Anyone?

[Anonym bruker]

I basically need to advice or something...

 

This is the "dilemma"

 

My daughter is 10 mo... I pretty much only speak English to her since this is natural.... Not because I do not know Norwegian, as I pretty much know Norwegian just as good as English... Well anyway... My problem is other people's reaction... Some find it very odd and "not too good" for my child that I speak English, and only English to her... Since she actually live in Norway... But I'm thinking... The days when she's with her dad she'll practice her norwegian, anyway...?

 

So, what do you think girls? Is it a stupid move? Should I speak Norwegian to her rather than English? So she can "fit" in with the rest of the crowd?? So she won't have trouble when she starts in "barnehagen"??

 

I'd appreciate different views and opinions on this!!!

[Anonym bruker]

No!! Speak you're own language! It is much better for you're communication with you're child if you do. She will go to kindergarden here won't she? And school? I can't see it being a problem.

I have a daugther, two years old, and she speaks a real mix. My husband is English and we speak English at home. The little she watches on TV is feks. "Postman pat" in English. She goes to a Norwegain kindergarden and has no probelm communicating with the other children. In fact she has more words than some of the childern her age who only have one language.

The only thing I will say is that if you're planning to stay here, I would send my children to a Norwegian school!

Listen to you're instinct and speak English ;o)

[Mother of 4 (soontwins)]

You are doing what I have been told to do my many teachers and preschool professionals. I have a son who moved to Norway when he was 4 and learned the language through daycare and his stepfather. I now have a 2 year old and 3 month old twins who I plan on speaking English to as they will have to communicate with my family who cannot speak Norwegian. I wouldn't want them not to understand gramma and grampa

 

The only thing that would be noticable is when the child begins to talk that they may be slightly behind (maybe not) however think of the benefits of a bilingual child!

 

Between the father/other family, TV, radio and daycare, she will learn Norwegian properly anyway. Contine doing what you're doing. I for one support you

 

[J.H.]

I totally agree. I speak Dutch to both of my children, at home we speak Norwegian. They understand every word I say to them, but the eldest won’t speak Dutch back to me (only Norwegian). As long as he can ‘communicate’ with our Dutch family and friends I’m happy. Hopefully one day he will be answering them in Dutch (and I can stop being his translator). And by the way, both of them were/are at exactly the same ‘language level’ as their peers in kindergarten. So just continue speaking your 'mother tongue' with them!

[starfire]

No, the best thing you can do for your child is raise her as bilingual.

First of all, she'll understand her English speaking family.

Second, and maybe more important, when she grows older, it'll be so much easier for her to learn a third (fourth, fifth) language.

 

If some Norwegians tell you that its "not too good" to raise your daughter bilingual, they are ignorant and poorly informed.

 

Good luck!

[2trollunger]

Keep the English up! She'll hear plenty of Norwegian anyway!

Don't let the jealous people make you feel bad!

Our daughter is bilingual as well, and I really make an effort to keep her Norwegian fluent. (We're in Australia). It was around her second birthday that she "got it"! That's when she realised that they were to different languages, and she started seperating them.

 

Good luck! You're doing the right thing!

 

 

[mamamaria]

I agree with the others here... speak english to her! She will learn norwegians, no problem!

 

When we had our (now 9 year old) daughter, we spoke only dutch to her. Both my hubby and I are dutch.

She began in Barnehage when she was about 2,5 years old. In the beginning she didn't speak norwegian, but understood quite a lot.

After 3 weeks she spoke norwegian as if she'd never done anything else!

 

Don't worry... she will 'fit in with the crowd' as you say. My kids are now 9, 7 and 2.5 and all 3 of them are bilingual. The 9 and 7 year old speak mostly norwegian (because they go to school ofcourse), but perfectly understand and speak dutch (they now have this build in "button" they can push whenever they need to switch to the other language ;-))) )

Our 2 year old isn't fluent in speaking yet. He speaks mostly dutch, cause he's home with me and I speak dutch to him.

But he has no problem understanding the babysitter or friends who speak norwegian to him.

I'm not worried at all... as soon as he will start in Barnehage or with a dagmamma, he will speak norwegian within no time!

 

So please speak english to your daughter. It's a big + for her later on in life!! And you'll se that when she's going to school, she will be just as norwegian as all the other kids!