Language Progress: Some adjusments for the whole family
Modified OPOL
When still in Chicago, a friend asked what we're going to do with Joseph's English. I said we're going to stick to our One-Parent-One-Language system (OPOL) we've been using since forever, and let English find its own way to survive. However, once in Munich, Joseph speaks English to us more than ever. We didn't realize and kept answering in our native languages until the 2nd week we're here. Joseph really addresses us in English on purpose. It seems in this new environment, he feels more secure speaking his play language. Nico and I discussed about it and decided we're not going to initiate English conversation with him, but we should reply in English whenever he speaks English to us. Right now we're the only ones who can maintain his emotional connection to the language he was using to interact with his classmates and other kids while in Chicago. It would be unfair to cut it cold turkey, especially back then we were sending him to day care twice per week *since he was 8-months-old until a week before we left* because we wanted him to speak English. After awhile, we notice he will then switch back to French while with his papa and to Indonesian while with mama after some English exchanges. Seems he's conscious that although he needs to speak English , it's still not the language pf papa and mama. Good. Some days ago, Joseph said happily in English: "Mama, I like speaking English with you!". Why, I asked. He answered: "Because you're like my friends in America". I immediately hugged him. Yes dear, I'm your friend who's still learning to become a good parent.
For parents who are curious about how we do this modified OPOL, as I mentioned above, Nico and I reply in English only when he starts in English. I still believe mixing languages in a sentence is a big no no for raising multilingual kids, so we always finish our English sentences before switching back to our native languages.
Example:
Joseph: Mama, look there is another ubahn coming!
Me: Yes, Joseph, it's coming slowly
J: Why is it slowing down?
M: Because it's going to stop
J: Kenapa berhenti? *why stopping*
M: Karena ini kan halte, ubahn harus berhenti untuk mengambil penumpang *because it's a station, ubahn should stop to pick up passengers*
J: Kita penumpang juga? *are we also passengers?*
and so on, and so on.
note: ubahn = the way the Germans call their metro
Oh almost forgot to mention, we also read him English books and he's happy about it.
For Louise (now 13 months old), we think it's best to keep using the pure OPOL. Next year we plan to send her to kinderkrippe/day care some hours a week for her German exposure.
Bilingual French-German School
He's been going to school for almost a week. Teacher says, he speaks English by default. Yes, he does speak French fluently, but he went to American school for almost all his 4.5 years of life, so in his head English is still the language of school. He switches to French after some sentences, but he always begins with some English. We're glad he goes to this school rather than the German public school. The French language smoothen his first days. German teacher says he sits quietly during German sessions, which is very normal as he's now still absorbing this new language. He still has the same old problems, though, just like when he was at school in Chicago: eating too slow, talking while he's supposed to hush, prefers playing with cars and trucks and arguing whenever the teachers tell him to do something else. Each time after school, he speaks English to me, as if he was just coming out of his English school in America. His friends know that Joseph parle Anglais! and teachers say they help him to switch to French. The good thing is, as turnover of pupils in this school is quite high *most parents have non-permanent positions in Munich*, teachers are used to handle new kids. Joseph's foreign language and behavior are not something new.
I myself also need to adjust. Glad his French teacher speaks English so we can exchange information pretty smoothly. The German teacher hardly does and I don't speak German, so we end up talking in French. Not too bad for me because school terms are rather technical. I could understand what she says and so far I manage to explain some things. With other parents is a bit slow. Naturally most parents either speak French and/or German, not English. Beyond greetings and discussions about snack box, I'm basically deaf and mute. On the first days, other parents didn't realize I'm not French nor German. I guessed they thought I was just a quiet maman avec une petite bebe. But today on pick-up time, Joseph rushed out of his class and screamed in English while pointing at his maitresse, "Mama, I wanted to eat but she didn't let me eat!!! She said no Joseph you have to play outside you may not eat anymore. But I wanted to eat, mama, I wanted to!!!". I was as shocked as the others. LOL. After that, in the locker room, other parents began to steal some glances at me, two of them even tried to start a conversation. Gosh, I was speaking French more than ever. LOL. And broken French that is. Double LOL. Iniatially I replied in English, but each of them immediately said "Je parle pas Anglais". Oh so I said "Excuse-moi, mais je parle un petit peut francais" and continue explaining some things to them with my bad French. Still, this small chat made my day. I began to mingle with other moms!
The very last, some unique things from his school.
Kids should wear house shoes in the classroom and leave their outside ones at the locker. When not in use, each pair sshould be put together with a cloth-clip, like shown in this picture *is that what you call this thing in English, cloth-clip?*.