Відео

Thank you! Merry Christmas to you, too!

Thank you!! Merry Christmas to you, too!! 聖誕節快樂!

謝謝您！！聖誕節快樂！！

Thank you mydogisbailey! You too!

Hi, thank you for your comment! If your husband doesn't mind it, then yes, I think it might be a good idea to speak in Korean even when you're with the child. Obviously every family is different but we're in a similar situation as yours (my husband doesn't understand nor speak Chinese) and I speak Chinese to the children even when he's around. In fact, he would tell me off if I switched to English just because he's around 🤣 However, if the conversation directly involves him, we switch to English so we can have a naturally conversation as a family. Hope this helps!

Sorry, I forgot to add: I've made a video specifically addressing the issue of two parents not speaking each other's language. Check it out :) ua-cam.com/video/REnaamGaXU8/v-deo.html

Absolutely! I totally agree with you. And for everyday situations, AI translation can be immensely useful. Yesterday, for example, I received a postcard from a one of my clients - an agency based in the Netherlands. Everything was written in Dutch LOL but a simple scan with Google Translate translated into something that made sense and helped me understand the message conveyed, and it truly felt like magic!! So yes, on the whole, AI tools can be extremely beneficial even if imperfect.

so i think a third part of the equation is maybe early emotional association of relationship X with language X!

Such a good point - thank you!

Agreed, one of my friends had asked me to help his dad with English (for his upcoming permanent resident interview - Canada). In return, his father would help me with both my Mandarin & Cantonese fundamentals. I asked my friend why he didn't bother assisting his father with English himself. His response was exactly that while technically possible, it wasn't natural, organic, sustainable. 😅 They'd simply revert back to Cantonese on their own

OMG, big, big congratulations to you and your family, Mac!!! What wonderful news! Thanks for sharing this momentous news with us here on this channel!!

Oh wow, this is so interesting! I'd never thought of it that way but you're absolutely right!

Thanks for your comment and suggestion!!

Thank you so much, Mac! I didn't think many of my usual viewers would click on this (and fully expected the UA-cam algorithm to “punish" me for straying from my niche!), so your comment really means a lot to me 🙏

Hi there! Apologies for the late reply - I just saw your comment. I think your brain's to learn langauges might well be strengthened when you acquire more languages but fluency probably has more to do with frequency of use and practice... That's my take anyway :)

Thanks SO MUCH for your comment!! That's exactly why I made this video and blog post... LOL. I'm a bit tired of explaining this over and over again 😂

Thank you!

Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and hopefully you got something useful from it. Are you learning Finnish on your own, or working with a tutor?

@@themultilingualfamilyhub I study on my own. Last year I started having a counceling session once a month with a professional Finnish teacher, and this month I did a short pronunciation course. I strongly believe a teacher can guide into the language, but learning the language is my own responsibility. So I spend at least a few hours a day, listening to Finnish including about half an hour to an hour of analyzing new words and half an hour to an hour reading a book. Your tip to do a structured approach to learning I need to think about. I am not sure yet how to implement that as most courses are grammar based. Grammar is not the problem, automatic understanding is. Thanks again for your video!

Thank you for sharing your experiences with multilingualism and your unique insights! It’s fascinating to hear how language learning can vary so much even within families!

I ended up receiving it, it just took longer than I expected.

Hi Mac! Apologies for the late reply - I'm glad you managed to download them in the end!

Hi Mac, thanks a lot for your question! Hmm, I think with the way the download links are set up, you do have to sign up again for each downloadable resource... But I could be wrong!

Thanks for your comment! Ah, that's amazing! I'm sure Rachel enjoys these conversations very much 🐱 We have a cat called Milly and we often joke that she knows more languages than all of us combined!

Thanks for your comment! That’s amazing progress in both English and French! Learning languages is such a rewarding way to spend time - keep it up, you’re doing great! 😊 And do keep us posted on your future progress!

Oh wow that's amazing! How are you teaching yourself German? Is it mostly by listening to the German 101 podcast?

yes. I tend to listen and repeat what is being said. They have a very nice audio course. Other than that I do listen to a lot of Rammstein and other German music.

Thanks for your comment! In that scenario, you can use something called the "Time and Place" Strategy... For example, mornings could be one language, afternoons another, or different days/places for each. Hope that helps!

If one of the languages is the community/majority language, you can just leave that one to school and the community and focus on your other language

Thank you so much!!

Thank you so much for your lovely comment! ♥ I hope this video will help when the time comes for you to raise bilingual kids!💪

Learn another language and speak it to your children

Apologies for the late reply! Yes, that's right, that's how we interact with one another :)

Thank you so much for your comment! Just to clarify, I don’t “force” my son to repeat in Russian/Chinese. Instead, I model by repeating his sentence in the target language (Chinese) and encourage him to say it after me. I find that “forcing” isn’t a helpful way to think about it - it’s more about modeling, setting expectations, and establishing that “with mummy, we speak Chinese.” And yes, I’m very much against pretending not to understand English; I even talk about why this can harm trust in parent-child relationships in my book Bilingual and Trilingual Parenting 101. I prefer an approach that empowers children to use the target language in a collaborative way. 😊

Thanks!

Thanks for sharing that! Great tip about Esperanto - is it something you're actively yourself?

@@themultilingualfamilyhub Yes, I use Esperanto every single day to communicate with my many friends all over the world.

Thank you so much! 😊 I’m glad you enjoyed the cultural angle - it’s such an essential part of language learning! And thans for sharing your insights into the cultural/ linguistic differences between different parts of the German-speaking world! Ha, I'm glad you liked the example with C... I'll keep "collecting" such examples and share them on this channel where possible!

Thank you so much for sharing this! 😊 Yes, active exercise is fantastic for cognitive health - great point! Wow, being fluent in both Russian and Japanese is incredible, and it’s amazing that you’re thinking of learning Mandarin as well! Let me know how you get on! Your experience as an interpreter is fascinating - I’m a trained interpreter too, and I know how challenging (but rewarding) it can be. It’s inspiring to see your passion for adding new languages; it really does seem to get easier after mastering one!

Thanks for sharing this! 😊 So cool to see that my video resonated with you! Do you and your sister speak Cantonese now?

@themultilingualhub we speak English to each other, cos we're used to it, but we speak Cantonese to mum and dad, and the rest of the family who don't speak English

@ we speak English to each other, cos we're used to it, but we speak Cantonese to mum and dad, and the rest of the family who don't speak English

Thanks for sharing! 😊 Wow, your story is super inspiring - I’m so pleased to hear you’re swapping TikTok for language learning! Woohoo! Definitely keep us posted on your progress. How are you learning those languages? I’m planning to start Italian and would love to hear your approach!

Спасибо большое! Рада что вам понравилось! 😊

Thank you so much! 😊 That means a lot!

That’s a really thought-provoking question! I’m sure monolinguals aren’t ‘dumber’-intelligence is super complex, and to my knowledge, there’s no easy way to measure it. But being multilingual definitely brings some unique advantages and has very few downsides, so in my opinion, there's no reason not to attempt it!

Your question doesn't make sense.

Haha, that's spot on! Thanks for your comments as always!

That's amazing! Thanks for sharing your personal journey with us!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I’ve found that multilingualism can actually enrich a child’s identity, though I understand every family’s experience is different.

Ha! That's completely false.

@@Mac_an_Mheiriceanaigh it's true.

@@SchmulKrieger No. In fact, research has shown the opposite is true. Children who do not learn to speak their heritage languages have identity issues because they cannot communicate with their grandparents or families and feel like tourists in their heritage countries. Children who do learn to speak their heritage language feel comfortable with their identity and feel comfortable both in their home countries and in their heritage countries.

@@Mac_an_Mheiriceanaigh to feel both home in different countries due to language is an identity issue. Those people do not integrate in both societies, while having a clearer cut to the original heritage, is part of getting a member of a and one society instead of being nowhere a member, except for the tribal family. Which explains Arab clans everywhere spreading crime. We see that as a Germany Turk they are Germans in Turkey, and Turks in Germany. They always stay as outsiders also causing tribal family building in those societies. So don't tell BS, you failed IdPol!

Hi @mydogisbailey, thanks so much for your thoughtful comment! I’d love to dive deeper into generational linguistic attrition in a future video, as it’s a topic I know resonates with many viewers like yourself. You’re right-it’s unlikely that my kids will pass on these languages to their own children (assuming they choose to have children, which is never a given!). But honestly, that hasn’t dampened our motivation. While no one can predict the future, we’re really enjoying the journey right now. The potential benefits are huge, and even if things don’t go as planned, the downside feels pretty minimal. So for now we'll keep going 👍

Why lucky?

谢谢您的评论！！😊

Thank you! 😃 That's such a lovely comment x

Hi @beckychoi_! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and for reading my ebook guide! I’m really glad you found it helpful.😊 I completely understand your situation - it sounds a lot like what we’ve experienced!! You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed/ confused, and I agree, it’s a long-term process. Other viewers have mentioned how challenging it can be, especially for 2nd generation immigrants like your husband. It seems that with every generation, it becomes exponentially harder to pass on the heritage language! 😭 Lots of second-generation HK friends have told me the same thing, that it’s really hard to find Cantonese resources!! There are some channels on UA-cam with Cantonese videos for kids. I’ve made one video too (ua-cam.com/video/gDSDzxjdQ7s/v-deo.html) and I hope to make more in the future - stay tuned ❤️ My sister and I have also created a bilingual picture book in Traditional Chinese & English with Cantonese audio (www.amazon.co.uk/Everyday-English-Traditional-Chinese-Cantonese/dp/B0CHL8ZG7B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3717SZ4WK1GG1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.C_Zxt-VjVVGiVrCePP2QLs_opf2ZfppEeSVy2CpOGNDGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.0MSaK6SiRgwu3SnvDLTaPcU8LoUbdtS-bFFcRSYJH70&dib_tag=se&keywords=my+everyday+life+cantonese&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1728719788&sprefix=my+everyday+life+cantonese%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1) so definitely feel free to check it out! Are you and husband hoping to raise your two children (who are gorgeous, by the way!!) to speak Korean as well? Are their Korean grandparents involved in their everyday life? That could be a great source of language input. And would you husband feel comfortable speaking Korean with the children sometimes, even if it’s just some simple words & phrases to begin with? Feel free to check out more resources on my website (www.multilingualfamilyhub.com), and if you haven’t already, my full book might also be useful for more strategies: www.amazon.ca/Bilingual-Trilingual-Parenting-101-Multilingual/dp/B09BYPQVF2/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.F0wmZ_kgjsSvAsTHpRIKjCb1EgQ1q5sVTVhIQZ6k0LkgQwRibd4VoVsA922tQaT8IUSCLw21EP1ge57vIC3lWvbA1_-2jF8MfRvs014DGgTNGHJcTf_L7n5rqkxM6Sm-.ELccsVe8CNGM7-_Myue3d8sIUsQmCwnDZV1qrqIjZyk&qid=1728719972&sr=8-2 . You’re doing an amazing job-hang in there! 💛

​@@themultilingualfamilyhubthanks for the insights. Yes, Dad has been teaching the kids Korean vocabulary, and they go to Korean school once a week which just started a month ago. We do have family members here that speak Korean but still overall exposure is limited. I personally also haven't figured out if I want them to be better at Cantonese or Mandarin but then also understand that they are already very slow at both languages and the Mandarin resources and 1 on 1 online lessons are abundant which make it much easier but then I don't speak Mandarin to them so the exposure again is limited... Do you think I should really figure out what I want them to be proficient in first or continue to do everything at once ?

@@beckychoi_ Thanks so much for sharing! It sounds like you’re already doing a great job with the Korean exposure, and I understand how tricky it can be juggling multiple languages. It can definitely be overwhelming trying to balance Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean, especially with limited exposure. If you’re feeling torn, you might find it helpful to focus on one language at a time, just to build a solid foundation. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still expose them to the others! As long as they’re getting some exposure, they’ll absorb more than you think and that will lay the foundation for future language learning if that's what you'd like to do / what your kids want to do further down the road ?

I think the most important thing is consistency. If you reply to your children in English, they will find no value in using Cantonese or Mandarin to speak with you. Success in raising bilingual children always comes down to success = need + exposure. If you are consistent in always speaking Cantonese with your children, that creates a need for them to use it and provides exposure to the language. If you are not consistent, they won't get enough exposure to learn and won't feel any need to either. That being said, if you feel more comfortable speaking English, then maybe you decide as a family that you prefer to just speak English and give up on your children speaking Cantonese or Mandarin fluently.

Thank you for the lovely comment!! I am so glad to hear that you like the content on this channel ❤️ it’s amazing that you’re raising your son to be trilingual! Do you live in Germany? Yep, my book is on Amazon :) www.amazon.com/Bilingual-Trilingual-Parenting-101-Multilingual/dp/B09BYPQVF2/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=TDhCW&content-id=amzn1.sym.bb26577c-0540-459a-9c72-0b9dde0900bb%3Aamzn1.symc.da37c481-c687-45c0-9f6a-b1d01f510202&pf_rd_p=bb26577c-0540-459a-9c72-0b9dde0900bb&pf_rd_r=DZG0RAVD0ZPT6595PXCB&pd_rd_wg=D8W9Y&pd_rd_r=ec3e396e-19d9-4a35-9ea2-166a49e62e7a&ref_=pd_hp_d_atf_ci_mcx_mr_ca_hp_atf_d Let me know what you think if you do decide to get it 👍 I also have a shorter free ebook on my website that you can download 😁

Thanks for your insightful comment! Absolutely, mixing languages seems to be very normal in many countries around the world!

@BangkokZed, Thank you for such an insightful comment! I love your point about how true communication goes beyond just translating words. It's hard to imagine AI fully capturing all those other aspects. Thanks for sharing your perspective - I think your comment will resonate with a lot of other viewers!