My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Education

How do I introduce German as a second language?

29 replies

michaelad · 04/03/2007 18:39

Hi there,
I am German, living in the UK with two little boys and am finding it really, really hard teaching them German (this must sound so crazy) because I am very comfortable with speaking English..and everything around them is in English. Anybody got any clever ideas?

OP posts:
Report
Scootergirl · 04/03/2007 19:00

We moved from England to Germany last year and DH, who is a fluent German speaker, started teaching DD bits such as her body parts, in the bath, and animals when we saw them. Usbourne Books do a good set of flashcards and 1000 First Words in German too.
PS: DD's favourite word was po-po.... closelt followed by big fat bauk (hope I've spelled them right!)

Report
Judy1234 · 04/03/2007 19:08

German au pair? That's what someone I know did and the German parent only ever spoke to them in German too. The best way to be bilingual is for that parent never to speak English to them. Then classes of out of school too and do it in school as soon as it is available.

Report
Califrau · 04/03/2007 19:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

moondog · 04/03/2007 19:14

Second Calif.Frankly ridiculous to think about teaching it to them or hiring someone to do the saem.
If you can't be arsed to speak your native tongue there is no hope whatsoever for them to become bilingual.

Report
moondog · 04/03/2007 19:15

(Is your dh German Calif? Never knew that....)

Report
Chandra · 04/03/2007 19:20

Second all the people who say you have to stop speaking English. I find it amusing when people say they are teaching a young child another language by teaching them the numbers and alike... the only way a small child can get a language is by constant contact with it... otherwise they just find the second language annoying and tiresome.

Report
Califrau · 04/03/2007 19:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

moondog · 04/03/2007 19:21

And even when constantly exposed to it in natural setting,expect them to occasionally find it tiresome and annoyin (as I did.)

Report
moondog · 04/03/2007 19:22

Oh really?!
My you two are interesting.

Report
Califrau · 04/03/2007 19:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

moondog · 04/03/2007 19:26

Splendid combo.

Report
Califrau · 04/03/2007 19:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Chandra · 04/03/2007 19:36

I very much agree...

Report
admylin · 04/03/2007 20:00

Try not to speak english with them, atleast in the home always speak german. Does your dh speak german?
That has worked for us here in germany. Even though dh isn't british we speak english only at home and even if the dc come home from school and tell me things in german, I always just answer in english and eventualy they start too. They have become completely bi-lingual just through going to Kindergarten for a yar and now Grundschule, no problems at all and they are fluent in english. Only thing is I notice they learn new english expressions every time we go back to the UK on holiday.

Report
Judy1234 · 04/03/2007 21:38

Because of where we live in NW London absolutely masses of the children are bilingual in all kinds of languages, Polish, hindu, French etc etc and in virtually all cases the native speaker only speaks to that child in their own language unless the family deliberately decide not to want the children to know it. My daughter's Polish friend at age 6 was sent home with her sister for 8 weeks over every summer (the parents both worked full time here) to her grandparents in Poland and they only spoke Polish there too. They also went to Polish school and church at the weekend etc.

Report
annasmami · 04/03/2007 21:55

If you want to raise your children bilingually in German/English in an English speaking environment, you should ONLY address them in German, read them lots of German books, let them watch German dvds and try to spend some holidays in a German speaking country. You could also send them to one the several German Saturday Schools in the UK (there are about 4 or 5 in London alone). It does require some effort, but is so worth it, in my opinion.

Report
michaelad · 05/03/2007 10:08

Whow, never thought I'd get such a response. Hubby's british and doesn't speak much German.We've got books and DVDs (even tried the Muzzy DVDs..God, they are awful) and my 4 yr old has spent holidays with Oma in Hamburg but we're not really getting anywhere.He knows quite a few words but won't really speak it. Well, never too late I guess. Just that it's so much easier for them when they're little.

OP posts:
Report
TheBlonde · 05/03/2007 10:11

Don't be surprised if your LO won't speak it to you - does he understand you when you speak German to him? If so then it's going in

We are doing OPOL and our 2 year old only has English words so far but he does understand when DH asks him to do something in Swedish

Report
michaelad · 05/03/2007 10:15

He does, I think. Very much a case of selective hearing What's OPOL? Am rubbish at all these abbreviations..

OP posts:
Report
TheBlonde · 05/03/2007 10:30

sorry it's one parent one language - where you speak your mother tongue - DH found it very hard to start with as we are in the UK and he only uses Swedish on the phone to his mother

Report
admylin · 05/03/2007 10:32

4 isn't too late, that's when my 2 started learning german at Kindergarten. At first ds would always tell the Erzieherin I don't understand but she would just carry on and speak slowly in german with the odd translation till she knew he understood. I don't really know how they did it but both my dc bacame fluent like that and I never taught them a word of it. Only later when I knew english really was their mother tongue, did I start geting german fairy tales and going to german craft groups etc with them. They never watched german kids TV till after they started Kindergarten as they rather wanted to watch the english videos.
If you can go to Hamburg for 3 or 4 weeks and let your ds play with german kids he will learn loads for sure. But even if it feels strange you have to speak only german to him. Hope it works out as learning german is really hard going (I know I'm still struggling) so you will be helping him alot if he gets the chance to learn it naturally.

Report
michaelad · 05/03/2007 11:54

Yes, German is seriously tricky to learn. I found English, French and Spanish a lot easier. I know how much my husband is struggling. He's paranoid that his children will one day take the micky out of him in a language he does not speak..so that should keep him motivated!

OP posts:
Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

annasmami · 05/03/2007 20:56

Michaelad, do keep persevering in talking only German to your sons - I know it's sometimes hard, especially when you are surrounded by English speakers (like my dh who is struggling to learn some German) but it has worked for us so far - my 4 year old is quite fluent in both German and English. So keep it up!

I agree with you, the Muzzy series are awful and certainly not worth money they cost. You are better off buying German speaking dvds on amazon.de.

Report
Chandra · 05/03/2007 23:40

"He's paranoid that his children will one day take the micky out of him in a language he does not speak"

He needs not to, he will learn quite a lot when you are talking to your child

Report
moondog · 06/03/2007 21:48

What a bizarre and self centred reason for not encouraging your children to speak another language
Who are these people who assume they are being talked about all the time?
It is an accusation often thrown at Welsh speakers by non Welsh speakers.
My stock answer is 'Don't flatter yourself.'

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.