Hi,
I'd like to write down my opinion about teaching an additional language to a child, but it is my opinion only, so if you wish you can read it on.
I am a mum who has a 3 and a half year old boy who speaks Hungarian and English very well and learning Spanish and German.
First I would like to say that teaching additional language to your child it is the easiest things that you can do (if you or your partner speak a foreign language) and this is the best that you can give to your child educationly in this early years (perhapr the music the other things that we should teach them). It will help their learning in school in every subject (maths, English, science etc). Did you know that people done a survey that shows billingual children has better marks in GCSE? You only need to speak the foreign language with your child. It does not mean you cannot speak English at all.
Sometimes you ask who should speak which language? It is really does not matter. 1 people can speak 1 language or more languages to a child, believe me it is really does not matter. Before the age of 2 or 3, they are too small to understand that you speak two different languages, they won't know that they are learning 2 langugaes. They will only learn your words and sentences. But please make sure if you speak 2 languages to a child, you speak both of them gramatically correct and you don't connect the language to emotion or situation (e.g: you speak English only when your child did something good or bad, or when you feel happy or sad). My son learnt english in the nursery and not from us. Since he learnt English perfectly, sometimes we speak English at home and he enjoys when he can correct my English. But beleive me, because we live in England you do not even need to speak English at home at all, your child still will learn English as a native speaker from school, nursery or TV.
It is even better if you and your partener speak 2 different langugaes and your child can learn English in the school. You CAN teach 3 or more languages to children as early as from birth. Imageine countries where people speak more languages like in Switzerland, Malta etc...
Another things that I would like to write down, do not worry if your child English is not as good as his or her peers, or your child cannot understand the children when they speak English. Children speak languages a bit differently like adults (in a higher tone, rapidly or more slowly, etc.) that is harder to understand than adult speach. And also if children ask something from an other children, they won't wait for the answer. Children who learn more languges in the same time, when they are old enough to recognise that they really speak more than 1 language, they need time for the answer. Because they need to think which language is the best to use. It is not a long time, just one or two seconds, but it is still delay the answer and the other children already went to the other parts of the playground or already asked the next question, etc. Do not worry it happens with children around 3 to 5. This two years they are going thourgh on a developmental stage so they fully understand, that we have different cultures, countries and languages.
So if you speak any languages, please let your children explore it, not just because it gives them a better start, but because it is nice to know where you came from, nice to know your culture, and your language. :)
Kind Regards,
RRBrigi