In every language Mama is mama, it may be spelt diffrently (Maman) but sounds the same, however as you grow you learn other languages and even stop conversing completely iin your mother tounge. How important is it to let or teach your children your home language?
I recently had a debate with bloggers about language on the Kuze Jozi la blog; and it made me review my ideas, thoughts, and beliefs on the subject. How important is it to learn another language?
I am fluent in Tswana, English and Afrikaans; I am conversant in Sotho, Pedi, Zulu, Xhosa and French. I can’t read, write nor comprehend the conversant languages but I get by if someone speaks to me in them. I was forced to learn to understand the Nguni languages because of my taxi days. I chose to learn the other languages and that explains my complete resentment at the other languages.
Anyways, I digress. How many languages do you speak? How and why did you learn to speak the language?
Some parents are mixed cultures and speak different languages but speak a common language to the child, in most cases English. This, tugs at my nipple, because I can understand the whole idea but I fail to understand the reasoning of not even trying to get your child to learn your home language.
When my cousin started crèche, the language spoken there was English but we insisted talking to her in Tswana at home. She was taken to a child psychologist because my aunt was having a fit at us confusing her child and the results were simply; don’t stop – it’s an excellent advantage for her. Now, my cuz at 15 only speaks Tswana to us, which almost started worrying us if she actually knew English but when you eavesdrop when she’s talking to her friends; they speak English.
Now, my son at 2 years old speaks 3 languages – Tswana, French and English – all together. He scrambles all the languages together to get a sentence and it is amusing when he talks. We know that its fine, all the psychologists and teachers say it’s an advantage for him. Prince K knows who speaks what language and sometimes strings sentences together in one language without fail.
What is your opinion on learning a language, by choice, not by force? What will be an ideal language for your children to speak? What language do you speak to your children in?
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