Boo finally said his first English words (and first verb)! "Cooking" and "pasta": a child after my own heart.
I admit it, I was getting worried. E and I began to discuss if we should change our approach in languages. He and I speak English together, I speak English to Boo and he tends to speak French or some sort of mix depending on the situation and if I'm in the room. Boo is adding more and more words. Yesterday I finally figured out that he's been saying "croissant" and "les oiseaux" (birds) for ages and I just didn't understand him. Which I guess is normal but try that toddler-speak in a foreign language, even one that you speak and it adds an interesting dimension.
Mentally, I am prepared for my bi-lingual child, and proud. I think he's so fortunate to have that, and we are fortunate to live in a place where bilingualism is almost the norm - many schools run sections in other languages or are "international." There is such a huge population of expats on the Riviera from all over that being multi-lingual is not unusual. As such, I've been able to ask a lot of questions of other parents at work and I've learned from them that Boo will grow up primarily speaking French, and will even respond to me in French when I speak English to him. So he will perfectly understand. His use of language will be situational - with American family for instance.
Before Boo was born and when he was an infant I asked colleagues a lot of questions about how they handle the multiple languages. The advice & shared experience:
- Choose the approach and Be Consistent (#1 parenting rule in general). It was generally advised that E and I each speak our native language to Boo, and that we keep on speaking English together as a couple and carry that over into the family.
- Your child will mix languages. Because he will be immersed in French, he will most likely respond to you in French even as you are speaking English. Try to remain consistent and not switch to French when he speaks to you.
Emotionally, as I watch and help the language develop, it's hard to not see myself reflected. I'm such a word person and he's not using my words! Language is the first instance of culture and it's long been a concern of mine of how to share my native culture with Boo without us living in the US. How do I raise not only a bi-lingual child but also a bi-cultural child?
I have memories of my own- moving from Tennessee to Northern California when I was 10 and my mom bringing home flour and peanut butter on trips as if these things weren't available at Safeway (not the same, she would say). I sometimes recognize this cultural dislocation in myself but for the most part I'm never homesick. I'm also lucky : my family visits regularly and brings a bag of online ordered stuff. There is the wonders of Amazon and internet communication. Occassionally there are expensive purchases at international grocery stores (but rarely, I mean, this is France after all).
But I'm not shrugging off my American culture to become French either - I like having both. I don't want shove it down Boo's throat, but I wonder: How to share literature, history? How to teach him to write in English? Should we consider (expensive) international schools? Or take advantage of France's good school system?
I found some online resources which, in the end, basically come down to the first point above, however, it was reassuring to see that there are so many people wrestling with this (and there are many for whom 2 languages are not enough!):
These still haven't totally answered my questions, and I guess with this issue, like so many others, we will have a see-as-we-go approach.
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