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Author Topic: Looks like our daughter has just hit Russian fluency at age 6.  (Read 4231 times)

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Offline Manny

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I thought I would share this one. It may be helpful to others with kids.

Back in 2008, I started this topic: Children: Learn Russian & English together from birth, or learn Russian later? This was as my wife and I couldn't decide if our forthcoming daughter should learn both languages together or Russian later.

In the end, we decided she would learn both side by side, and we would accept her English skills developing a bit slower than other kids (which studies show is usually the case). Studies also show they catch up later on.

So pretty much from birth, when all together, we would use English, if I wasn't around, my wife would speak to her in only Russian. As she started speaking, when spoken to in Russian, she would only reply in English. Which demonstrated it was sinking in as she understood everything, but would speak little.

Last year, on the annual visit to the folks, an experiment was tried. Dochka went with the folks overnight to the dacha while wifey stayed in the town. The folks speak no meaningful English. We knew she understood Russian by now, but refused to speak it. Well, with the folks, you speak Russian or you go hungry. After ten minutes crying in frustration, she started speaking simple Russian.   ;D

The last year saw her speaking Russian at home, but she wouldn't do it in front of me. Too shy. But she was learning and speaking it. Which I thought was great.

However, my wife expected the fluency of a Russian kid of the same age and was disappointed she "spoke like a three or four year old". 

So right now, they are coming to the end of this years visit to the folks. At the start, a few weeks ago, watching and listening to her playing with other kids, my wife still thought her Russian was not up to scratch, and was a little dismayed by it.

With both of them, the total immersion in country for a few weeks makes the English take a temporary hit. Both are prone to pause briefly mid sentence while the right word in English comes to the front of the brain.

Again, a few days ago, off Dochka went with the folks to the dacha overnight (total immersion again), and it is reported that again, it was like turning the light switch on by the next day! The difference is like night and day. Suddenly, overnight, she engages with anyone with the same fluency as a local kid of her age. On the phone to me, she proudly announced that she now "speaks Russian properly". I tested her with a few random sentences (remember she wouldn't speak Russian to me before) and she translated them on the fly, confidently, without pause or hesitation. Wifey tells me she has now 'reached the level I expect at her age'.

Today, on the phone, she asked me if I would buy her a toy the same as the kid she was playing with has. The toy has many variants, so I asked her which one and gave some examples as it has a lot of variants. She said "Wait a minute, I will ask him", I then heard maybe a two minute Q&A, in Russian, between her and this other kid while she extracted from him the exact version of the toy he has. She then came back on the phone and relayed it in English with enough detail I know the version she wants. 

On the same call she was counting in Spanish. Looking forward to going back to school so she can continue to learn Spanish there. Isn't it amazing how kids brains soak up information? I think we have another translator in the house.  :king:
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Online Markje

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Re: Looks like our daughter has just hit Russian fluency at age 6.
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2015, 03:25:55 PM »
Cool story :)

Other children also play with languages. My son has a few nephews and nieces (6! now).

(the actual conversation was in dutch, but I translated it)

Niece 1: Shall we go outside and play in the garden?
Niece 2: Of course, we garden play for sure!
Niece 1: Haha, its we will play for sure in the garden.
Niece 2: Nono, I was speaking Russian.
Niece 1: Oh ok! Lets go!

My son is comletely fluent in Russian also, he turns 5 in October. I think those 3-month vacations with Babushka had something todo with that :-)
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Offline Manny

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Re: Looks like our daughter has just hit Russian fluency at age 6.
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2015, 03:54:01 PM »
Holland is one of those few countries you go to and ask someone, "Do you speak English?" and they reply, "Of course".  :chuckle:

Mark, can I ask you, does your son have equal fluency in Dutch/Russian or does he lean toward Dutch?
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Offline Anteros

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Re: Looks like our daughter has just hit Russian fluency at age 6.
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2015, 09:54:32 PM »
Cool story :)

Other children also play with languages. My son has a few nephews and nieces (6! now).

(the actual conversation was in dutch, but I translated it)

Niece 1: Shall we go outside and play in the garden?
Niece 2: Of course, we garden play for sure!
Niece 1: Haha, its we will play for sure in the garden.
Niece 2: Nono, I was speaking Russian.
Niece 1: Oh ok! Lets go!

My son is comletely fluent in Russian also, he turns 5 in October. I think those 3-month vacations with Babushka had something todo with that :-)

It seems that congratulations are in order for both Mark and Manny on their children's accomplishments!   :thumbsup:
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Offline msmoby

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Re: Looks like our daughter has just hit Russian fluency at age 6.
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2015, 10:14:55 PM »
I am glad that O has managed to get the balance right and daughter is willing to try.

I see too many Mums who seem content to let their kids forget some of their heritage and just speak in English - having problems to communicate with Grandma and Grandpa  - let alone the missed opportunity to be blessed with fluency in two languages and a possible career

 :thumbsup:


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Offline Volshe

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Re: Looks like our daughter has just hit Russian fluency at age 6.
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2015, 10:27:11 PM »
I think we have another translator in the house.  :king:

You've got two interpreters, Manny, that's cooler than you know, merely translators... ;) The world is her oyster with that combination, seriously, there are so many possibilities and career options with native English and Russian (and maybe Spanish later on), it's amazing and awe inspiring!
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Re: Looks like our daughter has just hit Russian fluency at age 6.
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2015, 11:53:01 PM »
Holland is one of those few countries you go to and ask someone, "Do you speak English?" and they reply, "Of course".  :chuckle:

Mark, can I ask you, does your son have equal fluency in Dutch/Russian or does he lean toward Dutch?

He has full fluency in Russian, his Dutch is lacking a bit. He does not have a preference and switches flawlessly when switching person he is talking to.

He can start a story in Dutch with me, and then when Lena enters, he will continue in Russian where he left off, leaving Lena confused sometimes  :king:

You might say he has his preference dependant on the person he talks to, he noticed that Lena's Russian is better than her Dutch and talks to her accordingly.
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