Would hiring a nanny to teach kids a second language work?

[eversomuch]

DH and I would really like our kids (2.5 years and 10 months) to learn a second language. We both studied in Germany and speak pretty good (though far from perfect) German; we also speak some rudimentary Italian. We're not close enough to native to teach the kids ourselves, so we're thinking about possibly hiring a German- or Italian-speaking nanny to look after and speak the second language exclusively (or almost exclusively) with the children.

What we're wondering, though, is how much exposure would the kids need to really pick up the language? Would 10-15 hours a week be enough?

There's a German school not far from us (nursery through secondary) but pupils must be fluent in German when they start, so we're curious if we might have a shot at sending them there if they can successfully learn from a nanny first. (We also have some local German-speaking friends, so they would be able to speak with other native speakers as well.)

We've only started considering this, so any other advice or things to think about would be appreciated. Thanks!

Unlikely to work IME. I tried it with a French nanny (my French is fluent) but because it was only for a few hours a week they didn't catch on - also couldn't get DP engaged in speaking to them in French as he cannot speak French ... Read the threads on bilingual parenting - it's an uphill battle even with a native speaking parent.

If you are really serious you could cut out all TV unless it is German TV, speak to them in German only on certain days, cut out books unless they are German books, get the German nanny and see how you get on ...

We do have some German books and use some German words with the kids, but as I said, neither of us is fluent to native level, so I fear we'd just be teaching our mistakes.

I know young children usually learn languages incredibly easily, so it feels like a lost opportunity if we don't somehow figure out a way to manage it -- but that seems easier said than done.

My son has had Vietnamese speaking nannies since very early on. He receives little Vietnamese input outside of these nannies. He is now 5.8 and I think he speaks Vietnamese like a 4 year old native speaking Vietnamese child.

Some subjects, such as getting dressed, etc. he is probably better at in Vietnamese than in English.

Don't worry about your German not being perfect - they do not have another chance to pick up a language this early, work with what you have. I speak non perfect French to my kids - I don't even have a degree in it. I supplement it with DVDs, computer games,native speakers for a few hours a week and books, CDs etc. I started when my eldest was 2. He is now 5 and can speak French, understand native speakers and prefers to watch tv in French to English. It is completely possible to immerse your children in another language enough if you are committed, I would say if you have a nanny as well as you speaking it to them you are really likely to be successful. My son still mostly speaks to me in English but I reply in French, and when the person who comes to play with him in French comes he speaks entirely in French. I really wouldn't worry about your accent- after all it is not like they have an option to learn from a native speaker parent, they would just be acquiring their own bad accent later on if you don't do it now. It is really hard to make the switch though!

My DD is 3 and has had a Hungarian nanny since she was 11 months old. For the first 6 months it was 4 days a week (4x8 hour days) then it has been 2 days a week for about a year and a half (16 hours- not far off your 10-15 hours) as we added in a German-speaking childminder for the other 3 days a week.

She (apparently) now speaks Hungarian as clear to the nanny as her German/ English level is to DH/ me respectively. I think the 10-15 hours will work, especially if it isn't the only time they get to hear the language.

Really happy to hear some success stories. DH and I will need to chat/think about this a bit more and decide on an approach. DD (almost 2 1/2) is very advanced verbally, so I think she would pick up another language quickly. (She already knows and uses a few basic German expressions.)

I think it's doable if you're committed to it. DS is already FR/EN bilingual but he has soaked up some Spanish just being around a few Spanish speaking friends and their children and our former AP's friend (who now babysits for us) smothers him with Spanish endearments and taught him how to ask for cuddles in Spanish so just from very limited input something is happening. He also has some hilarious Welshisms/Welsh phrases because he'd hang around our AP when she was skyping her family and they spoke Welsh together.

You do need to be really committed to keeping it up though. German nanny alone for 10 hours won't be enough. Add in German books and TV, holidays in Germany with kids clubs, German Saturday school etc and you're looking at a good grounding.

Not in the same situation, but this might be relevant: I speak the minority language (Dutch) and I am not with DS (2.4yo) during the day. So he has exposure to my language on average for 1 hour in the morning, 2 or 3 hours in the evening and all day at the weekend. His Dutch understanding is as good as his English at this point. He slightly prefers saying English words at the moment but uses a larger percentage of Dutch words when speaking to me. There is no doubt that he is bilingual.

sorry to hijack but rrreow thats pretty much exactly what our situation will be. does your ds get any dutch contact when youre not there? books/tv etc or have you found that just you being consistent is enough?

I am literally the only Dutch exposure he gets. We have a couple of Dutch DVDs but he only watches them when I'm there (as he's at nursery during the day).

Also it might be interesting to know that I didn't decide to raise DS bilingually until he was about 14mo. So I spoke English to him for the whole first year of his life. It doesn't seem to have affected him much (he was a bit of a late talker, but that was the case for both languages, and his comprehension was fine and age-appropriate at all times).

Good luck! It's a bit nerve wracking to be the minority language speaker (is he getting it, or isn't he? Will he ever speak the language?) but it definitely works and is worth it in the end.

I also think it might well work esp with a child who is verbally strong by nature. My kids are English- German bilingual, but for the last 6 months by youngest (now 2.5) has been great friends with a 3 year old Bulgarian girl, who understands German but so far refuses to speak it. He only really sees in the village playground (right by our house, we spend a couple of hours a day there, and she is there a lot too). Usually Ds2 speaks German to her and she speaks Bulgarian to him, but he has now started speaking some Bulgarian to her - according to her mum, who thinks it's hysterical, she can understand what he's saying!

I would think it would work. My DH is not English and speaks to our boys only in his first language. The youngest is only 6m but my oldest undersrands the same in either language. His vocabulary is stronger in English but not much in it. DH is only really around for a bedtime story and weekends. As much exposure as possible helps though. We have books and TV in DH's native tongue. good luck!

I came to Italy to teach kids. Worked 6 hours a day, six days a week and spoke only English to them and within three months they were quasi fluent.

If you do get a nanny get them to speak only in the language you want your children to learn otherwise if the kids know she speaks otherwise they'll become lazy and 'forget' or downright refuse to speak to her in her language.

As someone, who has two kids who are completely fluent in French, it is very possible to achieve this. My husband and I only speak English at home and we don't know to speak more then a few basic words/phrases in French.

I started out getting a French nanny 6-8 hours a week for my daughter at the age of 4. I also sent her to 3 after school French clubs that I found in the area (Monday, Thursday and Friday weekly). The French nanny we had during the weekend and then I would also try to practice with her and teach basic words in phrases (while I learned them as well!). The game changer was when my daughter got accepted into a French bilingual school near by. But when she joined mid year, she already knew at least 200 words/phrases in French. It takes a lot of effort, but she is fluent now after just over a year in the school. We also got a French au pair recently and my children do not realise she can understand English, this is what forced my children to speak French and they have not spoken one word of English to the au pair form day one. My son has been at the school less then a year and he is also fluent. The au pair is with them 25 hours a week and she lives with us. She only speaks to them in French and pretends she does not understand English (sometimes I slip and speak to her in English). My kids remind me she does not understand English and they translate to French for me.

I know kids that go to the German school. They have a German dad and American mom. I think as long as you teach your son basic German, get the German speaking nanny or even better a live in German au pair (that does not speak to them in English) they will be able to learn enough to get by and start at the German school. Is it possible to get a German live in au pair? You can find one via aupairworld.com. If not, you could get a German nanny, but for children to speak the language, they need to feel a need so she would need to speak only in German and pretend not to know English. And you would need to teach your children basic phrases at first, so they could communicate the basics with the nanny. For example - toilet, I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, I'm tired, i want to play, colours, fruits and veggies or different foods they like etc. You can also find youtube German cartoons. Peppa pig is REALLY good for this. The easy and repetitive language helps the kids learn. My sisters daughter is speaking German and watches the peppa only in German (but her husband also is German and speaks German to her daughter, but peppa helps). I would also play German kids music and audio books during bath time or breakfast etc. If you can read German, I would start buy some easy basic German books (maybe more peppa?) and then read them one book a night in German. You could start out with 7 books and just re read them. When you re read the books, the kids learn the words. I bought loads of French kids books on amazon.co.uk. I am sure you can find German. Actually, I also bought a great Usborn German words sounds book for my sister. I also did this in French for my kids and they loved this. It teaches the correct pronunciation for the words and kids can even look at it by themselves. Best scenario would be if you can get 25 hours a week exposure from native speaker. But if you can only get 10 hours a week, you would have to supplement with lets save 5 hours a week of tv exposure, 5 hours of music/audio book exposure and, 5 hours of reading books at night exposure. Your aim is to reach 25 hours a week of exposure. Once they start school it would be a lot easier if they get into the German school.

It is possible to find your own nanny by doing research and checking websites like care.com. I checked out littleoneslondon before and they charge quite a lot of money to do the search for you.

Where there is a will, there is a way. It is not easy, but the more effort you put, the more likely your children will be fluent. I see some children who are not fluent after a couple years in the bilingual school, but that is because their parents do not put effort in outside the school.

Any questions, please ask.

Good luck!

Btw - there are loads of German cartoons on youtube:

www.youtube.com/results?search_query=german+cartoons

Also, netflix you can change the audio in some of the children shows and some have German option.

This is the German sounds book:

www.amazon.co.uk/Listen-Learn-First-German-Words/dp/1409597725/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?keywords=german+kids+books+usborne&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1525297551&sr=8-2-fkmr1

I think you'd need more than 15 hours a week. My kid is fulltime in crèche in a third language and its her dominant language now but she's full time there about 50 hours a week so pretty much full immersion.

50 hours a week is totally unnecessary!

15 hours a week is more than enough as long as you keep it up for sometime.