Raising Bilingual Children, Part II
Aug. 14th, 2004 08:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
velvetpagePart II: Challenges and Successes Thus Far
In the hospital, I spoke mostly English to her, because I was too doped up and in general discomfort to think clearly in French. It was at this point, though, that I started calling her “ma belle”. For the first two months, I spoke a mixture of French and English. I had to really work to remember that I wanted her to call me Maman, but Pyat was to be Daddy, not Papa. It comes automatically now, but it took a while. I also had to get rid of that mental light switch I had acquired, which allowed me to think in one language or the other, but not both at the same time. Now, I go back and forth more easily than I ever have before.
I discovered that I had forgotten a good deal of the vocabulary necessary for babies. I had her trained to respond to “bouteille” for months before realizing that the French take their wine very seriously; if wine comes in a bouteille, then formula certainly doesn’t. The correct word is “biberon”, but Elizabeth will never learn it. She goes around the house saying, “Teille! Teille!” when she’s thirsty. My mother-of-all-French-English- Dictionaries was very important during this phase of my re-education in French.
When I went back to work, she had just started saying a few words clearly. Over the next several months, she spent much more active time with Oma than with me, so her English skills improved in leaps and bounds. When summer came, I found I was retraining many words so that she would know them in both languages. She now understands pretty much everything I say in French, as far as I can tell, and everything said in English as well. She responds equally to “Tu veux manger?” and “Are you hungry?” She knows both “drink” and “bois”, “chaussure” and “shoe”, “chaussette” and “sock”. I’m not sure if she knows the French names for facial features, but she definitely knows “eyes” and “nose”, “Pieds” and “orteils”. She knows both “bisou” and “kiss”, “hug” and “calin”, and various others. So far, the summer has been a linguistic success. Her total word knowledge is increasing so fast, we can’t keep track of it. We suspect it’s now in excess of sixty words, which is very high for a 16-month-old child.
The biggest challenge I’ve had has been finding books and CD’s in French. Most bookstores around here don’t carry them. My friend whose kids were in the local Francophone Public school gave me all their outgrown books, and ordered some books for me through their Scholastic order forms. I ordered two hideously expensive board books in French from my own book fair in May, which she really likes. The public library near us has a small selection, which nevertheless keeps her fairly busy. For more variety, the main branch downtown is only a bus ride away. And every time I go into an independent toy store, I look at their books to see what they have in French. I have a bad habit of buying every French book I see. I’ve also got a standing order with relatives – if you see it, and it looks good or was written by someone well known, buy it and I’ll pay you back for it. So far, they’ve bought only English books for her, but I live in hope.
I took a few of the simple “baby word book” type books and went through them with a fineliner and some file folder labels. They are now bilingual. I’m considering getting more of these for my class; they’re a great “time soak” activity.
I tried ordering online, but their selection of toddler and preschool books at Amazon and Chapters was pathetic. The descriptions were incomplete, there were no pictures of the books, and there weren’t many titles listed. Very disappointing.
I called my local francophone daycare, which, logically, is in one wing of the francophone Catholic school a few kilometers from here. They charge a reasonable rate, and it will be possible to enroll her one or two days a week as soon as she hits 18 months in October. By next fall, I hope to have her there two days a week, consistently until she starts school. That should give her enough background in French that the school won’t argue with me when I try to enroll her.
Officially, I do not have the right to enroll her in a Francophone school. However, they will have trouble turning her away when she has been attending a francophone daycare for three years prior to JK. This is the aforementioned back door – I’m not francophone, but I can raise her so that she is. She will go to the francophone public school, even if I have to fight the school for her right to attend it.
In the hospital, I spoke mostly English to her, because I was too doped up and in general discomfort to think clearly in French. It was at this point, though, that I started calling her “ma belle”. For the first two months, I spoke a mixture of French and English. I had to really work to remember that I wanted her to call me Maman, but Pyat was to be Daddy, not Papa. It comes automatically now, but it took a while. I also had to get rid of that mental light switch I had acquired, which allowed me to think in one language or the other, but not both at the same time. Now, I go back and forth more easily than I ever have before.
I discovered that I had forgotten a good deal of the vocabulary necessary for babies. I had her trained to respond to “bouteille” for months before realizing that the French take their wine very seriously; if wine comes in a bouteille, then formula certainly doesn’t. The correct word is “biberon”, but Elizabeth will never learn it. She goes around the house saying, “Teille! Teille!” when she’s thirsty. My mother-of-all-French-English- Dictionaries was very important during this phase of my re-education in French.
When I went back to work, she had just started saying a few words clearly. Over the next several months, she spent much more active time with Oma than with me, so her English skills improved in leaps and bounds. When summer came, I found I was retraining many words so that she would know them in both languages. She now understands pretty much everything I say in French, as far as I can tell, and everything said in English as well. She responds equally to “Tu veux manger?” and “Are you hungry?” She knows both “drink” and “bois”, “chaussure” and “shoe”, “chaussette” and “sock”. I’m not sure if she knows the French names for facial features, but she definitely knows “eyes” and “nose”, “Pieds” and “orteils”. She knows both “bisou” and “kiss”, “hug” and “calin”, and various others. So far, the summer has been a linguistic success. Her total word knowledge is increasing so fast, we can’t keep track of it. We suspect it’s now in excess of sixty words, which is very high for a 16-month-old child.
The biggest challenge I’ve had has been finding books and CD’s in French. Most bookstores around here don’t carry them. My friend whose kids were in the local Francophone Public school gave me all their outgrown books, and ordered some books for me through their Scholastic order forms. I ordered two hideously expensive board books in French from my own book fair in May, which she really likes. The public library near us has a small selection, which nevertheless keeps her fairly busy. For more variety, the main branch downtown is only a bus ride away. And every time I go into an independent toy store, I look at their books to see what they have in French. I have a bad habit of buying every French book I see. I’ve also got a standing order with relatives – if you see it, and it looks good or was written by someone well known, buy it and I’ll pay you back for it. So far, they’ve bought only English books for her, but I live in hope.
I took a few of the simple “baby word book” type books and went through them with a fineliner and some file folder labels. They are now bilingual. I’m considering getting more of these for my class; they’re a great “time soak” activity.
I tried ordering online, but their selection of toddler and preschool books at Amazon and Chapters was pathetic. The descriptions were incomplete, there were no pictures of the books, and there weren’t many titles listed. Very disappointing.
I called my local francophone daycare, which, logically, is in one wing of the francophone Catholic school a few kilometers from here. They charge a reasonable rate, and it will be possible to enroll her one or two days a week as soon as she hits 18 months in October. By next fall, I hope to have her there two days a week, consistently until she starts school. That should give her enough background in French that the school won’t argue with me when I try to enroll her.
Officially, I do not have the right to enroll her in a Francophone school. However, they will have trouble turning her away when she has been attending a francophone daycare for three years prior to JK. This is the aforementioned back door – I’m not francophone, but I can raise her so that she is. She will go to the francophone public school, even if I have to fight the school for her right to attend it.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-15 08:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-16 04:14 am (UTC)I'm not at the point where I'm collecting more than little kids' stuff - no chapter books yet, for example. We're working on teaching her how to read a book without tearing the pages. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-16 07:19 pm (UTC)When I find the book I'll let you know about the age level. It's still above Elizabeth yet, I'm sure :)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-17 04:09 am (UTC)So basically, anything designed for a child under seven, I can probably use.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-17 07:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-18 04:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-18 08:00 am (UTC)This question means you've never been to yon Fest of Cacti! They close off the main road of Dundas, and fill it with booths, displays, vendors, stages for entertainment and music, and a midway.
There's parking in the lots behind the main drag, but it fills up in a hurry,and you have to know where to look. I live about 5 to (under) 10 minutes leisurely walk from the action, if you like you could come park at my place, and we could see the sights! :)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-18 10:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-18 10:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-16 07:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-16 09:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-01-11 05:33 pm (UTC)i would love to hear about how everything turned out for elizabeth - and now for claire as well. are they bilingual? do you always speak to them in french? are they attending a francophone school?
i'm sure all of this is somewhere in your journal, but as you can probably guess, i'm hopping through your archives pretty randomly.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-01-12 12:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-01-11 05:38 pm (UTC)