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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Any experience of bilingual children?

12 replies

Runoutofideas · 31/05/2012 16:51

I am new to childminding. I have been looking after a little boy since Easter who is being brought up bilingually. I don't speak the other language. He is nearly 2 so his speech is developing fast at the moment but I don't understand a lot of what he says. I'm not sure if it is immature speech or the other language .

I note consistently used words and ask his mum - eg he always points out dogs and uses a different word, which turned out to be his other language. I'm not sure how much he is doing this though and how to encourage him....Do I just carry on speaking to him clearly in English and telling him the English words for, say, pictures in a book, and try to notice any patterns in the sounds he makes in reply....? Any other tips? Thanks

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LeMousquetaireAnonyme · 31/05/2012 16:54

Just speak english to him as he is monolingual. His parents probably chose you for that reason, they know you can't speak the other language, so speak only english to him.
If he points to a dog and says "caine" just reply yes it is a dog!

phunkiephedora · 31/05/2012 17:28

We've had tri-lingual children in our setting. Keep speaking English to him. You may find his speech in one of the languages a lot stronger than the others, he will catch up in English, his brain is working hard!
As your confidence grows then you can use dual language when pointing out animals etc in books but it really isn't necessary :-)
We have linguaphone pens which you can program for specific phrases and special books in German, French and Slovakian (provided by the parents).

Laquitar · 31/05/2012 17:57

I was going to say the same as previous poster: say 'yes, it is a dog'.

I'm surprised the parents haven't discuss this and haven't made suggestions and their preferences.

Tanith · 31/05/2012 18:05

Penny Tassoni (Early Years writer) brought her children up bilingual and recommends that the setting should use exclusively English and the other language(s) used at home.
I find it helpful to learn some of the language but it's not really necessary.

Original poster

Runoutofideas · 31/05/2012 18:21

It is not so much what I say to him that I struggle with, rather differentiating whether the sounds he makes are developed "language" ie words or just sounds. I suppose I can't know that really until his speech develops more.

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Original poster

Runoutofideas · 31/05/2012 18:21

Meant to say thank you too!

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Kveta · 31/05/2012 18:23

could you ask his parents to give you a short list of words he commonly uses in his other language? we did that for our CM, so she knew that DS going 'pejsek!' did mean dog, and not just some toddler gibberish, so she could say 'yes, dog!' or 'no DS, that's a bus' :o think she found it useful, and he is now 2.8 and using less and less of his minority language outside the house (which is a shame, but better for his CM of course!!)

Original poster

Runoutofideas · 31/05/2012 18:26

That could be a good idea thanks Kveta. The thing is, because the mum is bilingual too, I'm not sure if she always notices which language he is using. She may look at it more closely if I ask though....

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Frakiosaurus · 31/05/2012 18:32

I have a bilingual DS and have worked as a nanny with bilingual children. It doesn't make much difference whether you understand or not as most babbling at this stage, whether it means something or not, is an attempt to communicate. So I wouldn't say 'yes, it's a dog' - instead 'oh it's a dog, a big, friendly dog, what a clever boy showing me the dog. Dogs go woof, don't they?'

But definitely stick to English so he can learn linguistic consistency.

Kveta · 31/05/2012 18:35

ah, I'm the monolingual parent, so notice DS using DH's language a lot more than DH does! Maybe his dad could make the list :o

happychappy · 31/05/2012 19:26

My kids are bilingual, the speech of my son was a bit delayed but that's all, most it was rubbish he was speaking. Do as you would do with any other child

mumo3g · 31/05/2012 21:13

I look after 1 child who is bilingual and another that is trilingual. With the bilingual one the other day I asked her what a colour was and she answered in Spanish. Now although she got the answer right I didn't recognise it at first I said "no it's Green" and she repeated it. Now although I realised later she was right I think it reiforced her English learning.

The trilingual child has just started with us at the begining of the month and sometimes I'm sure he sometimes speaks in one of his home languages. His parents have said how his English has improved and we are begining to be able to comunicate with him more.

We do have multi language resources -numbers, colours, greetings etc. The other older English children read them from time to time. We also have a Spanish/English cd that we play. All the children like it.

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