Now if you were to talk to me in person, you would never have guessed it!
Actually most people think I am from South Africa...I get asked often where am I from, but one day a lady said to me "So where in South Africa are you from?"...It truly chocked me as it was so blunt!
I did learn English there when I was 7, well it most likely started at age 5 when we were in living in Tanzania, but I went to school in South Africa...Two different school, first in PE (port Elisabeth) then a dramatic change to Lanbert's Bay, an Africans school!!! A language I hated at the time!
One person said to me once, "wow but your English is perfect" I replied, "well yes I am what we call a true Bilingual person" (in reality I am trilingual)...
So, as you can Imagine I LOVE languages; and to me its very important to be able to speak more than one because I love to travel just as much!
ALL of the TIME, with out exceptions!!!
It has not been easy, and at times still can be a challenge, but I have come this far I am not going to stop. Plus the hard work well and truly is paying off!
I once heard Stephen say to someone "I did not think it was going to work at first, but it has"...He never told me he did not think it was going to work!!!!
When Tullula was born it was easy, as she was born in a French territory, so naturally French was everywhere and really talking English was being the outsider!
When we came back to Australia, she was 2 months!s
I continued to talk to her in French, and slowly realised how left out I was. How I was not including people around in what I was saying to her! How Some people we thinking I was being rude!
And I realised I had created a bubble and I was in it alone!
I would talk to her, about things we were about to do, and no one would know what I was about to do, I was leaving them out, unwillingly!!!!
But I knew I had to continue, if I wanted my child to have a good change at being a true Bilingual like I...
As they say that to be perfect in two languages, one has to learn it before the age of 8, after that your most likely to have some sort of accent! (I'm not sure if that's really right but well)
So I continued to talk to her in French!
I was told that the next hard step would be when she starts talking that she would most likely do so in English as after all that was the dominant language around!
Well, sure she says things in English, but hey she says a LOT of things in French as well! And actually at times we wonder if she does not say MORE in French...One thing is certain she understands EVERYTHING I say to her!
So you can imagine how pleased I am...Very Proud!!!
Now its easy, I don't care what people think or if no one knows what I am about to do, she knows and that's what matters to me! After all I can then communicate with the rest in English.
I have tried to do some research on it all and found a very interesting article in the Australien Parenting Website about how it actually was a good thing to teach two languages at home (of course when possible); this website/article says:
Language is more than a way to communicate – it’s a living expression of
culture, community and family ties.
Its such a true statement for me, and that's partly why I don't care and its easy now, because after all I am French, that's who I am, and even if my English is perfect I need to represent my culture, and I need to pass that on to my child! I may be white skinned like many Australians, but reality is that Stephen and I are in a Multicultural relationship, and we need to cherish it, never forget! I do sometimes repeat what she says to me in English, but I right away then say the same word in French. Like if she points to a bird and says "Bird" I yes "yes Bird; Oiseaux!"
I think its the way to go, at least its working for me/us.
I am aware that she will take a bit longer to talk than most children growing up in single language house holds, but we all end up talking in the end, don't we?
The article was from the web site Http//raisingchildren.net.au and the article was writte By Talaris Institute.
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