how much does a non-English-speaking nanny impact a child?

[Anonymous]

For those of you who have hired a nanny with less than optimal English skills, how have your child's language skills turned out? Has your child ever learned fluent Spanish, for example, or is he simply delayed in learning English? Have you been able to communicate effectively with your nanny?

[Anonymous]

My nanny is bilingual (speaks proper English, not broken) and my 2 yr old is as fluent in the foreign language as she is in English.

I would never have hired a nanny who didn't fully speak/read English.

[Anonymous]

Personally, I think the bigger concern is the parent's ability to communicate with the nanny. I'm a nanny, but if I were a parent, I'd want to know that what I was asking the nanny to do was clearly understood, and likewise I'd want to know that the nanny was able to clearly communicate to me any questions or problems that came up throughout the day.

As long as the nanny is well educated in her native language your child shouldn't experience any significant language delays as a result.

[Anonymous]

OP here- thank you for your responses! As an educator, I've met a lot of children who know very poor English (with an almost intractable desire to use double negatives) and inadequate Spanish. They are truly at a disadvantage. This language deficit has come from their parents, however, not from their nannies. I'm very supportive of true bilingualism.

[Anonymous]

We have a nanny for whom english is a second language. She's fairly fluent but not fully fluent and the english quality decays under stress or if she's been on vacation in her home country for a few weeks.

My kids have extremely verbal native english speaking parents and are surrounded by highly educated people all the time. My kids speak excellent english.

They also speak some spanish and understand a great deal of spanish. They also will sometimes teach us (the parents) some spanish as they know the words in both languages and if they're excited will accidentally use spanish with us and then explain themselves but using the english word also.

They are 2 1/2, boy/girl twins.

I see no negative impact on their english from having a spanish speaking nanny. I see second language knowledge emerging where there would otherwise have been none, and I fully believe that their critical thinking and ability to learn languages in the future are being positively impacted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thank you for your responses! As an educator, I've met a lot of children who know very poor English (with an almost intractable desire to use double negatives) and inadequate Spanish. They are truly at a disadvantage. This language deficit has come from their parents, however, not from their nannies. I'm very supportive of true bilingualism.

How strange. In my experience in working with very poor children from migrant, native Spanish speaking families, the kids were quite proficient in both languages when young and gradually lost the ability to speak (but not understand) Spanish as they aged, mostly from lack of use as they primarily interacted outside of the home in English and spoke to their parents in English by then as well. But I have yet to meet a child with "language deficits" brought on by their Spanish speaking parents. Very poor English and inadequate Spanish? That truly surprises me.

As for my experience as a parent of a child cared for by a native Spanish speaking nanny, our son started talking extremely early, has had phenomenal grammar and pronunciation since the time he started stringing together two-word sentences, and has a great ear for differing language sounds. My MIL thought his language development would be harmed by being with our nanny, but he has been by far the most advanced language learner of our children. He's 7 now and sounds like a pretty well educated adult both in grammar and very, very precise word choice. I say this not to brag but to say, emphatically, that a non-English speaking nanny most certainly did not harm our kid and may in fact have helped him significantly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a nanny for whom english is a second language. She's fairly fluent but not fully fluent and the english quality decays under stress or if she's been on vacation in her home country for a few weeks.

My kids have extremely verbal native english speaking parents and are surrounded by highly educated people all the time. My kids speak excellent english.

They also speak some spanish and understand a great deal of spanish. They also will sometimes teach us (the parents) some spanish as they know the words in both languages and if they're excited will accidentally use spanish with us and then explain themselves but using the english word also.

They are 2 1/2, boy/girl twins.

I see no negative impact on their english from having a spanish speaking nanny. I see second language knowledge emerging where there would otherwise have been none, and I fully believe that their critical thinking and ability to learn languages in the future are being positively impacted.

Since you and your DH don't speak Spanish, you do realize that they will lose the Spanish they have learned unless you intend to enroll them in an immersion school or have continued lesson? Sure its cute to be able to say my two year old is bilingual, but it won't make any difference in the end unless you make a concerted effort to continue exposing them. If I were a parent, it'd be much more important to me that the person spending the majority of waking time with my child is reading, talking, and interacting with them on a high level. If you don't speak Spanish, you really don't know the quality of Spanish your children are learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a nanny for whom english is a second language. She's fairly fluent but not fully fluent and the english quality decays under stress or if she's been on vacation in her home country for a few weeks.

My kids have extremely verbal native english speaking parents and are surrounded by highly educated people all the time. My kids speak excellent english.

They also speak some spanish and understand a great deal of spanish. They also will sometimes teach us (the parents) some spanish as they know the words in both languages and if they're excited will accidentally use spanish with us and then explain themselves but using the english word also.

They are 2 1/2, boy/girl twins.

I see no negative impact on their english from having a spanish speaking nanny. I see second language knowledge emerging where there would otherwise have been none, and I fully believe that their critical thinking and ability to learn languages in the future are being positively impacted.

Since you and your DH don't speak Spanish, you do realize that they will lose the Spanish they have learned unless you intend to enroll them in an immersion school or have continued lesson? Sure its cute to be able to say my two year old is bilingual, but it won't make any difference in the end unless you make a concerted effort to continue exposing them. If I were a parent, it'd be much more important to me that the person spending the majority of waking time with my child is reading, talking, and interacting with them on a high level. If you don't speak Spanish, you really don't know the quality of Spanish your children are learning.

I have read your responses saying these identical things every time this issue comes up on a thread.

I did not say my kids are bilingual, they are far from it. I said they speak some and understand a fair amount of spanish. We are exploring immersion programs in our district when they go to school. Regardless, they speak terrific english for their age and I am firmly convinced that the additional language they are gaining is training their brain in important ways. There is actually a growing field of research that points to language exposure at an early age expanding the neural pathworks. It doesn't require fluency, or perfect grammar, the act of learning the different sounds, the multiple meanings, etc... does the brain good.

I don't particularly care about the quality of the spanish they're learning, I care that they're being exposed. They're not even three - perfection isn't my goal, capacity to learn is and I remain convinced that their spanish speaking nanny is a great asset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a nanny for whom english is a second language. She's fairly fluent but not fully fluent and the english quality decays under stress or if she's been on vacation in her home country for a few weeks.

My kids have extremely verbal native english speaking parents and are surrounded by highly educated people all the time. My kids speak excellent english.

They also speak some spanish and understand a great deal of spanish. They also will sometimes teach us (the parents) some spanish as they know the words in both languages and if they're excited will accidentally use spanish with us and then explain themselves but using the english word also.

They are 2 1/2, boy/girl twins.

I see no negative impact on their english from having a spanish speaking nanny. I see second language knowledge emerging where there would otherwise have been none, and I fully believe that their critical thinking and ability to learn languages in the future are being positively impacted.

Since you and your DH don't speak Spanish, you do realize that they will lose the Spanish they have learned unless you intend to enroll them in an immersion school or have continued lesson? Sure its cute to be able to say my two year old is bilingual, but it won't make any difference in the end unless you make a concerted effort to continue exposing them. If I were a parent, it'd be much more important to me that the person spending the majority of waking time with my child is reading, talking, and interacting with them on a high level. If you don't speak Spanish, you really don't know the quality of Spanish your children are learning.

I have read your responses saying these identical things every time this issue comes up on a thread.

I did not say my kids are bilingual, they are far from it. I said they speak some and understand a fair amount of spanish. We are exploring immersion programs in our district when they go to school. Regardless, they speak terrific english for their age and I am firmly convinced that the additional language they are gaining is training their brain in important ways. There is actually a growing field of research that points to language exposure at an early age expanding the neural pathworks. It doesn't require fluency, or perfect grammar, the act of learning the different sounds, the multiple meanings, etc... does the brain good.

I don't particularly care about the quality of the spanish they're learning, I care that they're being exposed. They're not even three - perfection isn't my goal, capacity to learn is and I remain convinced that their spanish speaking nanny is a great asset.

NP here. Unless you are Jeff, you have no fu*kin clue how many posters share similar opinions. You know where you can take your bully crap.

[Anonymous]

I live in So Cal where being fluent in Spanish is king.

So many families hire Hispanic nannies and request them to only speak Spanish to their children while caring for them.

The children learn their English skills from their parents, friends and school so that is not a problem.

I see a lot of rich white children in affluent areas of So Cal speaking Spanish and it looks very odd, but I guess that is the new normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a nanny for whom english is a second language. She's fairly fluent but not fully fluent and the english quality decays under stress or if she's been on vacation in her home country for a few weeks.

My kids have extremely verbal native english speaking parents and are surrounded by highly educated people all the time. My kids speak excellent english.

They also speak some spanish and understand a great deal of spanish. They also will sometimes teach us (the parents) some spanish as they know the words in both languages and if they're excited will accidentally use spanish with us and then explain themselves but using the english word also.

They are 2 1/2, boy/girl twins.

I see no negative impact on their english from having a spanish speaking nanny. I see second language knowledge emerging where there would otherwise have been none, and I fully believe that their critical thinking and ability to learn languages in the future are being positively impacted.

Since you and your DH don't speak Spanish, you do realize that they will lose the Spanish they have learned unless you intend to enroll them in an immersion school or have continued lesson? Sure its cute to be able to say my two year old is bilingual, but it won't make any difference in the end unless you make a concerted effort to continue exposing them. If I were a parent, it'd be much more important to me that the person spending the majority of waking time with my child is reading, talking, and interacting with them on a high level. If you don't speak Spanish, you really don't know the quality of Spanish your children are learning.

I have read your responses saying these identical things every time this issue comes up on a thread.

I did not say my kids are bilingual, they are far from it. I said they speak some and understand a fair amount of spanish. We are exploring immersion programs in our district when they go to school. Regardless, they speak terrific english for their age and I am firmly convinced that the additional language they are gaining is training their brain in important ways. There is actually a growing field of research that points to language exposure at an early age expanding the neural pathworks. It doesn't require fluency, or perfect grammar, the act of learning the different sounds, the multiple meanings, etc... does the brain good.

I don't particularly care about the quality of the spanish they're learning, I care that they're being exposed. They're not even three - perfection isn't my goal, capacity to learn is and I remain convinced that their spanish speaking nanny is a great asset.

I'm the poster you quoted, not the one that rudely responded. Can I ask you an honest question? If you believe your nanny's Spanish fluency to be an asset, are you paying her an increased rate for those skills? I understand what you're saying about the language exposure being good for the brain, and it may be, but I think that exposure should come from a nanny truly fluent in both languages. To me it is a safety issue and a communication issue with the parents. I see these nannies around all the time ignoring their charges, yelling at them in Spanish, and chatting it up with other Spanish speaking nannies. I can't help but think that parents are fooling themselves into thinking they are getting something special with these nannies, and a great deal at the same time. If you think the Spanish is an asset, I would think you'd pay a higher rate for it, but in my experience those nannies are making half my rate.

[Anonymous]

Excellent post by 7:33. I hope her insightful questions get answered by the person being asked.

[Anonymous]

OK, I'm the MB you're asking (w/ the spanish speaking nanny). She is paid above market, but not because of her language skills.

We hired this nanny because she had the best references, was a referral from two other families in our neighborhood for whom she'd worked for the past 14 years, and because she had experience with twins.

Twin experience, honesty, excellent tenure and references from prior employers, and a comfortable "fit" with us were our requirements. Spanish language in the home was a bonus - not something we sought.

When we hired her she quoted us a salary she wanted and that's what we paid. We have given her annual raises of $1/hr or more, added reimbursement for health insurance, given generous bonuses and gifts for holidays and anniversary dates, and have also supported her in other, non-monetary ways (help locating a new apartment and moving, support during some medical stuff, extra leave time for personal needs, etc...)

We retain her and pay her well for all the reasons we initially hired her, and for the fact that she has done nothing but earn our complete trust and confidence.

The spanish remains a bonus, but not a core requirement. Her English isn't perfect, but it is more than adequate for me to have full confidence in her communication skills. Her judgment re the care and safety of my kids is pretty darn near perfect and that trumps the minor language issues.

So no - we don't pay a premium for her language skills. We pay a premium for her experience and trustworthiness and now proven track record with us. I trust her with my children's lives and with everything in our home, and the compensation she receives is commensurate with how important a part she plays in our lives.

I love that my kids are hearing spanish, but what I pay for and reward are the non-negotiables of good childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, I'm the MB you're asking (w/ the spanish speaking nanny). She is paid above market, but not because of her language skills.

We hired this nanny because she had the best references, was a referral from two other families in our neighborhood for whom she'd worked for the past 14 years, and because she had experience with twins.

Twin experience, honesty, excellent tenure and references from prior employers, and a comfortable "fit" with us were our requirements. Spanish language in the home was a bonus - not something we sought.

When we hired her she quoted us a salary she wanted and that's what we paid. We have given her annual raises of $1/hr or more, added reimbursement for health insurance, given generous bonuses and gifts for holidays and anniversary dates, and have also supported her in other, non-monetary ways (help locating a new apartment and moving, support during some medical stuff, extra leave time for personal needs, etc...)

We retain her and pay her well for all the reasons we initially hired her, and for the fact that she has done nothing but earn our complete trust and confidence.

The spanish remains a bonus, but not a core requirement. Her English isn't perfect, but it is more than adequate for me to have full confidence in her communication skills. Her judgment re the care and safety of my kids is pretty darn near perfect and that trumps the minor language issues.

So no - we don't pay a premium for her language skills. We pay a premium for her experience and trustworthiness and now proven track record with us. I trust her with my children's lives and with everything in our home, and the compensation she receives is commensurate with how important a part she plays in our lives.

I love that my kids are hearing spanish, but what I pay for and reward are the non-negotiables of good childcare.

You seem to be genuine in your approach. Do you mind sharing what her current pay rate is, as part of the entire compensation package you described?

[Anonymous]

Yes, there are language delays with bilingual children but the benefits of learning a second language far out-weight the negatives in my opinion. Your Spanish speaking nanny should ONLY speak Spanish to your child and you and your husband only speak English to him/her. There is a "mind-click" in bilingual children that makes learning any other language later in life easier.
The drawbacks of hiring a nanny with broken English, however, are of a concern in emergency situations and her ability to understand you and your husband in regard to how you want your child being brought up. Our neighbors' Spanish speaking nanny says yes to everything her MB asks her to do and then does what she pleases. Another concern is the educational background of the nanny in their native country - your nanny must be skilled in reading and writing properly in Spanish and have an interest in exploring various new topics of interest with your child.


PS Our daughter had a pre-school teacher with a thick Russian accent and our daughter pronounced "worry" like "vurry" for over a year. She's say, "Mommy, dunt vorry". Very funny to have your kid sound like Natasha from the cartoons!