It has now been four years that we have been raising Tullula as a Bilingual child, and so far it has been working out for her!
But how has it been working out for the parents???
So for a little overview of the situation we are in;
- we live in Australia.
- Stephen is Australian, he is a carpenter thus has never had to learn another language living in Australia all his life. He was learning a bit of Spanish when we met, due to the travels he was going to do in Latin America. Reality is that we ended up doing that trip together and with my fluent Spanish his was left aside...Who needs to learn a language when you have your own private translator! But he followed me back to France and realised that being with a French girl in France he better learn French Instead! its true that in the 6 years that we have been together he has learnt more French than he ever would of imagined, but once again; my English is perfect thus we speak English together...
- I am French, and as you see not too bad with languages!!!
- We speak English at home.
- I don't have any Family (French ones) in Australia.
When Tullula was born, we were in the Marquises Islands, and being that they are French Islands, it was natural for me to talk to her in French. I did write a lot about all that in a previous blog post
I still to this day, talk to Tullula in French 100% of the time! I may every now and then slip in an English word when we are in front of someone that's talking to her/us!
Everyone still thinks its such a wonderful thing that I do it, but they are only thinking of Tullula and the skills she is learning...And to be fair they are right!
But I don't think anyone ever actually stops to think what it must be like for me!
Speaking to Tullula all the time in French also means:
- People around us don't understand, thus cant participate.
- People think I don't speak English, so don't really engage with me, and that means I don't make friends very much, or never I could say when I am out and about at parks, birthday parties, toddler activities!
- Some poeple might even make out that I am just rude to do such a thing.
- Some may be intimidated.
- Total Isolation. At home and out.
So reality is that I am in constant isolation, out and about as well as at home...No one ever understands so its just Tullula and I all the time...
I do know another French couple, and it so nice for me to spend time with them, as its the only place where I can be myself-French interact with my child and be social all the while being understood and we become a unit all together!
If I did not have that, it would be a real nightmare...
I have had moments, not long ago where I have felt like its all just too much for me...I get tired of being isolated, of not being understood by the poeple around us, by being left out of social groups!
Knowing that if I was to just switch to English all would be easier at home as well!
Yet, I really love the fact that Tullula is doing so well, and I love the fact that she CAN speak French...And I really want her to be able to live in France later on in life!
So I have to just accept the situation I am in...
In all fact I hate it...The Isolation is not easy to wear.
That's my isolation, but what about Stephens??? He has a home where the two other poeple that live in it, speak French. A language that's hard to learn and goes to fast to understand!!
He cant participate in what we are saying, he does not know what we may be up too...So he switches off...Normal I guess...Sure Tullula talks to him in English and then we are all able to participate in a Family unit, and once the topic is know to all, he is sort of able to understand what I may then have to say in French...But how frustrating it must be at times for him as well?!!!
Its funny as at times it makes me think that we are sort of like a divided family...
All for the sake of raising a child that will be fluent in both French and English!
I sure hope she will thank us someday!!!
040/325 Sunday! 
