Mum in dilema about French and Arabic for DC.Help please???

[preciousmum]

My DS is 5 1/2 in reception.He likes French,but all what he can say is;Bonjour ,aurevoir,oui,No.He didn't learned it at school,but from when i go back home in the summer holiday,he can hear my neices speaking french.He speaks fluent English,and understund more than speaks arabic
I learned French since the age of 8 till i left school in coledge,and Frensh is the second language in my country.The thing is i do understund everything said in French ,but it takes me ages to put my sentenses together to actualy speak it.And i would like to pass my frensh knowldge to my DS,but i really don't know how?Will it confuse him or not?Also my first language is Arabic,and i would like my DC to speak/understund both,but really don't know how or what to start with?Any idea please?
thanks.

Arabic, without a doubt. Your son is going to have plenty of opportunity to learn French in school. Very unlikely he is going to have the chance to learn Arabic, which is a much more useful language and one in which you are already fluent.

It won't confuse your son. I live in NW Wales and most of the children here are bilingual.

Is there any particular reason that you chose not to speak Arabic to him from birth? Or are you already speaking Arabic and wondering whether to introduce French?

If the former definitely prioritise Arabic as it's your mother tongue, so you'll be able to pass on your heritage through language.

If the latter then I'd wait a while, try to get your French up and have a few toys that 'speak French' so when he plays with them you play together in French.

Thanks for all your advice.Snapf i do speak to him Arabic,he understund and most of the time he replay back in english,and when we are back home he's fine communicating with all the familly.2days ago he surprised me when he translated an English song to Arabic.He's father couldn't beleive it ,he taught i have helped him,wich i didn't.
The Arabic i speak to him is the informal one (sponken),but my consern is should I teach him the formal one that include grammer,writing,because when he's watching a cartoon in Arabic,oviously is in formal Arabic,he doesn't understund a thing.
More ideas are welcome please.Many thanks.

Yes, if he will let you then do teach the more formal Arabic.

My French sister in law found it hard when her daughter went to school as the child refused to speak French at home any more.

I wish I had somebody to teach me Arabic!

Thanks earwicga for all the advice.This MN is great place :)

It really is :)

Okay, I follow :)

I would still prioritise Arabic and then maybe later use your knowledge of French to introduce it as an additional language, through games and DVDs etc at first and toys which he has to interact with in French.

Can you easily get hold of arabic resources to help him learn the formal form?

I would personally hold off reading and writing until he's reading and writing easily at school, especially given the differences between scripts etc. At 5,5 he's probably only just got to grips with it and won't necessarily understand why it's different to what he's learnt at school.

Prioritise the Arabic! If he is bilingual Arabic and English with a bit of French too it will give him an advantage whe he is looking for a job in business (or even as a diplomat!) later.

Thanks to all of your support.SnapF i did order Arabic alphabet poster on line,and i received it this morning,i stuck it on the wall next to his reward chart.He was very excited with it,he ealredy remember about 7 lettre,cause he was watching it on youtube,and his 2 1/2 brother repeating everything said.So far he seems very excited to learn without me puching him,as he said he wants to impress and surprise his cousins when we go back home on holiday,the fact that he lives in the UK and he knows the lettre in Arabic.Once again thanks to all you advice:)

That's really great!

Ahhh competition

Good luck!