Cantonese as a First Language
So, Michael has seemed to settle on Cantonese as his primary language. I don't know if it's a phase or not, and I was worried about him not picking up much English (but I was assured by everyone that living in the US and having a father whose primary language is English, he will not have any problems).
He has quite a big vocabulary in Cantonese at this point. He knows how to ask for his pacifier, he knows how to identify mosquitos and ants (we've got a little insect problem at home these days), he knows how to tell us he's not done taking his bath yet (he likes to play in his little bathtub), all in Cantonese.
If I try to introduce new vocabulary to him, it almost seems like he filters out the English or Mandarin word and zones in on Cantonese. It doesn't matter if I say the English (or Mandarin word) first, or afterward, and it doesn't matter how I place emphasis.
For instance, I was trying to teach him the color "RED". I would hold up a red block and say "RED, Michael, RED ...", with lots of emphasis. I would keep repeating it, and he just looked at me and blinked. As soon as I identified it as "hong4-sik1" (Cantonese for Red), he started saying and repeating that excitedly, even though I would try to divert him back to speaking English.
One would think that he wouldn't be able to distinguish the languages, especially considering that all vocabulary words are new to him, but I really do think that each language in the world has it's own tone and pitch, and even if I can't understand what someone is saying, French still has a very different feel and vibe than Korean, and I can at least know what language the speaker is using.
My first language is English. When Michael and I go out by ourselves, I can go on chattering (and I tend to, since I'm rather talkative) with him about the trees, and the birds, and the weather, all in English, and he'll just sit quietly and listen. But if I say something in Cantonese, he starts to interact and try to be more conversational with me. It also seems like he understands it better, so often times I find myself drifting to telling him things in Cantonese, since I almost feel like I'm speaking to him in a foreign language when I tell him to do something in English (like stop spitting food all over the ground).
My theory is that he's picked up that the 4 grown-ups in the house kinda share Cantonese as a common bond, and that he's decided (either consciously or sub-consciously) that is the most important thing for him to speak.
I really am impressed with his ability to filter out different languages (but at the same time am somewhat concerned about his development with English and Mandarin).
He has quite a big vocabulary in Cantonese at this point. He knows how to ask for his pacifier, he knows how to identify mosquitos and ants (we've got a little insect problem at home these days), he knows how to tell us he's not done taking his bath yet (he likes to play in his little bathtub), all in Cantonese.
If I try to introduce new vocabulary to him, it almost seems like he filters out the English or Mandarin word and zones in on Cantonese. It doesn't matter if I say the English (or Mandarin word) first, or afterward, and it doesn't matter how I place emphasis.
For instance, I was trying to teach him the color "RED". I would hold up a red block and say "RED, Michael, RED ...", with lots of emphasis. I would keep repeating it, and he just looked at me and blinked. As soon as I identified it as "hong4-sik1" (Cantonese for Red), he started saying and repeating that excitedly, even though I would try to divert him back to speaking English.
One would think that he wouldn't be able to distinguish the languages, especially considering that all vocabulary words are new to him, but I really do think that each language in the world has it's own tone and pitch, and even if I can't understand what someone is saying, French still has a very different feel and vibe than Korean, and I can at least know what language the speaker is using.
My first language is English. When Michael and I go out by ourselves, I can go on chattering (and I tend to, since I'm rather talkative) with him about the trees, and the birds, and the weather, all in English, and he'll just sit quietly and listen. But if I say something in Cantonese, he starts to interact and try to be more conversational with me. It also seems like he understands it better, so often times I find myself drifting to telling him things in Cantonese, since I almost feel like I'm speaking to him in a foreign language when I tell him to do something in English (like stop spitting food all over the ground).
My theory is that he's picked up that the 4 grown-ups in the house kinda share Cantonese as a common bond, and that he's decided (either consciously or sub-consciously) that is the most important thing for him to speak.
I really am impressed with his ability to filter out different languages (but at the same time am somewhat concerned about his development with English and Mandarin).
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