Parents; Steps to Raising a Multilingual Child/ren....

[Blessed]

Salaams, this is a really good article from a website for those wishing to raise balanced bi/multilingual children.

 

I'd like to know the challenges faced by parents in ensuring their child develops skills in the four areas of language ability (reading, writing, speaking and listening) especially with Somali?

 

 

Pls share your thoughts.

 

......

 

 

10 Steps to Raising a Multilingual Child

[Aaliyyah]

Kimiya sister I would say somali parents need to figure out a way to teach their kids Somali. Most of them are having hard time with their kids, at a point where they cant even communicate with them sad walahi. so thanks for your input , I hope those in SOL who are parents would take advantage of it. I would truly recomend somali classes in the weekends, where kids get to learn their language, where they could also hang out with lota other somali kids, I think it would be fun. If I have the financial means to do that , some time in the future I will offer such classes .

 

wa salaamu alaikum

[NGONGE]

^^^ When will the poor kids have time to be kids though?

 

Many Somali children in the West seem to be working harder and longer hours than some adults. They go to school in the morning, return in the afternoon to go to Islamic classes (most learning Arabic along the way). Then you have those that do extra English and Maths classes on weekends. And in the middle of all that they still have to do their homework when at home and suffer the endless harangues of their parents! It’s a tough life for many children these days.

 

I speak to mine in Arabic whilst their mother speaks to them in Somali. Neither their Somali or Arabic are as good as their English! However, from exposing them to Arabic (dubbed) cartoons I’ve noticed them using Arabic (fosxa) words from time to time. What will be will be I suppose. The seeds are planted.

[Pujah]

EDIT: There is a lesson to be learned from NG here because apparently kids do pick up whatever language that is used at home. Therefore, the issue can probably be solved by speaking to them and reading to them or telling them stories in that language.

 

Few weeks ago, I met my colleague’s son and found out the kid speaks three languages. When I asked how she does it her answer was simple but it apparently works. They have a rule of not speaking English at home; as a result the kids pick up their parent’s language. At first I thought it was little harsh to expect child to learn and speak two languages at home in order to speak to his parents but she explained to me that is how its done even back home (India) because there are so many languages and no one wants to lose “theirs” since language is associated with culture.

[ElPunto]

^Yes - speaking from personal experience - my parents insisted and I mean insisted on speaking Somali in their presence even to siblings and friends. And thus I speak fairly decent Somali(or so I am told) although I've never set foot in Somalia and have lived in Canada since I was a small child.

[N.O.R.F]

NG

 

I speak somali to my daughter, her mother speaks english to her and she has arab friends at the nursery in an arab country. Beat that!

[NGONGE]

^^^^ Ooooh! You speak Somali to her? I'm so impressed I actually spat out my lunch of fish and chips, saaxib

 

 

Oh well. Give it a year and she'll be your Arabic interpreter. Heh. I could just picture you trying to purchase the latest Liverpool kit and having problems with the Lebanese salesperson.

[N.O.R.F]

^^lol

 

i'm a speaker of somali saxib even though born in arab lands

 

ps i can handle shops and restaurants but i'm getting tired of being called xabibi by men :rolleyes:

[Aaliyyah]

So u guys are parents for real? masha-allah.It is good seeing both of u striving to get yr kids 2 speak both somali and arabic. That is awesome keep up the good work.

 

salaam

 

p.s. northern I heard lota homos are in Uae specially dubai so watch yr back