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| TOM having fun with the snow. |
Each time I meet fellow immigrants, normally Filipinos, with children who does not communicate and perceive Filipino (Tagalog) language, I at all times ask myself, WHY?
It is comprehensible if one father or mother will not be a Filipino. But when each dad and mom are Filipino and their children do not communicate and perceive the native tongue, it is stunning!
I even have buddies again within the Philippines who’ve English-speaking children who do not perceive and communicate Tagalog. Effectively, it is their means of parenting.
What is the Challenge if Youngsters Cannot Converse the Native Tongue?
I can not assist however ask some dad and mom which have youngsters who do not communicate Filipino anymore. A father informed me that he remorse having their children communicate English at residence. After 4 months of not talking Filipino, their youngsters does not communicate and perceive the native language anymore.
One other father mentioned that he was inspired by the instructor to at all times communicate English at residence given that the kid can simply cope up in class.
These fathers have been immigrants 5 and 10 years in the past. What I assumed was that the lecturers have not detected the issue at the moment but.
All Youngsters Can Be Multilingual
Based mostly on my private expertise, I can communicate three languages. One is the dialect from my province, the opposite two are Tagalog and English.
If I used to be not skilled by my sister to talk our dialect at residence whereas we have been in Manila, I may have misplaced it without end.
I can inform that children might be multilingual as a result of all my classmates and schoolmates in Visayas area, can communicate three languages (Bisaya, Tagalog, and English).
The explanation why they’ll communicate Tagalog whereas they have been in Visayas area was as a result of their dad and mom discuss to them in Tagalog at residence. Not solely Tagalog, however some can communicate Ilonggo. That generally might be in 4 languages.
After I moved to Manila, I discovered buddies that may nonetheless communicate their dialects fluently due to the identical motive.
That’s the reason I consider that children might be multilingual in anywhere.
Do We Actually Have to Protect the Native Language in Canada?
Canada has racially numerous inhabitants. For us, Filipinos, we collect collectively when there are celebrations like Christmas, birthdays, and different particular events.
It’s on this second that children collect collectively and play whereas dad and mom talk about present occasions and gossips of their native tongue.
Youngsters who do not perceive the Filipino language can’t converse with the oldies.
When households journey again to the Philippines on a trip and have an opportunity to fulfill their family (younger and outdated), their youngsters cannot talk properly with their buddies and cousins.
Once we have been at a Walmart in Toronto, a Filipino woman got here to me and mentioned, “I used to be shocked to listen to your son spoke Tagalog, it is fairly uncommon these days.”
What Our Child’s Instructor Say About It?
We have been frightened about our 3-year outdated son that he cannot cope up with college due to the language barrier. Within the Philippines, we talked to him in Tagalog and determined to do the identical right here in Canada.
When he began going to high school, we requested his instructor about how you can prepare him to talk English at residence. His instructor gave us a stunning recommendation…
She informed us to proceed what we’re doing – discuss to him within the native tongue. He’ll develop his language abilities by means of publicity with different children of his age by going to the college, library, playground, and the likes. Finally, our TOM will cope up with the language downside.
If that is the case, we have been proper all alongside.
Right this moment, even when it isn’t good, TOM can now communicate fundamental English together with his buddies and classmates. He bought used to talking Tagalog at residence and English in class. He is aware of how you can change the setting properly. We discovered it cute after we hear him communicate like Canadians do, however with out the “Eh!” for now.
By the way in which, his college has Italian and French classes at his early age. Now, he leads the prayer earlier than meal in Italian 🙂
We nonetheless discuss to him in Tagalog, preserving our Filipino Language.
What do you suppose? Please depart a remark under.