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Parenting

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Original poster

do you feel embarassed speaking to your child in your own language in public ?

56 replies

fredly · 09/08/2005 17:16

I sometimes do, thinking at the same time that it's silly. When it's among people I don't know like in a shop, I don't usually care, but when I'm with friend I feel like I'm alienating them.

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spacecadet · 09/08/2005 17:19

i only really speak welsh to my children in the home or when i go to visit my family in wales.

Original poster

fredly · 09/08/2005 17:23

Can I ask why spacecadet ?

OP posts:

burstingbug · 09/08/2005 17:34

My friend is vietnamesse and she speaks to her children in both languages all the time, although her ds has only been in the uk just under 2 years (he's 6) and her dd is 2. her ds is now fluent in english and neither of them worry about which language they speak in.

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FairyMum · 09/08/2005 17:38

I speak to my children in Swedish all the time, but I think it can end up isolating you a little in the playground as other parents might not approach. It is often assumed I am the au pair and I end up chatting to the Swedish au pairs instead.

albert · 09/08/2005 18:06

Good grief, no, never bothers me in the least. It usually opens up conversations about how good it must be to be bi-lingual (if the other person realises I speak Italian too - albeit rather badly, DS 5 is heaps better than me)

spacecadet · 09/08/2005 18:09

fredly, i live in the fens, and got into the habit of not speaking welsh, obviously there was no one to speak it too! it just stuck i guess, i was bullied at school for my unusual accent, i always speak welsh when i go back though.

Original poster

fredly · 09/08/2005 20:47

We're neighbours spacecadet, I live in Feltwell !

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moondog · 09/08/2005 20:51

I am very proud to be heard speaking Welsh to my children wherever I am (currently Turkey). My father (Welsh speaking similarly instilled a sense of pride in us and spoke Welsh to us throughout our childhood spent out of Wales.

I couldn't begin to describe how proud i am to be a Welsh speaker.

spacecadet · 09/08/2005 20:54

fredly you are not that far away, out mildenhall way?, moondog, im very proud to be welsh, but had it virtually beaten out of me at school when i moved here and as i had gone to live with my dad who was a non-welsh speaker, i had no one to speak welsh too, if i were in wales now and just mo ved, i would continue to speak it where ever and when ever i wanted.

moondog · 09/08/2005 20:58

I know how proud you are sc,and certainly didn't mean to be rude. It happens with a lot of kids. My sister is despairing at present because her dh is not speaking Korean properly to the kids. She desperately wants him too but he doesn't seem committed. We are all very disappointed at the thought of this slipping through their fingers.

Have you ever taken your kids to the Eisteddfod btw? it was on the Faenol Estate this year ans was fantastic-really cool and hip!

spacecadet · 09/08/2005 21:14

moondog, have never taken the kids, but took part many a time as a kid myself!, i still have all the certificates i got and dm kept all the newspaper cuttings.

moondog · 09/08/2005 21:23

You must take them. They would love it!

helsi · 09/08/2005 21:24

pardon? je ne comprend pas!

spacecadet · 09/08/2005 21:24

ive forgotton what its like actually!

spacecadet · 09/08/2005 21:25

will def take them next year

moondog · 09/08/2005 21:27

It is incredibly groovy these days. You can even get a drink on the Maes!

spacecadet · 09/08/2005 21:29

wow, i dont remember it being hip or groovy when i was a kid!, in fact we used to be soo bored waiting our turn, i used to go and blow my money on naff badges with the little urdd man on them!!!!!!!!!!!

spacecadet · 09/08/2005 21:30

i still remember playing the glockenspiel in a piece we performed called Y Delyn Newydd, that was an awful long time ago!

moondog · 09/08/2005 21:38

Now there are brilliant stalls,trendy places to eat in, just lots of really great stuff for people of any age.
Sort of like an upmarket Glastonbury but with loads more culture.

I was really impressed.

at Y Delyn Newydd!

spacecadet · 09/08/2005 21:44

wow, i will go for sure.
i still have the pic of me from the paper in the line up, i always got stuck playing the damn glockenspiel..

milward · 09/08/2005 21:46

Speek my language to my kids when ever I talk to them. If I need to explain what I'm saying then I'll tell the teacher, doc whoever that I'll just be saying whatever. My kids are perfect bilangual. My oldest at primary school is in the top of her class - having 2 languages hasn't stopped her from doing well in the one that I'm not fluent in but dh always talks in to the kids. When I'm out & about I don't care if others hear me talking a diff lang to others. I have a foreign accent in anycase - so I'd always sound different!!

spacecadet · 09/08/2005 21:52

where do you come from milward?

diva4mgl · 10/08/2005 01:04

NO, Im not. I do speak 4 languages and i use all of them it just simple. Although my DD is only 3months i feel easy speaking to her in all of them. I do hope she will pick them up naturally.

AussieSim · 10/08/2005 01:17

I sometimes feel a little uncomfortable in a public setting. I speak some german to my boys as my DH is german and I lived there for 2 years and had DS1 there. I think I wouldn't feel so bad if I was a native speaker instead of using a mish mash of german and english. My DH speaks german with them 90% of the time and does not feel self-concious about it at all.

JoannaArcher1 · 04/09/2007 23:48

I'm not a native French-speaker but I still try to speak to my son in French at every opportunity. I've got an unlimited supply of nouns but I know my sentence construction is clumsy and unnatural. I'm sure some people think I'm being pretentious but it has been a huge effort to ensure he grows up at least bi-lingual, preferably multi-lingual, and I'm not going to let my embarrassment get in the way. His accent is better than mine and he now corrects me! He obviously enjoys being able to do something I can't. My own grasp of French has improved immeasurably since we have been listening to audiobooks in the car and watching DVDs together.

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