Anyone with Arabic speaking partner/parents/children?

[ChaCha]

Do you speak Arabic at home?

Curious.

I live in france, DH is algerian, and speaks arabic & french. He speaks arabic to the kids so that they learn it (they're only babies at the mo) He's supposed to speak it to me too, so that I learn to speak it better but mostly we forget to do that & just speak french!

That's great My dad never spoke to me in Arabic, my parents only ever spoke English at home (mum is Scottish)and so I learned it later in life and still have much to learn. Am trying v.hard to use it at home so DC pick it up but is difficult when it is not your mother tongue and there is no one else around to speak it either.

Good for your DH Kids will appreciate it when older.

DH and me both arabic and french native speakers + English now for the past 10 years.
DS born in UK and goes to british school (he's 3.8)
We speak all 3 languages at home, although DH does not make much of an effort with arabic.
DS spontaneously speaks/replies in english as we are in an Anglo environment.
He understands everything I say but I have to make him reply in arabic and guide him.
When with grand parents/family, he'll make more of an effort.
I totally sympathise. I thought it would be effortless as it was when we were growing up.
But it's not because he's in a 100% anglo environmennt.

dh algerian and speaks this to ds and me english does anybody else find it hard being married to algerian

I'm married to an algerian & don't think you can generalise, I get on OK with my DH although we have our moments like anyone else! There must be some algerians who it is difficult being married to, like some British blokes are difficult to be married to...