DVDs / Television and improving language skills

[UglySister]

My DH and I have different mother tongues and we live in a 3rd language country. So DD does not get much exposure to either of her 2 languages. Is it a good idea to use DVDs to increase her exposure? She is 20 months old and hasn´t seen any DVDs so far. I´m a bit worried about letting her watch TV so young but wonder if benefits may outway the disadvantages. Her language skills are a bit delayed.

BUMP!

what languages do you speak at home, it may be you speak in onw language at home and they will pick up the local language later, i owunt worry about it, be proud that your dd will be multi lingual

This is likely to improve her understanding but not her communication though. A dialogue situation is always better, it goes both ways.
I don't understans why she doesn't get exposure to those language, do you speak to her in the 3rd language ? that would sound very strange to me. My dd is also 20m, I speak to her in French and her dad in English and she understands both very well, although she still doesn't talk much, which doesn't worry me, bilingual children are supposed to be later talkers.
I guess my advice is each of you should speak to her in your native language, she'll learn the 3rd one at nursery or at school.

Hi Fredly, what I meant was compared to if we were living in either of our home countries, DD has much less exposure to either language than a monolingual baby would have. So I wonder if DVDs etc. are a good way to increase exposure or not. Like yours, my DDs receptive skills are good but she only uses a limited vocabulary herself...

at 20 months I would say DVDs woon't help much, but they can help when the children are a bit older - i,e, when they already have a very good understanding and can speak reasonably well.

But I wouldn't worry about the exposure she's getting, as long as she gets some 1 to 1 communixcation in each language every day she will be OK (eventually). It's not uncommon for bilingual children to be late starters, but they do usually catch up and as she's only 20 months, are you sure she's delayed? I think the guideline is something like being able to say 20 words at that age? dd (also bilingual) couldn't anyway and is fine now.

Definitely get some good quality DVD's/Videos. At that age dd liked watching Tumble Tot videos (action songs). We also had the Wiggles on video(they're from Australia, dd's first "boy group"). Wonder if satellite tv is an option?

I think the strongest motivation for a little one to perservere with a language is the need to communicate with other children. Think you're in Belgium (?), could you search out an English speaking family with children of a similar age and try and do something together regularly?

Where we are there are a lot of English language activities, often set up previously by the American forces community but still going strong - scouts, swimming club, museum trips, ballet, artwork, Irish dancing etc etc. Wonder if there is anything similar where you are. Your LO might be a bit small though, maybe an English speaking toddler group?

What is dh's mother tongue?

Thanks Ladies, I know DD isn´t massively delayed, just think it´s nice for her to be able to communicate better faster! There are NO other English folk around here unfortunately and far less clubs (I wish! Would have loved to go to theose mother-baby groups everybody in UK seems to go to!) I´ll investigate Tumble Tots and Wiggles and see what I think is best...