DC Learning a Second Language not Spoken in the Home?

[sste]

I am wondering if, when, how . . .

Our situation is that DS had a gross speech delay up until about 2 years old when he began to test as normal and then shortly after that ahead. We never considered a second language because of the delay. We are getting re-tested at 3 years old but I am pretty confident he is ahead on language (generally sentences at and much over five words, uses compound sentences such as we must do x, "otherwise" y will happen; multiple thousands of words in his vocabulary (as in yesterday, "I need milk because i am dehydrated!!"), has moved from sentences to making up entire stories).

I have no ear for language and always wished I had learned as a young child. The only second language spoken is hebrew by DH and I am leaning more toward DS learning spanish or chinese or arabic.

Would you consider introducing a second language in recently speech-delayed child? Does learning in the preschool years even stick if the language is not then spoken in the home? And do lessons have any effect or is it really about finding an immersion school/setting (immersion is going to be tough for us to find)?

[swissair81]

All my kids understand yiddish because my dh speaks it & will learn hebrew in school. Since half their studies hinge on knowing hebrew, it is emphasized a lot & thus the kids get the hang of it. It does really have to be immersion lessons to get the most out of it though.

I don't know about the speech delay though. One of my kids is speech delayed (sort of) and it's really because she's been spoken to in 2 languages since birth. She does understand both fluently, even though English is her stronger language.

[schrocat]

DS1 takes weekend Chinese classes at the local Chinese community center. I speak both Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese Chinese and so does DH but we speak English most of the time at home because it's the language we're most comfortable with at home. DS2 will start weekend Chinese classes when he turns 3 too. In the meantime, they watch Chinese cartoons on DVD, DS1 gets to play with Chinese CD Roms and I read Chinese storybooks to them occasionally at night. DS1 does not speak the language fluently but he's picking up alot more after starting weekend Chinese classes.

[bubbaray]

DD#1 was in ST and (from around age 3) and we asked her SLP about the 2nd (and 3rd) language and she was fine with that. DD#1 started German preschool (immersion, but only 1 day, 3 hrs/w, every Saturday morning) when she was 4. She did fine. We stopped German last year and she started French Immersion K last September. Again, she did fine.

I speak French (though am rusty), DH is fluent in German (as are the ILs), but only English is spoken in the home.

HTH

[MamaMolly]

IIRC when learning 2 languages at the same time there is a slight delay in the learning but it happens. I also think there is a difference in having *had* a speech delay and still having one.

I see no reason to not offer a second language if you can, but that is just my instinct.

[MacMacMoo]

I took chinese classes on the weekend growing up. My parents spoke english at home, and the only time chinese came up was when my mom was helping me with my homework. That said I never learned chinese, and I had to repeat a couple of grades at the chinese school.

[GonnaBeNana]

My children do not know any language other than English (and American. Yes, they're very different). However, children DO learn languages faster than adults and learning a second one is much easier the younger they are. We had friends in the UK who spoke only Dutch at home. The children learned more English as they began school. Their children understood much more English than they could speak initially, but all were very fluently bi-lingual by Kindergarten.

Beth

[AnnieW625]

DD1 was speech delayed and went to therapy from 2.5 to 3. She has heard Spanish at daycare since she was 4 mos. old. She undedrstands basic words, but doesn't speak it much at home in sentences, just knows words. We are going to go in for a lottery next year for a spanish immersion school near us.