Feeling sad that kids didn’t pick up my mother tongue

[Hello2021bye2020]

Just that really! I wish my kids would understand arabic so I can speak with them in my mother tongue. I just feel guilty for not making more of an effort I guess. My eldest had severe languge delays (as part if an autism diagnosis) and so have made a decision to stick to one language with him...which then meant my 2 younger DSs (aged 5 and 8) didn’t hear much arabic either. Coupled with a full time job (and now homeschooling) I am not sure if it’s too late?

Anyone in the same boat/ or can perhaps offer advise? If you managed to turn things round? How did you do that?

Asalam alaikum. I dont speak Arabic. I am a revert though and believe its important for me to learn Arabic because of the Quran and so on.
I also want my children to learn Arabic fluent too. I have 5 kids and my eldest who is 13 downloaded an app to help him learn it. I am british, however my lovely Zawj isnt and he speaks a wealth of languages including fluent in Arabic. MashAllah. So we learn from him also.
Teach your kids the basics at first and grow from there.

Yes just start speaking to them in only arabic and they'll soon pick it up.

OP, I don’t have any experience with this, but is there a Saturday school near you? There are so many in London for people wanting their DC to learn their mother tongue properly (French, Russian, Chinese, for example). Of course, I don’t know where you are in the U.K. and Arabic has lots of regional versions (Lebanese, Saudi, Egyptian) so not sure what’s available.

(Possibly more of an option post-pandemic re Saturday school.)

It’s never too late! I didn’t try with my first but didn’t with me second, at which point DC1 was already 4/5. Thought DC1 was a lost cause but he picked it up at the same time! Can’t speak much but understands loads now. Just start weaving it into your everyday conversation and go slow at first so they can start to pick up words and verb constructs.

*but I did with my second

Thank you all for the comments. Please keep them coming. I guess if I can get them to understand some of it it will be a win! We did try a Sat school a while ago but it wasn’t close enough and so we couldn’t keep it up (2hr drive). Plus I felt the kids needed to understand some of it before they start learning the language formally...

Linguistically and physiologically, nobody actually knows if it's too late. Linguists have studied the age at which it no longer becomes possible to learn a language as a true first language (called the Critical Period Hypothesis), and the age can be anything from 2 to 13.

This isn't universally accepted though, and I know loads of people who have learnt languages past this time to native standard. Anyway, language learning is all about input and positive association - so get as much Arabic into their ears as possible from a variety of sources and contexts. Good luck!

Thanks so much @YRGAM! This is really interesting and encouraging...we shall persist then 😊

It's never too late! My elder 2 siblings grew up learning our moth tongue better than us younger ones, as they only had my parents to talk to at home, whereas me and my brother would speak in English to the elder 2, as well as at school. My understanding of my mother tongue is a lot stronger than my speech, but I can do enough to have a conversation. DH is from back home so that helps me a lot. My brother's speech is totally whitewashed 😂 I was more determined than him to learn it though, so I think that's what matters the most.

Not too late! My youngest ds is 11 but only really started speaking to me in English in the last 2 years. (We are not in the UK). Prior to that I was a bit half hearted as it seemed pointless to persist. Now we always speak in English. Go for it!