I'm having a problem....Victor, my youngest child, at this point its like pulling teeth to get him to speak English and when he does, he has a spanish accent.
Victor had just turned 2 when we moved to DR. He spoke English well (as well as any 2 year old) and only knew a little Spanish. Now, he will be 4 next month and its a fight to get him to speak English. He has forgotten most of it and now will say words but not sentences. For example, he knows the word for helado is "ice cream" but he can't say "Mommy, can I have some ice cream". He knows some of the words in English for some of the colors, and different objects like truck, car, house, etc.
I have tried many things including only speaking to him in English which is difficult because he looks at me like I have 3 heads. I have told my other children to only speak to him in English but I don't know how consistent they are with that when I'm working in NYC because anytime I call and speak to them and then ask them to put Victor on the phone they scream..."Victor! Mami te llama!!!" so I don't know if they are speaking English when I am not home and my assumption is that they are not.
I have stopped speaking English to him on the phone because he truly doesn't understand and I just get back silence or he says to Bertania in the background "Que dice ella?" But when I am at home I try my best to remember only to speak English to him (I will admit though, that I don't remember all of the time).
I buy him books in English for his age and read to him in English and also tell my kids when I'm gone they are to read the books to him in English. But even while reading the books, all of his comments are in Spanish. For example, I got him a book about "No more monkeys jumping on the bed" and I'll read "3 little monkeys were jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head..." and he points and says "Se cay?!" The only things he remembers in English are things that I said a lot when he was younger and I guess they stuck in his head such as "You ready to take a bath?" he will say "Si" and start getting his toys together but if I say "Where is your towel?" He stands there with the crazy face. I repeat and repeat but he doesn't understand and then of course I break down and say "Donde esta la toalla tuya?" and then he goes to get it.
The accent thing is what has me the most concerned. When I do get him to say English words he has a Spanish accent. For example, Bertania has taught him this thing where she asks him "Victor, do you speak English?" and my daughter has taught him to say "Yes, a little bit" but no matter how much I pronounce the words out to him, his sentence always comes out sounding like "Yays, a leeddle beet". Or McDonald's he says "Yay! Vamos pa' Mec-dough-nalls"
I am very proud of my children being bilingual. The other 2 of course, have no Spanish accent with their English and no English accent with their Spanish. And they read and write in both languages. Their school is a Dominican school so its all Spanish but I buy them books (in English), they read a lot, and I have them write me reports in English on the books that they read to keep their English skills up. But Victor, pobrecito, is behind the game.
So, I've tried
-only speaking to him in English (I admit, I can do better with that)
-buying him English books and reading to him in English
-teaching him little by little, starting with just words (when he points and says "Un cami?n mami, un cami?n!", I say "Yes, that's a truck")
What have you guys done who brought kids here at a small age? Is the accent something that he's just going to have or will that ever go away? I don't think it will because I have met many professional hispanics that speak perfect English but the Hispanic accent is still there.
I just would like to know what others have done to increase the English comprehension and vocabulary in their children.
Thanks
SHALENA
Victor had just turned 2 when we moved to DR. He spoke English well (as well as any 2 year old) and only knew a little Spanish. Now, he will be 4 next month and its a fight to get him to speak English. He has forgotten most of it and now will say words but not sentences. For example, he knows the word for helado is "ice cream" but he can't say "Mommy, can I have some ice cream". He knows some of the words in English for some of the colors, and different objects like truck, car, house, etc.
I have tried many things including only speaking to him in English which is difficult because he looks at me like I have 3 heads. I have told my other children to only speak to him in English but I don't know how consistent they are with that when I'm working in NYC because anytime I call and speak to them and then ask them to put Victor on the phone they scream..."Victor! Mami te llama!!!" so I don't know if they are speaking English when I am not home and my assumption is that they are not.
I have stopped speaking English to him on the phone because he truly doesn't understand and I just get back silence or he says to Bertania in the background "Que dice ella?" But when I am at home I try my best to remember only to speak English to him (I will admit though, that I don't remember all of the time).
I buy him books in English for his age and read to him in English and also tell my kids when I'm gone they are to read the books to him in English. But even while reading the books, all of his comments are in Spanish. For example, I got him a book about "No more monkeys jumping on the bed" and I'll read "3 little monkeys were jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head..." and he points and says "Se cay?!" The only things he remembers in English are things that I said a lot when he was younger and I guess they stuck in his head such as "You ready to take a bath?" he will say "Si" and start getting his toys together but if I say "Where is your towel?" He stands there with the crazy face. I repeat and repeat but he doesn't understand and then of course I break down and say "Donde esta la toalla tuya?" and then he goes to get it.
The accent thing is what has me the most concerned. When I do get him to say English words he has a Spanish accent. For example, Bertania has taught him this thing where she asks him "Victor, do you speak English?" and my daughter has taught him to say "Yes, a little bit" but no matter how much I pronounce the words out to him, his sentence always comes out sounding like "Yays, a leeddle beet". Or McDonald's he says "Yay! Vamos pa' Mec-dough-nalls"
I am very proud of my children being bilingual. The other 2 of course, have no Spanish accent with their English and no English accent with their Spanish. And they read and write in both languages. Their school is a Dominican school so its all Spanish but I buy them books (in English), they read a lot, and I have them write me reports in English on the books that they read to keep their English skills up. But Victor, pobrecito, is behind the game.
So, I've tried
-only speaking to him in English (I admit, I can do better with that)
-buying him English books and reading to him in English
-teaching him little by little, starting with just words (when he points and says "Un cami?n mami, un cami?n!", I say "Yes, that's a truck")
What have you guys done who brought kids here at a small age? Is the accent something that he's just going to have or will that ever go away? I don't think it will because I have met many professional hispanics that speak perfect English but the Hispanic accent is still there.
I just would like to know what others have done to increase the English comprehension and vocabulary in their children.
Thanks
SHALENA