That "bilingual experiment" is still going on :-)
@stine1online (835)
Germany
October 25, 2018 3:03am CST
You will probably not remember and I do recommend to read one of my older discussions before I left 3 years ago: I was asking you for your opinion about raising children bilingual. Three years ago, I was pregnant with Mini Me 1 and my husband (who is not at all talented in a foreign language and even struggles writing his Native language) asked me to try it. Raise our baby bilingual would mean English for me, German for him.
I was VERY hesitant, not being a native speaker myself. But I always had good grades, hours and hours of fruitful writing on Mylot with you guys and an US American boss (at that time) who "loved me" for speaking English so fluent when his German was a disaster.
And now? Here we go, Mini Me 1 and Mini Me 2 are raised bilingual. Mini Me 1 (almost 3 years old) does understand both German and English and speaks mostly German of course, since it is the primary language everywhere. But she does use a few English words which make me especially proud: purple, apple, brush, fries - to name a few. And she starts to have a German and an English word for the same thing and uses the right one where appropriate, e.g. "fries" when talking to me and "Pommes" when talking to her dad.
To not be the only source if English, I have been looking for an English speaking friend or playgroup ever since I had been pregant and finally found an English course for toddlers. It is more like a playgroup with songs and small videos telling a story in small groups. We will start this in two weeks and I am very excited. We had one lesson to test it and Mini Me 1 liked it.
What's your opinion about bilingual kids? Any advice you would like to give?
3 people like this
3 responses
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
25 Oct 18
This is essential in communities where more than one language is spoken on a regular basis. The prime example in the UK is Wales, where Welsh is spoken in the north and west of the country and forms the basis of a lot of the cultural life of the region. However, there is nobody - and I mean nobody - there who does not also speak perfect English, because they are raised bilingually from birth.
I live near the city of Leicester, where my wife works in the Childrens Services branch of the City Council. There are more than 100 languages spoken in the homes of the people of Leicester, because this is the most racially and culturally mixed city in the country. All the children are raised bilingually, and many act as interpreters for their grandparents who did lot learn English when they arrived from their countries of birth.
2 people like this
@stine1online (835)
• Germany
25 Oct 18
Thank you for sharing this positive story with us, John :-)
1 person likes this
@m_audrey6788 (58485)
• Germany
25 Oct 18
I don`t have kids of my own but I`m also living in Germany with my German husband. 
@stine1online (835)
• Germany
25 Oct 18
Oh hi there :-) I think I do remember you from the time before my hiatus. How are you?
1 person likes this
@stine1online (835)
• Germany
25 Oct 18
@m_audrey6788 a long break, a pause, took some time off :-)
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
18 Feb 19
Hello! This is the first time I've noticed you on the site. At the moment we seem to be the only active members living in Germany. The difference between us is, however, that I'm a 'genuine' German.
In which part of Germany do you live if I may ask? I live in a small town between Stuttgart and Ulm.
As to bilingualism: Children learn without problems *if the parents stick to their respective languages*. And it's a great pity if the parents let time pass until it is too late. Linguists claim that the age of 12 is the limit to learn a language perfectly. This can be seen when watching children who come to a foreign country at different ages.
@stine1online (835)
• Germany
19 Feb 19
Hi there, I had been wondering about you living in Germany or living in Uzbekistan (like your profile says) and only visiting Germany.
I am "genuine" German (to be honest, I do not like this term), too. Do not let language or bilingual kids fool you...
1 person likes this
