Fiancee's child learning English. The best way?

[bwaaderant 0]

My fiancee has a 6 year old daughter, and I'm guessing that once we get their visa they will be arriving here during the school year. Do we throw her daughter to the wolves and enroll her right away in school, or wait until the following year and enroll her then? Her daughter speaks very little English, mainly just common phrases such as "hello" "how do you do", etc. We are looking for an English tutor there in Russia and if we can find one, well, this question may be moot...lol But what if we can't find one??

Does anyone have experience with this? Do we give her time to improve her English before she is enrolled in school? Or enroll her immediately and let her sink or swim? She is a very bright child, sometimes too bright for her own good...lol I learned German, as an adult, by the sink or swim method and it's not fun at all. I would hate for her to be damaged somehow by being suddenly immersed in a completely alien culture with people speaking to you in a foreign language. I do know that children pick up languages much faster and easier than adults, but I want this to be as easy and painfree as possible for her. She has such a sunny, sweet, outgoing personality that I would hate to see anything happen that would change that.

Thanks for any help, ideas, or experiences that are offered!

[meddykomp 0]

If you have the funds, maybe tutoring at first but someone who can teach her english but also teach her the things that a child her age would do in school and then start her in school the following year. I think that is what I would do. It might also help if you can get her involved in some social activities with other children(maybe at the YMCA). Kids will play together even when they do not understand eachother and this may help her in learning the language.

[denali_1963 0]

Let her watch the kiddie shows like seaseme street and others. They teach so much.

and you can get your house work done at same time

[Cristy 4]

My kids were in French Immersion school. They learned by hearing it over and over. Just being part of it, so taking her places where she can hear it is good. I would also suggest starting her now, kids learn really fast. Books that show pictures with the word beside it. I have also heard great things about Sesame Street.

[Fandango 1,440]

I'd deffo get a tutor...and dvd's of sesame street like someone here said....she's so young and a child can pick up so much really quickly...it'd be a shame to waste the wait time when she could be becoming more proficient in English....

Also, what about your fiancee? Can she not teach the child?

Edited April 10, 2006 by LisaD

[luvaLimey 0]

Most schools here have excellent ESL programs that will help her make the transition. She would spend part of her time in scool in the ESL classroom, and part of it in the regular classroom. You may want to give her about a month or two before sending her there though: that'll give her some time to pick up a lot at home.

As others have pointed out, letting her watch educational shows will really help, especially "sesame street" and things like "between the lions" that teach the alphabet and reading. She's at the age where reading is important, but she'll only have been exposed to the Cyrillic alphabet up to this, so learning that the Latin aphabet may have some similar letters but they make entirely different sounds will be important for her.

I know an adorable little Dutch boy who was able to mostly communicate with me in English, and the only English he's exposed to was the Pokemon cartoon. But he'd watch it over and over, until he got what they were saying. Maybe find something that interests her enough that she'd watch it over and over again, and buy it on DVD so she can have more exposure to it. (I'm thinking of girly shows like totally spies or kim possible or winx club.. but it's possible she may be more into things like pokemon and yu-gi-oh - just have to find something she likes)

Another thing you can discuss with your wife may be having a week (after they've both settled in a little) where you all only speak English: just for that week. (then switch back to russian the next week... and then possibly keep switching back and forth there) Speaking it in the home will definitely help her become more conversant. And it'll have the added benefit of helping your wife (don't know her ability with the language) either learn it, or become more fluent.

Kids pick up languages so much more easiy than adults do. It's no suprise that in most immigrant families, the children are soon completely fluent while the adults are still struggling with the language. I'm pretty sure she's going to do just fine.

[GaryC 7]

My future step-son is now on semester break from school. I am sending him to english classes to improve his english. It didn't cost me to much and I think it will be well worth it.

[Lil_Halo 0]

My best friend is a middle school teacher (teaches 7-8 year olds) and this year she had a little russian boy join her class. He spoke hardly any english but settled in really well. She had some picture/phrase books for him to help with the basic stuff and she said she was amazed how quickly he picked stuff up and how the rest of the class were really really supportive of him and helped him learn new stuff when he struggled. If the child is a bright one I would say perhaps start her straight in the school with a few helpful phrases she can use if she gets really stuck. They do learn very very fast and if you're teaching her at home too she'll be drawling like the best American in no time! he he.

My friend did make me laugh with the story about how the little russian kid taught her whole class the word butt in Russian!!!

[mrswooten4ever 0]

Kids are like sponges at that age. She will very quickly learn from her friends. My family moved to South Africa when I was 9. We had to learn to speak Afrikaans. We were given xtra lessons at school. The quickest way we learnt though was from our neighbour. She couldnt speak English. Within months she was speaking English and we were speaking Afrikaans. It's far harder for an adult to learn another language.

Good luck

Adele

Edited April 10, 2006 by MrsW2B

[Fischkoepfin 1]

I agree the child will not have many problems. But if you want to help herr before coming over think about getting those books for language learners, like "My First 1000 English Words." These books have pictures with the English words next to them and it's a good way to build a basic vocabulary and practice some reading skills. Since your wife knows some English, she can help her daughter go over those books.

Emersion also works extremely well, so any movies/tv shows that they can access in English would be very helpful. However, sending American movies over might not be helpful since Russia has a different region code on DVDs and a different video system. But anything made in and produced for England should work.

Hiring a tutor would also help but I wouldn't do that unless your fiancee's daughter doesn't make any progress through the two methods described above. If you hire a tutor make sure it's a native speaker or someone who has some sort of certificate. Otherwise a tutor is not worth it because they might teach the child bad English which wouldn't ease the transition at all.

[eau_xplain 2]

It's so true about young children being able to absorb new languages so quickly.

I recall years ago when my son was just 4, we moved to another island in the Philippines where the local dialect was different from what my son grew up with. After a few days of getting settled in, I finally allowed him to go out and play with our next door neighbors. At the end of the day, when my son came back, he was already speaking phrases of a new dialect!

So, don't worry too much about the child learning the language. Interaction with other kids and kids tv shows (like Sesame Street) will greatly help her to learn the language.

[I'm Gone 60]

Our daughter had just turned 7 when she arrive here (4 years April 17th) and could understand and speak very little English. School put her in an ESL class in addition to her regular class and I put in place the English only rule at home. Now you would think she was born here.

[motu 6]

A friend of my wife arrived here in Dec. and put her 9 year old daughter in regular school within 2 weeks and her older sister and mother are taking ESL classes - after 4 months guess who knows and speaks the most English - the 9 year old! And unlike mdyoung they have exclusively Spanish spoken in their home! I think the kids will learn no matter what. Check with the local schools and find out from them what they suggest. Good Luck

[CarolineM 0]

depends on when they get here. If they arrive during the school year and the child is not enrolled in school (in florida anyway) it's illegal to NOT enroll the child. Children MUST be in school here - so you'd get in trouble for NOT having her there.

As others have said putting her in school is the BEST idea. I am an educator. the "full immersion" theory is totally right on. She's so young she'll pick it up - also all teachers MUST be trained in ESOL so they will know how to work with her. In addition most districts have additional ESOL departments that will pull her out and work with her (Again, they do in florida anyway.)

Tutors are well and good - but nothing replaces the learning environment and socialization opps of BEING IN SCHOOL

[bwaaderant 0]

WOW! Thanks for all the advice! She does understand more English than she lets on, definitely more than she will speak. Her mother will tell me something that her daughter had done and her daughter will correct her in Russian, but she definitely understood what her mother said in English...lol Her mother does teach her English, and her daughter will often say things to her in English if she doesn't want others to overhear. But right now her daughter seems more interested in learning phrases that she can say to me, like "how do you do?", "how was your day?", etc. She seems to understand my replies as long as I keep them simple.

I have bought her a number of English books, like the (ugh) ####### and Jane books, a dictionary with pix especially for young children, a number of workbooks and puzzle books for children, all in English. She devours them! So perhaps she is picking up more than she lets on and when she feels confident enough she will suddenly start speaking English.

So I will give my fiancee all this info, and we will decide what we want to do. A tutor definitely, and sink or swim, a.k.a. Immersion, is probably the way we will go. It also depends on how late or early in the school year they arrive here. Anyway, again, thanks for all the info, I greatly appreciate it!