English speaking KIDS

[babiebrat26]

same lang din sa son ko, at dahil minsan hirap sya sa pag sasalita kasi ibang tao kina kausap sya tagalog tapos sa school nya english sila nursery - kinder 2 tapos now na grade 1 sya sa new school balik naman sya sa pa stop-stop na salita, hindi ko sya tinuruan ng english pero nung nag start na sya mag school english na ang alam nya, pero nakaka intindi sya ng tagalog pero hirap sya mag salita. hindi rin sya fluent mag english. hindi rin kami trying hard na mag english englishan hahahha kasi nahihiya ako pag ganon sya sa public baka sabihin feelingera. so english nya ako kausapin, tagalog ang sagot ko, hahahahahaha!

[babiebrat26]

GRABE naman kasi ang tagalog/filipino subject ng mga bata ngayon. parang ang lalim na hindi naman ginagamit araw araw? pati ako nahihirapan para sa anak ko kasi ang lalim talaga? nakakabaliw.

[khaleesiCersei]

^^true sis hehe yun iba kasi feeling sosyal na pag english speaking ang mga anak. Although hindi naman lahat, may mangilan ngilan lang kasi na pinag english ang anak para sosyal ang dating or para mas angat sila sa mga tao sa paligid nila or para magpa impress. Hindi nila alam eh mukhang social climber or katawa tawa ang dating kasi pag nakita mo naman kung san nakatira eh nevermind.. Kaya ako tinuturuan ko lang ng tamang pronounciation or tamang translation pero never ko inencourage na mag english englishan para lang makisabay. Buti sana kung sa exclusive village kami nakatira or nasa ibang bansa kami eh kaso hindi so tamang relax lang hehe ok na sakin yung nakakaintindi sya ng english at pag kinausap sya sa english eh makakasagot naman sya. Ayoko rin kasi lumaki siya sa pag akalang basehan ang pag english ng intelligence ng isang tao because it's not. Language lang yun, means of communication. May iba rin kasi na porket nakakapag english eh feeling mas matalino na sa ibang tao na hindi nag eenglish, feeling nila may license sila manlait or mangmata ng ibang tao na hindi marunong mag english or pag mali ang grammar/pronounciation. Pero pag malimali mag tagalog ok lang, walang grammar nazi hehe

[izabelle]

May history ng speech delay ang daughter ko kaya ang sabi sa amin ng dev ped and speech therapist nya, dapat isang language lang kami (sa Ngayon). Kung English, English. Kung Tagalog, Tagalog.

English ang unang natutunan ng anak ko kasi yun ang lagi nyang naririnig sa mga napapanood nya dati. So no choice kami, tinuloy na namin.

She's almost 4yrs old na ngayon and konting tagalog words lang naiintindhan nya. Most of the time straight english sya magsalita, sabi ng karamihan ang ganda daw ng accent nya.

Sa public, english namin sya sagutin kasi hindi nga nakakaintindi masyado ng tagalog.

[mei-mei]

^^true sis hehe yun iba kasi feeling sosyal na pag english speaking ang mga anak. Although hindi naman lahat, may mangilan ngilan lang kasi na pinag english ang anak para sosyal ang dating or para mas angat sila sa mga tao sa paligid nila or para magpa impress. Hindi nila alam eh mukhang social climber or katawa tawa ang dating kasi pag nakita mo naman kung san nakatira eh nevermind..

Ayoko rin kasi lumaki siya sa pag akalang basehan ang pag english ng intelligence ng isang tao because it's not. Language lang yun, means of communication. May iba rin kasi na porket nakakapag english eh feeling mas matalino na sa ibang tao na hindi nag eenglish, feeling nila may license sila manlait or mangmata ng ibang tao na hindi marunong mag english or pag mali ang grammar/pronounciation. Pero pag malimali mag tagalog ok lang, walang grammar nazi hehe

This is so true! One of my pet peeves pa are those who insist their kids speak strictly English then their grammars are wrong a lot of times. Then they'll brag that their kids only speak English. *rolls eyes*   I grew up in a home where we speak Tagalog, but dad is strict on English grammar and spelling, and my grandma speaks Ilonggo (she doesn't know Tagalog). So I am fluent in all 3.  I got all A's in my English & grammar subjects throughout my school life. My mother-in-law trained all her kids to speak only in English, but all her kids write English so poorly! I cringe with their improper use of "your" and "you're", "their-they're-there", "it's-its", and not knowing how to use punctuation marks.  They also had poor grades in English, ironically. Hubby was already the smartest one among them but his English were still C's or B's. In-laws are now doing the same with their grandchildren, and even bragging about it as if that makes them smart. This makes me laugh because my SIL is the one with the poorest grammar and spelling, so what quality of English does she really pass on to her kids? When my father-in-law brags that his grandkids speak ONLY English, I wanted to be disrespectful and answer him, "Well, we spoke mainly Tagalog at home but I got A's in all my grammar and spelling tests."

I have a contract staff who writes in very poor English. As in, her FB posts are those you would cringe more than once when you read them. I didn't take it against her, initially, because that's why she's hired as a contract staff nga, di ba? Husband is a seaman and they rent only an apartment in a far-off suburb. Well, recently, she brags in FB that her kids only speak in English. I could not imagine what kind of English din her kids learn. *rolls eyes* 

I really don't understand why people like to brag about English-only-speaking skills!  It's not a plus to know only 1 language. Children are like sponges! They can learn 5 languages without getting confused about it. Yan yun mas karapat-dapat i-brag kung ang anak mo ay fluent sa maraming languages!

[imbisibol_]

another off-tangent approach here:  we teach our kid only Tagalog.  or let me rephrase that with "we try".  it is a bit hard being that my husband himself speaks only broken Tagaglog, Tagalog nursery books are not available, and there are just no Tagalog kid TV shows here.

i've tried my hand at translating English nursery rhymes into Tagalog while keeping the rhyme and rhythm intact.  while hard, it is quite enjoyable. 

i translate the pictures in our flash cards to Tagalog.  Hindi, hindi yan airplane.  Yan ay e-rop-la-no..

for Halloween, we ditched super heroes and other American popular culture figures and had him don a magsasaka outfit.  it also doubled/looked like an Andres Bonifacio or Metro Aide get up, but the point was well-made.

our goal is to have this little one grow up to speak/read/write in fluent Tagalog.  And when I say speak, I mean that with no pa-arte American twang.

As he grows, we hope to teach him Philippine history as well as to keep him updated with current affairs.  He will read Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in Tagalog. 

A child who does not know his roots is lamentable.  And language is the most beautiful way to explore those roots. 
 

[Lauren_GT]

Some people get the wrong notion that if your child speaks English, he is ahead of the others.
The truth is & based on experience, once na hindi mo na expose ang anak mo sa Tagalog mahihirapan siya once he's in big school na especially in reading comprehension. I have plenty of friends na English speaking ang anak, kaya nung ipapasok na nila sa big school yung kid, natataranta na sila turuan ng Tagalog. Some they even enroll in tutorials para lang mag excel in school. As per experience with my kids, mas mahirap intindihin at isalita ang Tagalog.  I would suggest you teach both languages. I find it smarter when kids are adept to speak in English & Tagalog. Yung tipong they can speak in English fluently pag kausap nila English speaking..and can understand & speak Filipino well kapag need nila mag Tagalog.

we are overseas and my 3 year old daughter speaks both Filipino and English fluently. As early as now she adjusts and would speak in English when at school and speaking with non-Filipino speaking people. Just this week, her Tita who was born here and grew up not speaking Filipino came to visit. She said 'tita, san na yung sticker?' deadma si Tita. She repeated her question, 'Tita, where is it?'

[Lauren_GT]

another off-tangent approach here:  we teach our kid only Tagalog.  or let me rephrase that with "we try".  it is a bit hard being that my husband himself speaks only broken Tagaglog, Tagalog nursery books are not available, and there are just no Tagalog kid TV shows here.

i've tried my hand at translating English nursery rhymes into Tagalog while keeping the rhyme and rhythm intact.  while hard, it is quite enjoyable. 

i translate the pictures in our flash cards to Tagalog.  Hindi, hindi yan airplane.  Yan ay e-rop-la-no..

for Halloween, we ditched super heroes and other American popular culture figures and had him don a magsasaka outfit.  it also doubled/looked like an Andres Bonifacio or Metro Aide get up, but the point was well-made.

our goal is to have this little one grow up to speak/read/write in fluent Tagalog.  And when I say speak, I mean that with no pa-arte American twang.

As he grows, we hope to teach him Philippine history as well as to keep him updated with current affairs.  He will read Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in Tagalog. 

A child who does not know his roots is lamentable.  And language is the most beautiful way to explore those roots. 
 

Incidentally, for Halloween, the pre-school where my daughter goes to asked for kids to come dressed in garments reflecting their cultural heritage. She went to school wearing a kimona+patadyong. My mom hand made the the costume for her. I read books written in Filipino. She loves 'Si Pagong at Matching'. So there really is a conscious effort to teach her both languages at home. I have yet to meet with her teachers at school to check how she is at school. We will find out how she is doing, if being bilingual is a hindrance in her interaction with her teachers and classmates.

I love it most when we are outside and other Filipinos would smile when they hear my toddler speak in Filipino. 

[sarsingkit]

I really don't understand why people like to brag about English-only-speaking skills!  It's not a plus to know only 1 language. Children are like sponges! They can learn 5 languages without getting confused about it. Yan yun mas karapat-dapat i-brag kung ang anak mo ay fluent sa maraming languages!

This is my reasoning too. It is not about speaking English but the ability to speak multiple languages. To possess that skill will bring you miles.

[KVsWahmmy]

The irony is, kids who are born and raised here, in our generation - mas madami ang 'Englisera' vs marunong magTagalog. As in lumalaking hindi talaga nagTatagalog ang mga batang nakatira sa Pilipinas? Preschool to elementary school kids -  How did we get to this point???

I have to admit that my kid spoke English from 1-2.5 years old. It just happened unconsciously, kasi English namin sya kausapin noon. We had no intentions naman of raising her to 'become Englisera'. But before sya mag three, she started naman learning Filipino, and we conversed with her more often in Tagalog din. So before she even started preschool, marunong na sya magTagalog. And fortunately - yes fortunately pa ito - unlike what most parents want in their kid's school (most want EOP), the kids in my daughter's school also talk mostly in Filipino/Tagalog. So dun nahasa ang pakikipagusap ng anak ko in Tagalog.

I share your sentiments about fluency in the languages they learn. As early as preschool (my kid is now in Senior Kinder), I correct my kid's grammar and pronunciation when she talks and write (both in Filipino and English). Nasabihan na ko ng OA dahil I correct her grammar, kesyo bata-bata pa daw gina-grammar nazi ko na. Aba e bakit ba, gusto kong matuto ng tama ang anak ko - kelan ko sisimulan? Pag dalaga na sya? Kakaloka.

[mei-mei]

Aside from being able to communicate with more people and some cultural benefits, studies show that bilingual kids or those who know more than 2 languages are:
1) Higher in EQ;
2) More creative and better at problem solving;
3) More focused.

So, all the more parents should be motivated to have their kids learn multiple languages.

[Tehsee]

Kaming magkakapatid, tinuruan kami na sumagot kami sa language nung conversation starter... kunyari kausapin ako sa english tapos sumagot ako ng tagalog, ayon, sermon ang abot ko. Bastos raw kasi kung tagalog ang sagot sa english, or vice versa. Hehe. Feel ko ganun rin yung turo ko sa future kids ko. But in the end... honestly naiinis ako kapag minamaliit yung bata kasi hindi marunong mag english OR tagalog, as if reflection yun ng character niya.

[Lauren_GT]

Come to think of it, bilingual kids would have to reconcile two separate sets of grammar rules and vocabulary. That makes them way ahead that their peers who only know of rules for 1 language. That skill is built in already and would be beneficial in all other aspects of learning.

[sarsingkit]

I live in Canada and nakakatuwa yng curiosity ng mga tao dito pagdating sa mga kagaya ko ng immigrant that can speak 2 languages. Although, bilingual talaga ang Canada kasi English and French dito, mas marami pa rin ang English lang talaga ang alam. Lalo na pag nagtataglish, natutuwa sila. Amazing daw yung switching from one language to another without being confused. Hehe. Kung alam lang nila kung gaano nakakaasar yung mga conyo taglish. Hehe.

[nicoletta]

Well, halos lahat nga ng kids that I see can only speak english.  Ayaw ko naman manglait na mali mali ang grammar kasi nga bata pa naman.  I think there is nothing wrong with parents wanting their kids to speak mainly english, pero oo nga naman, better if lulugar.  Basta... ayaw ko nalang manglait haha

[belle_v2g]

The child will easily forget the language if not frequently used. For example, my son used lived with my parents in Pampanga. They would speak to him in Kapampangan and Tagalog but majority Tagalog coz hubby grew up in Manila kaya dapat tagalugin otherwise they won't understand each other. There are times na namimix nya both which is quiet cute.
After he turned 4, he moved here in Australia with us. I was a bit worried then baka mahirapan sya to cope with Kinder coz di namin sya sinanay mag English at all. My colleagues would encourage me to start teaching him like, isang buong araw, English only at home. I refused. Tama yung post dito. They will learn eventually. Ang bilis lang. We kept using Tagalog at home, and he learned australian english at school. When he entered Prep, French has been introduced to them. Lalo akong nagpumilit na mag tagalog sa bahay. Now he forgot all his kapampangan words, i get to use that pag nagagalit lang ako. But he won't understand na. Kinakabahan lang ako ngayon coz he would answer me in english even if nagtatagalog na ako. So i encourage all mums to pls keep our mother tongue. Nakaka amaze ang mga batang madaming alam na language.

[nicoletta]

That's good to know.  I plan to get him to go in a nice school, so I think he will just learn the language there nalang.

[quencher]

Salamat sa mga suggestions niyo. Nagka-idea ako nai-introduce ang dialect ng hubby ko sa 3.5 yo daughter ko. She knows both Tagalog and English.
Tagalog ang ginagamit namin sa bahay at English naman ay natutunan niya sa mga napapanood niya. 
Agree ako na huwag silang i-limit sa iisang language lang.
In general, huwag silang i-limit sa mga bagay na PWEDE naman nilang matutunan. 

[kaythrielle]

Mga mommies, if you?re worried how your kids will adapt once they start schooling because they only speak english, dont worry, mga bata pa naman mga anak nyo.

Eventually naman matututo din sila mag-Tagalog. Unless, LAHAT ng classmates at mga kaibigan at makakasalimuha nila english-speaking only.

If it?sthe other way around naman, (you want your kids to learn english), exposure is the key. Read them books in english, stories, nursery rhymes, songs and educational shows na english.

[J.warner]

Tagalog naman kami sa bahay pero anak is english. Siguro nakuha sa classmates nyang mga sosyalin. Hes only 6 pero may barkada na sya 😄 one of them even had their birthday overnight sa ascott hotel including my son & the rest. So hindi kami mayaman, yung mga friends lang nya na ingelesero. Ayun damay damay na.

Although napapadalas din english ko sa kanya I guess mas madali sabihin?
Instead of tapusin mo yang pagkain mo - which is 5 words. I can just say it in 3 words - finish your food.