Any Africans here? 4 language plan for our first baby

[pattianne4]

Hi everyone,

I’m new here but it’s exactly the community that I’ve been looking for!

Hubby is from a southern African country where there are 2 local languages (he speaks both fluently) and English as the main language of communication in schools etc.

We speak English together but I have a different native language. We are living in hubby’s country.

We would love to teach our first baby all 4, but all resources I’ve seen so far are focused on EU based languages, and here people just don’t seem to worry about it very much? Kids just pick it up as they go? No one worked on language planning for my hubby and he speaks 3-4 languages natively from birth on. Same for the rest of the family/friends.

Any advice? Anyone in a similar situation? Would love to hear about it!

P.S. I unfortunately can’t speak the 2 local languages.

 

[mayfrancis]

@pattianne4 In countries that are already multilingual there is much less planning because the supports are built in (different people/places speak different languages and kids are exposed organically). In mostly monolingual countries more planning is needed because otherwise baby just won't get the exposure. My guess is that you won't have to do anything to expose baby to English or your husband's 2 native languages, but you will have to work a little extra to make sure that your native language is part of the mix.

 

[grayheavens1]

@mayfrancis Yeah agree. I grew up being exposed to a few languages and simultaneously was also learning how to read and write in two diff languages.

However, I now live in a monolingual country so my husband and I have to plan what to do to teach our kids English plus each other’s native language.

 

[mrdon78]

@pattianne4 No advice really but solidarity. I am in a situation where my partner speaks Afrikaans and we want to teach our child. However outside of South Africa there is virtually NO language community for Afrikaans, and I don't speak the language either. So we are trying to build a language community of DVDs, tv shows, books, audio, anything we can to teach our son the language.

 

[joyfullyobey]

@mrdon78 That is hard. Is your husband an Afrikaner?

 

[mrdon78]

@joyfullyobey He does consider himself that yeah

 

[joyfullyobey]

@mrdon78 Got it. I’m sending you good energy around language acquisition and navigating the cultural integration with Afrikaner part of the family.

 

[mrdon78]

@joyfullyobey Lol thanks that is much appreciated

 

[xrho]

@mrdon78 Hey! We’re a tri-lingual family of which one is Afrikaans. We have found some community. It’s not big, and not always easy - but so far the kids are picking it up well. Let me know if you want to know more. But yes, Netflix doesn’t exactly have na Afrikaans option.

 

[mrdon78]

@xrho Hey that's great, I assume you're not in SA either? Yes please DM me any tips you have that would be helpful thanks

 

[prayerfsh]

@mrdon78 I would disagree that there is no language community for Afrikaans outside of South Africa. There are so many Afrikaans immigrants in various countries, specifically English-speaking countries. Here in Canada we have a large community of Afrikaans-speaking friends - my 2-year old son even has Afrikaans friends his own age.

 

[mrdon78]

@prayerfsh That's very lucky, where I live nobody even knows what Afrikaans is. It isn't even an option for translation at hospitals and community centres, and this country is VERY diverse. I once saw a list of at least 40 language options for translation at my local hospital and Afrikaans was not one of them.