Raising trilingual children (General discussion) Language Learning Forum

Raising trilingual children
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28 messages over 4 pages: 1 2 3 4 Next >>

Julie
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PolandRegistered users can see my Skype Name
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Message 9 of 28

21 March 2013 at 5:53pm | IP Logged

I wouldn't worry about Khmer - your child is going to learn it well anyway for sure, provided s/he has contacts exposure with other Khmer-speaking children and adults. Even if your child will barely speak Khmer as a 2-3 y.o. (which is often the case if the language of the environment is not used at home), s/he will learn it.

Therefore, I wouldn't choose Khmer as the home language. If you both understand Chinese and English well, then just speak your native languages. You can also pick one of the two to become the language of the conversations between you and your wife - then pay attention to using more media in the "weakest" language.

2 persons have voted this message useful

Serpent
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Russian Federation
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Message 10 of 28

21 March 2013 at 11:42pm | IP Logged

It's very important that the mother wasn't the only person speaking Mandarin to them. Hopefully you can make some trips to China. At least there's plenty of media, probably a lot more than in Khmer.
1 person has voted this message useful

js6426
Diglot
Senior Member
Cambodia
Joined 4521 days ago
277 posts - 349 votes

Speaks: English*, Khmer
Studies: Mandarin

Message 11 of 28

22 March 2013 at 11:09am | IP Logged

Julie wrote:

I wouldn't worry about Khmer - your child is going to learn it well anyway for sure, provided s/he
has contacts exposure with other Khmer-speaking children and adults. Even if your child will barely speak Khmer
as a 2-3 y.o. (which is often the case if the language of the environment is not used at home), s/he will learn it.

Therefore, I wouldn't choose Khmer as the home language. If you both understand Chinese and English well, then
just speak your native languages. You can also pick one of the two to become the language of the conversations
between you and your wife - then pay attention to using more media in the "weakest" language.

My wife's English isn't that great, and neither is my Chinese. We always speak to each other in Khmer and always
have so it will have to remain that way for the time being. We will then just speak English and Chinese respectively
to our child and see what happens!
1 person has voted this message useful

beano
Diglot
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Message 12 of 28

22 March 2013 at 1:08pm | IP Logged

What about French? Is it still used in Cambodia?
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Serpent
Octoglot
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Russian Federation
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Message 13 of 28

22 March 2013 at 3:10pm | IP Logged

js6426 wrote:

Julie wrote:

I wouldn't worry about Khmer - your child is going to learn it well anyway for sure, provided s/he
has contacts exposure with other Khmer-speaking children and adults. Even if your child will barely speak Khmer
as a 2-3 y.o. (which is often the case if the language of the environment is not used at home), s/he will learn it.

Therefore, I wouldn't choose Khmer as the home language. If you both understand Chinese and English well, then
just speak your native languages. You can also pick one of the two to become the language of the conversations
between you and your wife - then pay attention to using more media in the "weakest" language.

would you be able to communicate if you spoke to her in English and she replied in Chinese? Or perhaps if you spoke English and she replied in Khmer?
1 person has voted this message useful

js6426
Diglot
Senior Member
Cambodia
Joined 4521 days ago
277 posts - 349 votes

Speaks: English*, Khmer
Studies: Mandarin

Message 14 of 28

22 March 2013 at 3:27pm | IP Logged

Serpent wrote:

js6426 wrote:

Julie wrote:

I wouldn't worry about Khmer - your child is going to learn it
well anyway for sure, provided s/he
has contacts exposure with other Khmer-speaking children and adults. Even if your child will barely speak Khmer
as a 2-3 y.o. (which is often the case if the language of the environment is not used at home), s/he will learn it.

Therefore, I wouldn't choose Khmer as the home language. If you both understand Chinese and English well, then
just speak your native languages. You can also pick one of the two to become the language of the conversations
between you and your wife - then pay attention to using more media in the "weakest" language.

would you be able to communicate if you spoke to her in English and
she replied in Chinese? Or perhaps if you spoke English and she replied in Khmer?

We would be able to communicate on a very limited level, and the frustration would cause us to lapse back into
Khmer (as is happening frequently as I try and practice my Chinese, which is still at a very basic level). French is
not really used here, and 3 languages is difficult enough, we'd rather not try and throw a fourth one into the mix!
1 person has voted this message useful

Serpent
Octoglot
Senior Member
Russian Federation
serpent-849.livejour
Joined 6598 days ago
9753 posts - 15779 votes

Message 15 of 28

22 March 2013 at 6:19pm | IP Logged

Lapsing back into Khmer is still better than not even trying to speak your native languages.
1 person has voted this message useful

Ogrim
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France
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Message 16 of 28

22 March 2013 at 8:31pm | IP Logged

Serpent wrote:

Lapsing back into Khmer is still better than not even trying to speak your native
languages.

With all due respect, I do not agree. In a relationship the important thing is to communicate in the language
you are both comfortable with. If you learnt to know each other through Khmer, suddenly switching language
would most likely make you feel uncomfortable and conversation would be artificial.

If you are really motivated for it, you could try speaking Chinese for an hour a day and English for another,
but my experience is that your partner is your worst teacher :-)

5 persons have voted this message useful

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