Birthday gift.. what language?

[Birthdayparties22]

Dd is going to a nursery friend's birthday party soon, I don't know the family extremely well but I do know the mum and her dd speak two languages. I chat with the mum in English and when she speaks privately with her dd they speak a different language.

Anyway I was planning on getting her dd a book as her birthday present, but have no idea whether to get it in English or the other language. Maybe two different books, one of each? Just avoid books all together?

If the child is being educated in English, books in English should be fine.

Would it not be a 'nicer thought' to get the language they speak at home though? Or not?

You are overthinking. Just get the english version .

English is not my first language and I would be very happy with either 🙂. I would be quite impressed if you went to trouble of finding a book in my language though.

I speak a different language at home to the language at school and I probably wouldn’t want the book in my language and would wonder why you had done it. There will be fewer books available so you will be more likely to duplicate.
I read my kids library books and I just translate in my head while reading, probably your daughter’s friend’s mum does the same.
Are you maybe monolingual, so unsure of what it’s like to have another home language?

Yes I can't speak a word of anything other then English so no idea. Just thought it might show we'd thought of their family.

You are really over thinking this. Just get an English book.

English books as you are an English friend. My children are half Swedish so DH's family bought them books in Swedish - traditional children's book that all Swedish children know and books that are popular. My friends and family brought the equivalent in English. Now they are older they read books in both languages. For Christmas I get them one of each language.

Get it in English if the child is being bought up to speak both

Agreed

It risks as coming across like you think they are different from you or that their English isn’t good enough. If they speak their language in public they probably here a lot of negativity so may be primed to miss your good intentions.

Hear…

Really? Are people still negative about this?

We are raising DC bilingual. DC once got a book in our second language. I thought it was a lovely gesture.
Equally we are happy with books in English.
In any case, books are the way to go, no plastic crap please :)

I would get English. We speak two languages at home and when family members have tried to get gifts in the "other" language it has been a sweet attempt but they have often missed the mark and bought really random things. Just go for the one you're familiar with.

English. They are in the UK and speak English.

Agree it should be in English. I have seen some popular children's story books with English and another language in the same book, but that's as far as I'd go.

I think English is safer, tbh. I'd hope they'd understand the good intention if you gave a book in the other language they speak, but you never can tell. More the point, as a PP mentioned, you'll have a much better range of choice with an English book.

They will know books in their own language. Much nicer to be introduced to something new by a native speaker. They will most likely associate that book in your native language with you and so value it more.

Very easy to make a mistake trying to buy in someone else's native language, unless you are at least fluent.

Thank you for the responses, English it is.