To send a 2yo to saturday language school?

[Marghe87]

DD is 2yo and is starting to speak, although mostly words here and there. We live in the UK and she goes to nursery, DH is British, I am from another EU country and have always spoken my own language with her. We try to do OPOL, although DH also tries to say a few words and small sentences in the minority language sometimes (he speaks it a bit but not fluent). AIBU wanting to send DD to a saturday language school? At this age, they obv mostly do songs etc. I have read and heard good and bad things about these type of schools. I know some kids might grow up rejecting the idea and others might just get on with it. The one I have found has very good reviews and seems lovely; we had a trial session and it was ok, but DD is indeed quite small to "appreciate" it yet (although the class was also open to DC of her age).
Am I going to make things worse if I send her to school or would this be beneficial in the long run? Not sure what to do, I am desperate for her to speak my language and be bilingual.

Hi do you get to visit your native country at all? My daughter is 22 months nearly 23 and we went back to my native country in July and her vocabulary went boom as she was immersed in the language. Here, I only speak my ma gauge to her, even in front of my DH's family who don't speak the language (though they can follow it to a decent standard due to contextual conversations) and that consistency has really helped. If your husband is able to speak the language a bit could he up his game at home and try to speak it more between you both?

My language to her, that should say

If you are fluent, what can the class offer that you can't already provide at home?
Personally, I'd not send her yet, and wait until you get to reading/writing/formal education, assuming the class will have spaces at for her age group when you want them....

Or, are you after a toddler group that operates in your native tounge? If the class basically offers that, go for it.

Although I can't see how it would do any harm, I think she's too young for it to be of much benefit. A week is an age to a 2 year old, she surely won't remember enough week to week? My LO is 3.5 and is now about the age I think she might start to actually learn from a weekly class. Maybe there might be benefit in hearing the use of the language normalised but I would have thought upping the speaking to her at home would be much more useful at this stage.

I think it’s a good thing - she will have fun and meet other children from similar backgrounds.

i was born to a similar situation (European father, British mother) in the 60s, but because of racism, my parents decided I would be brought up as British in order to try to protect me. they even considered changing our family surname to my DMs maiden name.

it was all very sad.

I went to Saturday school, not sure what age I started but probably went along quite young with my older brother. Even if she doesn't get much out of the class its still extra exposure to the language which is good, and might make friends that speak the language which helps even more. Is there something for adults there too? The one I went to had meetings for the adults while the children were in the classes so it was probably nice for my mum to get to talk her mother tongue with others from her country, so that's a benefit for you too.

I think the best thing you can do is speak your native language to her as much as possible, im a childminder in a foreign country and I speak English to all my little ones (quite often starting at 3 months) and by the time they are 1-18months they understand everything I say and are starting to use English words by the time they are 2, this is usually for 4/5 days a week consistently. A week between sessions is too long of a gap in my opinion.

I think she will benefit from being in an environment where she is forced to speak your language (assuming that is the case at the Saturday school - it is purely conducted in your home language?) . At home she will hear you speaking to your DH in English so you risk a situation where she understands your language but speaks to you in English because she knows you understand! Saturday school may not be necessary though if she has exposure to extended family who speak your language.

Definitely a good idea. They're like little sponges at that age and will pick up new languages quickly. Plus immersing her in a new situation where the language has to be spoken will be of great benefit.

It sounds lovely. As much as you try and expose her to your language at home, she needs to hear it coming from all angles to really pick it up. Good luck!

That is too late. Up to the age of about 4 years, children have the ability to absorb and differentiate multiple languages. At around 4 years the hardwiring for language sets in, and after that age it becomes harder for us all. The more immersion they get in multiple languages, the better they will be at those languages; and there is a knock-on effect in flexibility around wider learning outcomes that will boost educational performance in the future. My children grew up with four languages; my nephew with two. As long as the content and setting is age appropriate, and the child happy, then a language "class" would be beneficial in many respects.

Lol ! You're being ridiculous and in the years to come you'll laugh at yourself too! You speak to her in your language. Dh speak to her in his. 2 is far too young for any "class". Send her by by all means but it is little more than a playgroup and socialising.

I am bilingual as are all my children, they're all different in how much they use it. Just like adults will, they'll pick it up in no time, no matter what age they are as long as they have the opportunity and the motivation to.

If the class if fun then send her.

She will enjoy mixing with other children her age and you can make adult friends who also speak your language. You can then meet up with them and their children to speak your mother tongue.

I'm unfortunately not bilingual but there are plenty of bi- and multilingal people in my family. My parents, like a PPs, decided due to the racism in this country not to bother teaching me the languages they spoke.

@De88 there is no need to be rude. The class is specifically designed for toddlers from 2yo to 3.5yo and parents are present too. There is mostly singing and playing and repeating simple words, nothing more is expected from them. Saturday language schools for kids are very common, I don't see why it is ridiculous.

I dont think she would need school tbh if you just speak to her. We lived in an english speaking country. DH is bilingual english and another language. My mother tongue is german and i didnt learn english until i was 14ish.
at home we always spoke english as a family. When im alone with the kids i speak german to them. DH speaks his other language with them when they are alone.
kids are fluent in all 3 languages, my 8 year old reads and writes perfectly in german and english. No school required, just me reading with them and speaking.

We've done similar, I see it as a positive, the dc make friends with other kids in similar families and the Saturday school follows cultural traditions of the home country. For us it's a community. Parents volunteer and listen to the older children reading, help with book sales and fairs etc. Also my secondary aged dc is much better at writing and reading than her peers who have only been spoken to in the language, as she's progressed through the classes, so i think it has left her in better stead if she wants to work or study in the country in future years.

And for those that say wait until they are older, if you only introduce them to the Saturday school later when it's less fun and more academic, you'll probably have more of an issue motivating them to attend. Create the habit, make friends now so it's just a given that they get up every Saturday grab their bag and go (and get excited to see their Saturday pals).

We ae a bilingual family. Absolutely, you should send her. Kids are much more likely to pick up languages if they see them used outside the home as well.

In my opinion, she can only benefit from this. Fun exposure to your language, different people to widen her horizons...

My nephew really struggles with his mother's mother tongue and as a result, is effectively cut off from her side of the family, which is such a shame

You could just play with her, sing songs etc in your language on Saturday mornings so that in itself doesn’t offer much. However, if it’s about your family meeting other families from the same country as you, and hopefully finding other kids she can play with and talk to in the language then absolutely it’s worth it.

What would really help would be your child hearing other people speak your first language as well as you speaking it to them, do you have friends who share the language, invite them round for coffee or go to the park with them ,and let your child hear you and others speaking naturally in the language, get hold of story tape, song tapes, dvds , of singing/speaking in the first language, Skype relatives in your home country. Your child will be getting so much exposure to English when they are out and about, from the tv, from friends etc etc,that their understanding of what your language is will be skewed, you need to be very subtly reinforcing the message that your first language is also a method of communication, not just the way mummy sometimes talks.

So yes to the Saturday school, not because it will teach the language but because it provides a social environment where hearing the language being used is natural and reciprocated.

I grew up going to a Saturday language school for 5/6 ish. Problem is that learning at that age can be quite dry as grammar and writing (different alphabet) becomes important.

The people who say that a week is ages are right but you will be able to repeat the same songs and rhymes during the week (say at bedtime or while you drive the car) which will reinforce things.

Little kids often sing songs without understanding the words rigidly because they like the familiarity and singing/music in general and it can only be good for her developing brain to attend for fun. She may not learn to have whole conversations but rhymes and songs are often a cultural thing that bonds people from that country.

To clarify, I speak, read, sing and teach words to her in my language every day, so I think I am doing my absolute best. But as many of you have said, it’s not much a matter of her learning new words in my language but for her to understand that she can use it for different contexts, not just when speaking to mummy.
We go back to my home country quite often but always for relatively short periods as our jobs don’t allow us to spend weeks and months away. We typically try to go 4-5 times per year and stay between 4 to 10 days each time, depending on time of the year. We also have family visiting us a couple of times per year and we speak to them via video call regularly. But still, I want to do my best to ensure she gets as much exposure as possible.
I just wouldn’t want her to associate it to a chore and therefore reject it in the long run.
I know a lot of families who tried to raise their children bilingual but didn’t quite make it, I don’t know what went wrong exactly. Could it be they didn’t persevere enough?

I think parents who bring their children up to be truly bilingual, and I would include being able to read and write in the second language too, especially if it is written in a different script, really do have to work at it.

What usually happens in my experience is that the language they are using all day every day at school, the language that they are actually being taught in and are learning new things in, and are also hearing outside the home and school setting, or on tv, becomes the default language . It becomes the language they think in, that they use for higher level cognitive activities like reading for information, discussing, making intellectual arguments, it’s the language where they develop a more sophisticated vocabulary, can offer more persuasive verbal constructs etc etc. And sadly, the second language then becomes a language where they remain with a poorer vocabulary , and become embarrassed to speak because they know they speak it like a small child.

It is much harder when only one parent speaks the language fluently, if both parents consistently speak the language with native fluency It becomes the home language so that natural progression occurs within the home , and the parents rely on the extended exposure the child has within school, friendships etc for their other language.