this poster used Russian with her mom because she had to as mom spoke no English. It's a lot harder when the kid knows you speak English perfectly well.[/quote]

Yep, I have friends whose children are adults now told me that the only students from their kids' weekend Chinese school who are truly bilingual now came from families where the mother hardly speak any English. It is a very powerful incentive to speak to your mother. Pretending not to speak English doesn't work when the kids get older. Having  grandparents work to a certain extent, but not nearly as useful.

It also really depends on the language. I don't think, for example, anyone can teacher themselves how to read in Chinese. It is impossible without years of consistent practice to memorize thousands of characters that many may be similar in shape but drastically different in pronunciation and meaning. There is a reason why retention of heritage language is the lowest among second/third generation Chinese immigrants per some studies.

Having said all that, if a child is really motivated they can and do achieve reading and writing fluency in Chinese living in the US. It is just very difficult. They should all be able to understand/speak, but even that is not a given.  
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