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From: giacomet@haley.ecn.purdue.edu (  )
Newsgroups: trial.soc.culture.italian
Subject: Re: cantilene
Message-ID: <1991May2.151059.5587@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>
Date: 2 May 91 15:10:59 GMT
Article-I.D.: noose.1991May2.151059.5587
References: <GAUDIANO.91May1170154@copley.bu.edu> <7371@mace.cc.purdue.edu>
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In article <7371@mace.cc.purdue.edu> p5o@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Salvatore Attardo) writes:
>In article <GAUDIANO.91May1170154@copley.bu.edu> gaudiano@copley.bu.edu (Paolo Gaudiano) writes:
>
>>Mia figlia (Elena, 15 mesi) sta cominciando a
>>"balbettare".>
>>Mia moglie e` americana e parla quasi sempre in inglese sia con Elena
>>che con me, mentre io parlo quasi esclusivamente l'italiano con Elena
>>(ma l'inglese con mia moglie), per cui Elena sente perlomeno l'80%
>>d'inglese e il resto d'italiano. Sarei curioso di sentire opinioni su
>>un paio di cose:
>>
>>(1) Se c'e` altra gente in situazioni simili, vorrei sapere un po' che
>>probabilita` c'e` che Elena impari bene l'italiano, e se e` probabile
>>che impari prima l'inglese e poi l'italiano, oppure se e` piu`
>>probabile che impari ambedue, ma l'uno piu' velocemente dell'altro.
>
>Non per scoraggiarti, ma le probabilita' che tua figlia impari e/o usi
>l'Italiano sono scarse. C'e' un libro molto ``leggibile'' sulle
>famiglie bilingui, che raccomando senz'altro, specialmente visto che
>gli autori hanno un approccio molto pratico: Edith Harding and Philip
>Riley. The Bilingual Family. Cambridge University Press. 1986.
>
>E' possibile, e anche probabile, che nella situazione che
>descrivi la bambina impari l'Italiano, almeno a livello di conoscenza
>passiva (capire ma non parlare). E' molto piu' difficile che riesca ad
>acquisire una conoscenza attiva (vale a dire che lei ti risponda in
>Italiano). Vanno considerati un sacco di fattori, emotivi e non, del

 If you actually want your daughter to become bilingual, you should
probably try to make everybody speak italian at home (including your wife),
or at least partially. Your kid learns a lot by listening to his parents,
so at least, try to speak in Italian to your wife (if she cannot, it's
probably the best way for her ot learn it, and make her speak italian
also).

 I was told once that also it is important that each parent keeps talking
in the same language, so that the kid is not disturbed.

 Finally, it is true that you'll have to make her speak to both of you in 
italian, as much as possible. Just don't force her, so that she does not
feel obliged, but just make her repeat in italian what she tells you in
English. Just be flexible on it, so that it does not turn her away, and
try to get your wife participate in it.

 Otherwise, if you're the only italian speaker, it is true it may be
difficult. All the more that, usually, the children preferably catch
the mother's language. That's why you should also involve you wife in
it ... I don't know how she would feel about it. I know a few people
who've done that: "casa francesa" or "casa italiana" and it worked marvelously
well. Just shift language when coming home. It is also the opportunity
for the spouse to learn and become fluent in the other's language, but,
of course she/he has to be willing to.

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