Maintaining 2Nd Language in Bi-lingual Child

Is there any way you could access Armenian language books, TV shows and movies for him? Perhaps online? If you can expose him to more Armenian, I think that will help. Also, if you know of restaurants or places you could take him where there are Armenian speakers who would use the language, perhaps you could have some special outings.

Most families I know who are preserving a second language eventually enroll their children in language school (weekly classes) when they are in elementary school - my kids have friends who regularly go to Greek, Russian, Portuguese and Chinese language classes. The classes cover written language as well as history and culture. I think if you and your parents continue to talk to him in Armenian on a daily basis, he'll maintain enough that he'll be able to pick up formal instruction when he's a little older.

Continue to speak Armenian to your son! He is already fluent in the language if you are mainly speaking to him in Armenian. It's okay if he prefers to speak English. My parents only spoke Chinese to us, but once my older siblings started school, we kids spoke English to each other. When our parents spoke to us in Chinese, we would answer back in English.

I am still fluent in Chinese. My parents have long since passed away, and I really don't use Chinese much. But when I do go visit family overseas, I pick it back up easily.

Your son is so lucky that you are raising him to be bilingual. Keep it up!

F. B., you and your parents will need to speak 100% Armenian to him. That's how it's done. It's understandable he prefers English because of his environment, and that's fine. But if you focus 100% on Armenian, that will be the best thing to do.

I don't know if there are Armenian translations of kids movies/TV shows. You just also just turn off the TV to limit the English for now. He doesn't need TV.

Our home and kids are bi-lingual.
Since birth, my Husband and I talked to them in our languages.
My kids, know more than me in fact.
Their brains are more flexible sponges for that.
Sure, the predominant language here is English and that is the primary exposure my kids have. But they can understand/speak/read in my Husband's language.
And sure, my kids speak, English as their go to language.
My Husband speaks English and his language.
I only speak English primarily.
I am not totally fluent in the other languages.
Also at school, my kids learn and know, Hawaiian and Japanese and Chinese. And its fine.

To "maintain" my kids knowing their Dad's native language (he is from Europe), he speaks to them in his language, daily. AND he also MAKES THE TIME, to sit down with them and teach them it. Like homeschooling them in it.

Growing up in Hawaii, per previous generations, they were all multi-lingual, many of them coming from other countries. And the kids grew up that way... speaking and knowing many languages... their parent's native languages plus, English since that is what was taught in school. But at home, it was the native language that was, spoken to the kids. So my Mom and all the previous generations, grew up that way.
And they got fluent.

It takes effort and time, to teach the child, "your" language... and since the predominant language here is English.
At home, you speak in your native or cultural language.
At school they speak English.

But never, use both languages in the same sentence. Otherwise, the child learns the language, wrong.

And you also can have your child join cultural groups. And you as parents join too. That way, you are in a group that is of that culture/language. We did that too, with our kids.
Just Google search Armenian culture groups in your city.
Also, Google search "Armenian TV shows".... etc.
And that way as well, you can have your child watch it.
And also that way, they learn about the culture.
Learning a language... .ALSO entails, learning about the culture.

Try to keep him around people who speak Go to special events and fairs as well where Armenian is spoken as long as you can. He will learn it and retain it even if he doesn't speak it daily. He will recall events that happen to him later on in life from his experiences.

When we were assigned to Quebec my son learn French and continued in it in preschool. After half a year he was switched back to a class where French was not the primary language spoken in the home. He still has his grammar from that time period. So it does work.

Good luck in keeping him in the second language. I was not so lucky when we returned back to the States. I tried to get him into a program at the university but it was full and things changed a bit. When I get upset with either child and talk in French they know that they are in trouble and they are soon to be 40 and 36.

the other S.

PS Plus being in Germany for 8 years they picked up that language as well.

I have a little guy in my day care that is bi-lingual (I'm not, but I am learning). His Mama talks to him primarily in Spanish both at home and out and about. He is easily able to switch back and forth and I think that's great. I would speak to him in Armenian as much as possible because he has plenty of exposure to English from other sources. What a great asset to have at such a young age!!

M

I had a friend who spoke both Spanish and English. In school, she was labeled as an ESL (English as a Second Language) student, and while it was true that her first language was Spanish, you would not know by listening to her speaking. She had no problem speaking in either language, and as an adult is fluent in each. When she would argue with her mother, her mother always spoke Spanish and she would respond in English.

English is the predominant language outside of your home, and your son will only be more exposed to it as he enters into school and is out of your home for the majority of his waking day. As long as you keep exposing him, he will continue to understand. You can practice with him doing vocabulary in English and Armenian so you can hear him actually speak the words. Read kids books in Armenian, and have him read aloud to you when he learns to read.

My husband is bi-lingual, in Spanish and English. His mom and grandma only spoke to him in Spanish. She still does to this day, well she breaks it up depending on who is around.

I grew up around German and Spanish (my dad's parents, strange combo I know, my grandfather met my grandmother in Germany during the war). I can not speak nor understand either.

Have a set time or day where you only speak Armenian to your child and they to you (try to do it when hubby isn't home so he's not feeling like you are excluding him). Have grandparents speak only Armenian when they have your child for the day (and encourage it to happen often even if only for a few hours a week).

At age three he does not yet comprehend that the two are separate languages. It will take him about another year or so to get to that point. So keep talking and reading to him and when he gets a little bit older Armenian can come to be your "secret" language, something special you speak together. My kids are now 13 and 17 and completely bilingual. They loved having a secret language with me.

First I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you are exposing him to both languages. He is using the one he hears most from others, so that makes sense.

I had a friend whose family did dinner in Italian to make sure the kids all were fluent. I know that your hubby only speaks english, but is there something like that you can do. Maybe breakfast in Armenian if that is when you are with him? Just keep speaking it to him, even if he answers in English OR a combination of the two. He may mix them up, but will eventually straighten them out.

I am bi-lingual, and from the moment we were born, in Puerto Rico, we were constantly exposed to the English language. So in my case, English was my 2nd langauge. All of our movies were in English, we would only watch TV in English and our books were in English. Constant exposure is honestly the only thing that will help. My family moved to AZ when I was 15yrs old and our transition was really smoothe, from 75% Spanish 25% English to 25% Spanish 75% English.