| I wrote an article a few months ago about multilingual | | | | We were starting to get concerned that they were |
| children and the advantages of teaching your children | | | | maybe behind in other things as well but the nursery |
| more than one language from the moment they start | | | | assured us that they were up to age on everything |
| learning to talk. | | | | else apart from conversational skills. |
| So I thought it was time for an update as to how we | | | | So about four weeks ago the decision was made to |
| are doing. | | | | drop English and German for a while and concentrate |
| For those of you who didn't read the original article, I'm | | | | in bringing their Spanish up to their age level and what |
| English, my wife is German and we live in Spain. | | | | a difference we have seen. |
| We originally saw this as a golden opportunity for our | | | | Since we have spoken only in Spanish to them they |
| twin girls to grow up naturally speaking all three | | | | have become different children and now it is a joy to |
| languages and so the plan was we would speak only | | | | sit and hold a full conversation about what happened in |
| English to them at home, their grandmother only | | | | school, what we are going to do at the weekend, etc. |
| speaks German and school and television would be in | | | | and now they will quite happily help with clearing away |
| Spanish. | | | | dishes, picking up the clothes for the washing basket |
| However, as my friend likes to put it "We live in a fluid | | | | and all the normal things parents talk about with two |
| world." Although we realised that it might take a little | | | | year olds. |
| longer for them trying to take in three languages at | | | | In fact now you can't stop them talking and the |
| once, it wasn't until we had received the report back | | | | nursery has informed us that they are finding it much |
| from their nursery that we realised how far behind | | | | easier to mix now that the can converse more easily |
| their conversational skills were compared to their | | | | with they're teachers and classmates. |
| classmates. | | | | We will introduce English and German back into they're |
| We also found at home, speaking to them was a bit | | | | language at a later date but for now we are just |
| like talking to a brick wall which made educating them | | | | enjoying the pure magic of holding a conversation with |
| or reprimanding them nigh on impossible as they would | | | | someone who sees the world through the innocent |
| just give a blank look and carry on doing what ever it | | | | eyes of a two year old and listening to them as they |
| was you were trying to stop them doing. | | | | learn the art of communication. |