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How To Help Toddler Overcome Language Barrier?

Discussion in 'Toddlers' started by jillcastle, Feb 20, 2019.

  1. jillcastle

    jillcastle Gold IL'ite

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    I have a 14 month old and we talk in our native language at home. My son perfectly understands us and communicates well. I recently started taking him to a reading program for babies at our community library. He is fine until the program starts and he tries to play with other kids. But once the program starts, he just sits on my lap and refuses to interact with anyone else. I think the main reason for his fear is because its a white crowd and the organizer and everyone else speaks only in English. So looks like my son is left out. Daycare is not an option for now. How have you dealt with this type of situation? Let them figure it out by themselves? I feel very awkward to talk to him in English at home. Any suggestions from those who have crossed the same?
     
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  2. pranavi1987

    pranavi1987 Gold IL'ite

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    Hi Jillcastle,

    I have a toddler too and we always speaks with him in our native language and once he started to going to daycare, he picked up English very fast, in your case if he doesnt go to daycare, if he goes for playsdates/ library for any sessions, initially it could be difficult, but trust me kids are too fast they pick up language quickly, after they start learning new language initially they get confused between our native language and English.

    But we have insisted our DS that he should speak in native language at home and we try to tell him meaning in our language and in English.

    Now he is 2.5 yrs old, he can recognize the difference between English and our language, like when ever we are chit chatting and playing we will ask him, what do you call this in English? he answers, then immediatly I ask him what do you call in our language? he answers.

    No he recognizes both and he can tell meanings vice versa, it took a lot of effort from our side but finally it paid off.

    We make him watch both English and our language videos also. We personally want him to be proficient in both the languages, because we dont want our elders to miss talking to their grand/greatgrand children. They dont understand this English at all.

    for a funny note yesterday night while i put him to bed , he said " I love you mommy and Daddy", I asked him to tell that in our language, he had translated word to word in our language and clapped for himself, I felt so happy.

    Hope this helps !!!!
     
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  3. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    1. Until you see him behave differently with Indian people, you can't be sure of the main reason.
    2. At 14 months, continue to speak in your native language only, and continue to go to the reading program. Don't try too hard to make him interact.
    3. Is there any possibility that he is picking up some cues from you? I remember I used to sometimes feel sort of "lacking" around white moms. They looked well-groomed and hair styled well, nice slip-on shoes, and all that.

    When he is nearing two years age, you can revisit the "talk only in native language" decision if he is not going to daycare even few hours a week.

    Read your post again properly. So, when the program starts and the organizer is reading the book aloud, other kids are still moving around and interacting with each other? Maybe, they are required to sit a bit quietly and he figured that out? : )
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2019
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  4. jillcastle

    jillcastle Gold IL'ite

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    Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope the same works out for my son too.
     
  5. jillcastle

    jillcastle Gold IL'ite

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    This is a good point. I have noted that the other moms get along well and their kids end up playing when the moms are chatting, but since I am not talking to anyone else besides a "Hello", probably my son is behaving the s

    Thats actually true! :) But its not just story time. The organizer gives some toys for the babies to play in between. I see other kids playing with each other, but my son wants to play with me. :)
     

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