Hi All,

I am new in Canada; came here just 3 years ago. My child, now 6 year old, has totally stopped speaking in our mother tounge and replies only in English. He understands our language but does not reply using it. At home, we communicate only in our language. We tried differnt means to get our child to speak in our language but did not work.

I am wondering, if people here know a few tricks about this issue?

Thanks,

MG.

Hi MG,
I can very well understand your concern. Let me tell you a little bit about our situation:
We have two kids and both are born Canadians. Our daughter (elder kid) is now 5 1/2 years and she speaks good Hindi. How can she do that? Here are few things which we did:
1) We never communicate with her in English (very few exceptions are there when she does not understand the meaning of a particular Hindi word) esp. at home. When she was 2 years old, she started going to professional day care....morning 9 to evening 6.00 where she would understand only and only English. But when she used to come back home, we used to speak Hindi. If she would answer in English, I would say: Kya Kaha? Kya Kaha? Bete, mere ko English nahin aati....zara Hindi mein batana. So she used to say some words in 'Tooti-footi' Hindi and we used to correct her....repeat those words and made her to repeat those words.
2) We always used to (and still) request all our friends or visitors to speak Hindi with her.
3) Watch Hindi/Punjabi movies with her. She is now a great fan of Sharukh Khan and Hritik Roshan (Rohit in Koi Mil Gaya
4) Take her to Temple/Gurudwara at least 2-3 times in a month
5) Play Hindi songs in car.
6) Teach her Hindi poems like 'Machhali Jal ki rani...'

Hope it will help.

BTW, in Hindu Sabha Mandir (Gore Mandir), they have Hindi classes every saturday/sunday. You can volunteer there as a teacher and take your kid along with you.
yun ki.......Aam ke aam aur guthliyon ke daam.......sewa bhi ho jaayegi aur bacha Hindi bhi pad jaayega

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Sanjeev Manocha, MBA
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Re/Max West Realty Inc, Brokerage
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MG, I fully agree with Sanjeev, you'll have to be persistent, and if the child responds in English...you have to explain that you don't understand him. Add some treats like fav toy/a movie to speaking mother tongue at home. If possible bring grandparents at home for few months. Grandparents can't speak/understand English (well in our case..my in laws don't) and the communication is mainly in Hindi. My kids are 3 yrs but speak fluent English/Hindi and Dutch (our local language), English with us, Hindi with Dadi ma, and Dutch in school.

Jona

musicgold,

In addition to what sanjeev said, you should also try to find international langauges classes. Toronto district school board (any most others) are offering such classes. Local temples also provide such services.

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A Proud Indian Canadian

I don’t understand what is the problem if she/he speaking in English or responding in English. Do you think too much Hindiasim can be negative and how she/he takes it? Just trying to explore it, not pointing out wrong or right.

How many parents stretch to learn French or Spanish (mostly southern US population can speak) to their kids?

Quote:

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Originally posted by rahul_singh23
I don’t understand what is the problem if she/he speaking in English or responding in English. Do you think too much Hindiasim can be negative and how she/he takes it? Just trying to explore it, not pointing out wrong or right.

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Mumbai Maazi Ladki ...

if kids are visiting India or talking with grand parents then he/she knows Hindi and can speak Hindi that is just common sense that two people can talk only when they can understand each other does not matter which language.

But if kids are talking to us in English or we are talking to them in English that’s fine as per my understanding.

If someone grew up here (been schooling here) then his first language is English not Hindi. First language is not related to race or where you come from but it's in which you feel more comfortable and in which you think/talk alone. For me first language is mother language.