Is it too late?

[mizu]

DH's first language is Arabic and mine English. I have finally convinced him that he has to speak to our dds (age nearly 4 and 5) in Arabic ALL the time and not just sometimes English sometimes Arabic.

It is going well - only been a week - and they do seem to understand him most of the time. Of course they spend more time with me and at nursery and school so speak English all the time.
Have we left it too late and do you think that if DH continues to always speak Arabic to them they will pick it up?
Should know the answer to this myself, i am a language teacher but don't know much about children and language as I teach adults. Anyone?

ds daddy is algerian and i always wanted him to speak arabic to ds but he never did! ds is going to classes next year and the iman informs me that 5 is a good age to learn it!! ds at the moment understands the word pig and stop in algerian!! his cousins nickname is mizu btw

mizu - I'm in the same situation as you, as my dh is arabic and my ds is 4. I'm wondering if it is too late as well. He seems reluctant to speak arabic, even though dh speaks to him in that language. I think we may have to take him to an arabic country for a while so he has to learn!

ds nanny talks to him in algerian on skype he just grins!!!

Mizu means water in Japanese mehdismummy!

Yes, we talk to DH's family on the phone and sometimes on Skype and the girls do speak some Arabic but not much.

As a language teacher i know what a benefit it can be to speak at least two languages.

It is not too late. We moved to Switzerland an year and a half ago and the DC started learning French at age 4 and 6yo. They are pretty fluent already.