Don't speak English

[laundrygirl]

Hi everyone, Just wondering if anyone else has in-laws that don't speak English. My in-laws are Spanish and don't speak English, maybe some words but not enough to communicate. It makes it hard, and I would like to go visit with the kids during the day, but I don't want them or myself to feel uncomfortable if we don't understand each other. Any ideas. thanks :o

[Chickadee]

I don't really have any ideas to help, but I do think it's great that you want to find a way to make it work. Besides getting to know their grans, being exposed to a second language early in life is good for kids. Maybe your kids and their grans will learn from each other? I do know lots of little ones who learn to switch back and forth between a home language and a 2nd language, depending where they are and who they're with.

[draught]

I am not in the same situation as you, but the wonderful woman who looked after DD1 while I was working is Spanish-speaking and our communication still takes a lot of effort - but DD1 always understands her perfectly, whether her carer speaks to her in English or Spanish. And children are a great ice-breaker. Your in-laws will talk to the kids and the kids will understand them, no matter what the language - and hopefully you will learn from them, and they might learn more English from you. I think it is great that you want to try.

[ThomasMum]

Hi there, am speaking from my experience.

Being born, breed and grew up in The Nederlands, The United Kingdom and Indonesia had given me the most valuable experience in life. Not only it has richen my cultural experiences but I also speak multi-lingual. I gratefully owed this to my parents for teaching me new cultures/languages since my early age.

You children will have no problem communicating with your In-Laws trust me on that one, as children have the ability to learn language easy, just like that!

I think your kids are lucky!

:D

[J&W'smum]

I have no experence of a situation like this but it strikes me that if their is no one their to inturprote youll all learn to understand each other a lot quicker. it may even be fun. Or how about inviting mum in law shopping talking about clouths and food youll be able to pick up a lot rather than just being sat in the house :) at your mothering laws that is i know no mum just sits around :rolleyes:

[angelica'smum]

hey i understand completely my partners family speak a little english but only speak hungarian at home .... i think its great my baby girl will have the advantage of learning another language from such a young age however... i dont think i will learn as quickly as her.. which means??????? .. i dread to think of having to get my four year old to 'tell mummy what daddy was saying about her" with that in mind everytime i see the inlaws i get them to teach me something .... one word at a time!If conversation dies just ask them how to say..............? its endless conversation plus interesting for you and theyl be stoked you are interested in wanting to learn. and hey you are lucky its spanish ... take a look at the hungarian alphabet and you'l get a glimpse of what im in for!!!! good luck!! :D :D

[ThomasMum]

i know how you feel, my old highschool friend also from Hungary we used to feel bad because we couldn't pronounced his surname properly, so we used to call him Istvan It (It to replaced the complicated surname!) :D

LovePeace