tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51707643649366785472024-02-07T02:25:48.173+00:00Babelkid - Raising Multilingual ChildrenUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger239125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-30516013626691175062018-09-19T19:21:00.001+01:002018-09-19T19:21:41.709+01:00Traversée du désert<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
No way has it been over a year since I last posted in here!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73cI1FK8_-PbBOkPte3WYhP1xQ7k3sf6GVYYz2Gjky4YrhCtSDNgv-rHW4irYQ3CIE5oRmAEf1HFGo1r1nqrjkvCnbgEiSNvT7gLXj_MnYtQWHalHiu2mFPQSIQWJfhSpRDUkunb3Tmo/s1600/dunes-1538593_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73cI1FK8_-PbBOkPte3WYhP1xQ7k3sf6GVYYz2Gjky4YrhCtSDNgv-rHW4irYQ3CIE5oRmAEf1HFGo1r1nqrjkvCnbgEiSNvT7gLXj_MnYtQWHalHiu2mFPQSIQWJfhSpRDUkunb3Tmo/s320/dunes-1538593_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Why have I not written anything in over a year about the kids' linguistic progress, or mine, or our ever-evolving cultural identities?<br />
<br />
Maybe because our youngest is three and it feels like we've written about this phase in the past. Been there, done that.<br />
<br />
That's not true though. I could easily have written about:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
my struggles with dative and genitive in German,<br />or how it is impossible to learn German in Switzerland,<br />or how English is clearly the mother tongue of the only one of our four children who was NOT born in the UK,<br />or how it feels to be living in a place where speaking three or more languages is the norm etc</blockquote>
The truth is I have had a busy and stressful year, with BK1 starting high school, BK3 starting primary school, BK4 starting Spielgruppe, an eye operation for me, health worries for family members, the death of a close family member, in addition to work and the daily grind of looking after a household of six.<br />
<br />
I am a worrier at the best of times, and all these changes and events have been taking a toll on me, it seems, on my time, my energy, and my health.<br />
<br />
So why break the silence now? Maybe in my quest for feeling better, I want to reconnect with myself and with others.<br />
<br />
So, I will try to post more often, if anyone still reads. Actually, I might post regardless of whether anyone else reads or not. I'll do it for the same reason we started the blog, for our own records.<br />
<br />
And if anyone else finds it remotely interesting or funny, then great!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-30305395091006726672017-08-20T00:32:00.000+01:002017-08-20T19:39:42.534+01:00Multiculturalism and Music<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Il n'y a pas de hasard, il n'y a que des rendez-vous</i> - Paul Eluard.<br />
<br />
Also the first verse in <a href="https://youtu.be/HwogqwqOcYM">Ouverture by Etienne Daho</a>.<br />
<br />
Babeldad is somewhere on a Swiss mountain doing what he loved doing best when we first met some sixteen years ago: looking at the night sky and photographing stars.<br />
<br />
I, naturally, instead of going to bed early and catching up on some well-needed sleep, sit at the computer, typing furiously on the keyboard. And I listen to music.<br />
<br />
Why Etienne Daho? Maybe because he used to live in Manchester and London. Maybe because he reminds me of some of the music I used to listen to when Babeldad and I first met. Or maybe because he was born and spent a large chunk of his childhood in Algeria, before being uprooted to France...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQwcw4HOxs5ocDmtZiTOZGzPbgWGtzNFlHJaX-T4NxFsualOsDksJ1TWm_DgICokDytCDpQngr7D7F3XcPUZEE74B1XO4oOmsVxhH3IlRnA42SmBCRR1Ibd0YYwvKNBGi65DMBqBhdlk/s1600/k7-1336026_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQwcw4HOxs5ocDmtZiTOZGzPbgWGtzNFlHJaX-T4NxFsualOsDksJ1TWm_DgICokDytCDpQngr7D7F3XcPUZEE74B1XO4oOmsVxhH3IlRnA42SmBCRR1Ibd0YYwvKNBGi65DMBqBhdlk/s320/k7-1336026_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Music is powerful. It can bring up and trigger unexpected emotions. I do sometimes <a href="http://www.babelkid.net/2013/05/helwa-ya-baladi.html?m=0">burst into tears when hearing or singing a song</a>.<br />
<br />
What is interesting is that being multicultural, I find myself responding to wildly different genres and languages. Below is a selection of memorable songs and artists to me, in different languages.<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><td>Dahmane El Harrachi</td><td><a href="https://youtu.be/4Z9plRx8dSY">Yarrayeh</a> (Arabic)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Abdelkader Chaou</td><td><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiz%C3%A1s,_quiz%C3%A1s,_quiz%C3%A1s">Chehilet Laayani</a> (Arabic) </td></tr>
<tr><td>Raina Rai</td><td><a href="https://youtu.be/SLH6by9k2Xg">Mimouna</a> (Arabic)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Nouara</td><td><a href="https://youtu.be/9DmGfyBewNc">Ammi azizen</a> (Kabyle)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Enrico Macias</td><td><a href="https://youtu.be/RAkyKJHq5L4">J'ai quitté mon pays</a> and many others</td></tr>
<tr><td>Daft Punk</td><td><a href="https://youtu.be/em0MknB6wFo">Something about us</a></td></tr>
<tr><td>Adriano Celentano</td><td><a href="https://youtu.be/Re-bg97Z6OU">Don't play that song</a> (that Italian accent!)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Carlos Santana</td><td><a href="https://youtu.be/x5b3VBUW2ok">Moonflower</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And too many songs by the Beatles and the Bee Gees to list!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do you listen to music in different languages?</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-72366020825439692352017-06-22T22:51:00.000+01:002017-06-22T22:51:01.457+01:00An Algerian Eid in Switzerland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDn-WawRghRnNMiFoydyI_-7rzyt0W_T4CpSdBXwIeICT0y7wtn2_oyZGzUoWljkIDtqTXMh2pJ0j8WyqZcFBAo49vchdGE5nJQNdI2KbzGzXf1YYbmZmuKXIyq71WiyEAZFFIK3Q6QI/s1600/ramadan-2366101_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDn-WawRghRnNMiFoydyI_-7rzyt0W_T4CpSdBXwIeICT0y7wtn2_oyZGzUoWljkIDtqTXMh2pJ0j8WyqZcFBAo49vchdGE5nJQNdI2KbzGzXf1YYbmZmuKXIyq71WiyEAZFFIK3Q6QI/s200/ramadan-2366101_1280.png" width="200" /></a>I wrote this post for Multicultural Kid Blogs describing how we intend to <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/2017/06/19/celebrate-eid-switzerland-algerian/">celebrate Eid in Switzerland, the Algerian way</a>.<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear how you plan to celebrate Eid in your corner of the world!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-3324361705939752122017-04-12T10:11:00.002+01:002017-04-12T19:45:17.524+01:00What's in a Word or Four!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our 26-month-old fourth daughter is in a unique linguistic and cultural set-up.<br />
<br />
She was born in German-speaking Switzerland, lives in a mostly English-speaking neighbourhood and is spoken to in Arabic and French by her mother, German by her father, English by her three sisters, and Swiss/German/English by the environment.<br />
<br />
Despite (or thanks to!) all these linguistic inputs, it is fair to say that her speech has recently exploded!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoC0o-o4de1zw9linybogpnrQ2lxrlQ5nWhX21qNCVBtm5VnKEauzyhjFMhAJ3nIa4hK_00dlx-z2bTfaeXcpD7VyPQCTvr3nnOnTRnFCe-WkGcNcA097gej8G1u18nlqFMCHnTQ-G0w/s1600/IMG_3522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoC0o-o4de1zw9linybogpnrQ2lxrlQ5nWhX21qNCVBtm5VnKEauzyhjFMhAJ3nIa4hK_00dlx-z2bTfaeXcpD7VyPQCTvr3nnOnTRnFCe-WkGcNcA097gej8G1u18nlqFMCHnTQ-G0w/s320/IMG_3522.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
Just for fun, we started listing all the words and sentences she can say.<br />
She can name 27 people, three dogs and one cat.<br />
She can request songs by saying: "Timber", "Aicha", "Chebba", "Let it go".<br />
She can say simple words such as pipi, caca, dodo, oui, bébé, no, yes, quoi, oui etc.<br />
And she can say the following non-exhaustive list of common words and phrases.<br />
<br />
<table>
<colgroup><col width="130"></col><col width="130"></col><col width="130"></col><col width="130"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: left;">Arabic</th>
<th style="text-align: left;">French</th>
<th style="text-align: left;">German</th>
<th style="text-align: left;">English</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>باب (door)</td>
<td>Nutella</td>
<td>heiss</td>
<td>thank you</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>خبز (bread)</td>
<td>fromage</td>
<td>Brot</td>
<td>what the heck</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>تشينة (orange)</td>
<td>banane</td>
<td>ab</td>
<td>go away</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>كلب (dog)</td>
<td>stylo</td>
<td>guck</td>
<td>again</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>قط (cat)</td>
<td>pardon</td>
<td>Auto</td>
<td>cat</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>برا (outside)</td>
<td>balançoire</td>
<td>Mund</td>
<td>come on</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ضوء (light)</td>
<td>encore</td>
<td>Auge</td>
<td>sleep</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>صباط (shoe)</td>
<td>bus</td>
<td>Kopf</td>
<td>tractor</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>قعدي (sit)</td>
<td>camion</td>
<td>Kinn</td>
<td>mango</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>وعلاه (why)</td>
<td>manteau</td>
<td>Backe</td>
<td>seesaw</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td>bêtise</td>
<td>Hals</td>
<td>iPad</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td>gaufre</td>
<td>Nase</td>
<td>ball</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td>crème</td>
<td>Hand</td>
<td>thank you</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td>glace</td>
<td>Finger</td>
<td>please</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td>compote</td>
<td>Jacke</td>
<td>gone</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td>debout</td>
<td>Lampe</td>
<td>move</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td>poubelle</td>
<td>Boden</td>
<td>TV</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td>poupée</td>
<td>Hund</td>
<td>hug</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td>Schuh</td>
<td>what did you do</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td>Kuh</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td>Zebra</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td>Elefant</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td>Tigger</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td>Giraffe</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td>Affe</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><br /></td>
<td><br /></td>
<td>Raus</td>
<td><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The influence of the environment via German and English is staggering already. I think I am doing well though, given I am the only source of Arabic and French.</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-73237668997486384562017-02-13T06:14:00.000+00:002017-02-13T06:14:18.020+00:00Language and Cultural Identity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the train from Switzerland to France, I overheard a woman and a man speaking English. Then I saw them: they were Asians. This made me wonder about their history. It also reminded me of this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLt5qSm9U80">funny video</a> and how <i>Physical appearance is not necessarily a reflection of one's cultural identity</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oLt5qSm9U80/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oLt5qSm9U80?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
My daughters, aged 11, 8 and 6 have fair skin and light hair. They speak British English between them with a Northern England accent. Anyone overhearing them would have no idea that their father is German and their mother is African<br />
<br />
When people in Algeria first hear them speak Arabic, they usually react in three steps:<br />
<ul>
<li>First, marvel at their ability to speak the local lingo, </li>
<li>Then, make fun of their accent and how hard it is to understand them</li>
<li>Finally, denigrate Arabic as a useless language anyway.</li>
</ul>
This results in puzzled looks from my girls: "What? all those times you tell us to 'please speak Arabic', now it turns out this language is useless?" followed by utter silence.<br />
<br />
This makes me angry. These are the very people who should praise our efforts and celebrate our achievements. It is hard to keep a minority language going, especially when only one parent speaks it, let alone with three more languages and two dialects in the mix!<br />
<br />
So, how should you react when someone speaks your language whose physical appearance does not match the language in your mind?<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Do</h3>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Acknowledge one's genuine surprise - a dose of curiosity is healthy</li>
<li>Express whatever positive feelings you feel about this</li>
<li>Continue conversing in that language if both are happy to.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Do not</h3>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Ask where they are <i>really</i> from!</li>
<li>Make fun of the accent nor the language</li>
<li>Correct mistakes if you were not asked to do so explicitly</li>
</ul>
<br />
Cultural identity should never be bestowed from the outside. It is up to each person to decide what their identity is, that is if they wish to label it at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thepiripirilexicon.com/p/a-to-z-of-raising-multilingual-children.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvl5HvI0oXSfopA5iFJp84UtqwuAsEcImnulM3Pgd4QLG3yQKjDcJjD1KA9lMky4ks4xRZQAJfn2V8EoE-f_kxlx3q-fz3B2C7c9vazfAP4Vju-oiEpxtsAbr4tVL6Uz7ZRNBKvcZND0/s200/AtoZ+raising+multilingual+children.png" title="The Pirir Piri Lexicon" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Take a look at the rest of the series: A-Z of Raising Multilingual Children hosted on <a href="http://www.thepiripirilexicon.com/p/a-to-z-of-raising-multilingual-children.html">The Piri Piri Lexicon</a>.
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-26121250129698532162017-02-05T19:19:00.002+00:002017-02-05T19:19:41.394+00:00Of Multiculturalism and Colonialism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
BK2, who will be nine in a couple of weeks, was asked to pick a country to research and present to her class. She chose Algeria.<br />
<br />
She told her classmates how you could fit Switzerland 50 times in Algeria! (yes Switzerland is this small and Algeria is this big!)<br />
She took with her Tamtunt, Baqlawa and olive oil from Kabylie to share with her classmates.<br />
She wrote the names of a couple of her friends in Arabic.<br />
She told her class how her great-greandmother was imprisoned and tortured during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algerian_War">Algerian War.</a><br />
Her class re-enacted a battle during the War, where half her class was the Algerian Army and the second half was the French Army.<br />
<br />
Her teacher gave her excellent feedback. She got top marks for her efforts.<br />
<br />
At that moment, I felt we made the right decision to live 2 kms this side of the French-Swiss border.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiN5pGyWFA6m87yox14l4NaDfP_sQRvJUB9PbG7twiMDjVQIL7Th9EULqS2o8r9WJ0lXudFJgmcQp2zvlPgjiG8hMTAnuRHwbmp4xKDOiF4IOYL93hvqmXGLoYyzGPLjNxCi6M79Csqs/s1600/IMG_4007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiN5pGyWFA6m87yox14l4NaDfP_sQRvJUB9PbG7twiMDjVQIL7Th9EULqS2o8r9WJ0lXudFJgmcQp2zvlPgjiG8hMTAnuRHwbmp4xKDOiF4IOYL93hvqmXGLoYyzGPLjNxCi6M79Csqs/s320/IMG_4007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olive oil, Tamtunt and Baqlwa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
I lived five years in France. I have close family and friends there. The south of France, where we started our multicultural and multilingual family, holds a special place in my heart.<br />
But I doubt that BK2 would have felt so at ease to share this bit about her family history. I am not sure how well her choice of topic would have been received in a French school.<br />
<br />
Her choice of topic and its reception show how she feels totally accepted for who she is. I think living in a country with four official languages, and where over a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Switzerland#Population_of_immigrant_background">third of the population comes from an immigrant background</a>, definitely help.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-13142355030934276542017-01-31T13:37:00.000+00:002017-01-31T13:37:24.827+00:00A car to sleep?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
BK4 will be two on Sunday.<br />
<br />
She and I usually snuggle on the sofa in the evening for her to go to sleep. So, when it's bedtime, she calls to me: "come, come" pointing to the sofa, then "auto" and gets the blanket.<br />
<br />
Hang on. A car?<br />
<br />
Well, a blanket is <i class="">couverture</i> in French, which rhymes with <i class="">voiture</i>, <i>Auto</i> in German.<br />
<br />
The workings of a multilingual mind, go figure!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDK8vV6fuz7by8yACB8QR_9j1uMygYDsP_citG542BDfSS1IgsjZinOY52ucl2YgEme2QcMnjFOjZ0BzafVz0BvdKIg4p06rfl3x5kL9RJln16Dw0KX5FfQ3wXih58l4DCCvr-HlmayxQ/s1600/baby-1151351_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDK8vV6fuz7by8yACB8QR_9j1uMygYDsP_citG542BDfSS1IgsjZinOY52ucl2YgEme2QcMnjFOjZ0BzafVz0BvdKIg4p06rfl3x5kL9RJln16Dw0KX5FfQ3wXih58l4DCCvr-HlmayxQ/s320/baby-1151351_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-34163663981781066752016-12-06T21:41:00.000+00:002016-12-07T19:06:39.822+00:00Trilingual Toddler<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here are two conversations my 22-month old toddler and I had recently.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
Me: "Nrouhou letounoubil?" (shall we go to the car?)<br />
Baby: "Oui! Auto!" (Yes! Car!)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Tot: "Berra!" (outside!)<br />
Me: "Nrouhou berra?" (shall we go outside?)<br />
Tot: "Oui, berra. Come. Sebbati" (Yes, outside. Come. My shoes)</blockquote>
There's so much going on in these few sentences.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMeU0ddzf5-FVqkP2eUdUZEwMtzK57ggIb4rvoiw_NCe8KvYaFsjxyC3pUgTxJBaLAOwQW5Vk58jR1LdpC9ROVHwdtjmDZsvNuJ9piUXrO44hk9myQ0wVv5pcpZRsW_lvnsMNA5UGWVc/s1600/IMG_3522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMeU0ddzf5-FVqkP2eUdUZEwMtzK57ggIb4rvoiw_NCe8KvYaFsjxyC3pUgTxJBaLAOwQW5Vk58jR1LdpC9ROVHwdtjmDZsvNuJ9piUXrO44hk9myQ0wVv5pcpZRsW_lvnsMNA5UGWVc/s200/IMG_3522.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
First, my Algerian dialect clearly shows French and Spanish influences: the word for car stems from <i>automobile; </i> the word for shoes comes from <i>zapato</i>.<br />
<br />
Then my daughter says the Arabic <i class="">berra</i>, the german <i>Auto</i>, the English c<i>ome </i>and the French o<i>ui. </i>Mind you, not really sure whether she's saying <i>come</i> or <i>komm</i> in German.<br />
<i><br /></i> In any case, BK4 is officially at least trilingual!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-61012173237835319432016-11-28T18:49:00.000+00:002016-11-28T18:49:46.861+00:00Bilingualism has no Advantages!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It is estimated that over <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-bilingual/201209/how-many-are-we">half of the world's population is (at least) bilingual</a>. The majority of these people are not exceptionally intelligent, affluent or highly educated.<br />
<br />
In many developing countries, speaking more than one language is the norm: the local dialect/language, the lingua Franca for reading and writing, and possibly a third language inherited from colonialism.<br />
<br />
It is not unusual for a North African to speak three languages nor for an Armenian to know four idioms.<br />
<br />
Another example is an Indian family we knew back in England. The father, from Northern India, speaks Punjabi. The mother, from the South, speaks <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayalam">Malayalam</a>. They speak Hindi with each other and English to their son.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiywuyQPtlp-dcNLjOWRc0WGLS_l66nZGVN7rSOiut6dbKFN-KHOU2Umgqyv-bLwZrDVj17kgR_IuSrKZbNVNnKv1DLinFdipoa25mKEh5Cuw4jrb2NBFhAFKd7poHMA4Woc6JYdBo8c/s1600/india-map-languages.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiywuyQPtlp-dcNLjOWRc0WGLS_l66nZGVN7rSOiut6dbKFN-KHOU2Umgqyv-bLwZrDVj17kgR_IuSrKZbNVNnKv1DLinFdipoa25mKEh5Cuw4jrb2NBFhAFKd7poHMA4Woc6JYdBo8c/s1600/india-map-languages.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.mapsofindia.com/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Monolingualism is fairly recent in human history. Its spread coincided with the birth of nations, to aid political, social and economic unity. Germany and France, two rather linguistically-uniform countries, used to have a large dialectal variety before the end of the 19th century.<br />
<br />
Studies are rife extolling the benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism: better health, better jobs, better prospects overall.<br />
<br />
But, what if the human brain evolved to be multilingual?<br />
What if it is biologically normal for humans to speak more than one language?<br />
Is it appropriate to talk about the advantages of bilingualism?<br />
Instead, should we address the shortcomings of monolingualism?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-17359326299547569122016-09-02T17:45:00.001+01:002016-09-03T11:55:39.179+01:00Six False Friends<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Of course, languages borrow and steal from each other. That's normal. I've come to realise, though, that a language often adopts a word from another language only for it to mean something slightly or completely different.<br />
<br />
Here are a few <i>false friends</i> in French, English and German.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcOwvRfLv712tl9Bu_xpAZ1_Kg6WQAQSI7iygcuDlZM2WnZZJRGPY8XLlKcgBT3PJ98ewqnxXvrEMxzIr63rHU3uqLl0d0Hvwqw22Bdc936G0ScigkebNJkBxXeeFrO81jqI_nacVoLI/s1600/pexels-photo-58625.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcOwvRfLv712tl9Bu_xpAZ1_Kg6WQAQSI7iygcuDlZM2WnZZJRGPY8XLlKcgBT3PJ98ewqnxXvrEMxzIr63rHU3uqLl0d0Hvwqw22Bdc936G0ScigkebNJkBxXeeFrO81jqI_nacVoLI/s320/pexels-photo-58625.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Handy</h3>
An English word meaning something useful. German speakers, however, use the word to mean <i>mobile phone</i>. Go figure.
<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Cutter</h3>
Another English word, used in French to mean a kind of a pocket knife used to cut cardboard and other thick materials. Otherwise known in England as a <i>carpet knife</i>.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Costume</h3>
In French, a costume usually designates a two- or a three-piece <i>suit</i>. In English though, a costume is what people wear to dress up, such as a clown, a witch, Superman etc.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3giNChpiEbHrvqPm_N5-DXchiIwe9ss7j-GFwsXyB34SKCN8FVKZYNvLEYYHFXiSIt0YLlqgFGNPngduRHg_QlLloctFz7h9XymiU_LNh4KGAXYEE6irVGytGDQPg7Eg4iN6qlm8YP0/s1600/wallet-cash-credit-card-pocket.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3giNChpiEbHrvqPm_N5-DXchiIwe9ss7j-GFwsXyB34SKCN8FVKZYNvLEYYHFXiSIt0YLlqgFGNPngduRHg_QlLloctFz7h9XymiU_LNh4KGAXYEE6irVGytGDQPg7Eg4iN6qlm8YP0/s320/wallet-cash-credit-card-pocket.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Etui</h3>
This French word is used occasionally to mean a sheath or a slim-fitting case. In German, it is often used to designate any kind of small case: a pencil case, a wallet, a credit card holder. You name it, if its purpose is to carry any kind of small stuff then it's an <i>Etui</i>.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Manege</h3>
A French word meaning carrousel, German speakers use it to designate an arena, in particular, a circus arena.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Mobbing</h3>
When I hear that someone is being mobbed in English, I imagine somebody running away from a group of people who are ganging up on him. In German, though, <i>mobbing</i> is bullying.<br />
<br />
And you, what are your most memorable linguistic false friends?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-16094546718294633912016-08-22T15:34:00.001+01:002016-08-23T05:58:12.645+01:00Arabic Lessons Are Go!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
BK1 and BK2 started Arabic lessons on Saturday!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUgsUDgi32IYthalsRlhrGQp9EbGbmlEvkwTJv4pIGApcEcb2Qgi3vg_QSx-j4eJ2hcWqbnjGO77T8n_HXg4oFtwvFDwvYbjvwrKtA81J8ph-yppvWp6Bn705dstSAK9BuPu2DHMX0Wo/s1600/learn-arabic-letters-alphabet-image-clipart-picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUgsUDgi32IYthalsRlhrGQp9EbGbmlEvkwTJv4pIGApcEcb2Qgi3vg_QSx-j4eJ2hcWqbnjGO77T8n_HXg4oFtwvFDwvYbjvwrKtA81J8ph-yppvWp6Bn705dstSAK9BuPu2DHMX0Wo/s320/learn-arabic-letters-alphabet-image-clipart-picture.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I have been teaching the girls how to read and write in Arabic at home, for a few years now. We've achieved some success in that BK1 (11 years old) can decipher words and spell them. BK2 (8 years old) can do the same with simple, familiar words. However, it's been a struggle. We haven't been able to do it regularly enough.<br />
<br />
Now, with weekly classes, it's an hour and a half where they'll only listen to and speak in Arabic.<br />
<br />
The face BK2 made when the teacher spoke to her was just a sight. She was like: Whaaaat?Absolutely hilarious! See, not only did the teacher speak in Classical Arabic, but she used her dialect and regional accent.<br />
<br />
The teacher is from Iraq - she looked so sad when she told me. The other kids' parents are from Morroco, Eritrea, Sudan, Tunisia. Some of them speak Arabic at home, some only know German.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
I am hoping they enjoy the classes!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-36626069432573768872016-05-21T11:03:00.000+01:002016-05-21T11:03:10.334+01:00On Belonging and Identity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcY_Wr54DLbHFQoBC3-KZ2eN0aufJBHEUK68NNJpyX-_6H1DxqDnkt8L85BAF-Wb9GOG6fTp7bcjtOpRUvoPFOwETXyL6pW_lUrrI4R75oCN8-tBWOXDojmVE3ukP8kI-6wFeMfLYLRXM/s1600/D127CFEBFD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcY_Wr54DLbHFQoBC3-KZ2eN0aufJBHEUK68NNJpyX-_6H1DxqDnkt8L85BAF-Wb9GOG6fTp7bcjtOpRUvoPFOwETXyL6pW_lUrrI4R75oCN8-tBWOXDojmVE3ukP8kI-6wFeMfLYLRXM/s320/D127CFEBFD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
From time to time, it suddenly hits me. I don't belong anywhere. I left my country, where I grew up. Left my family behind, the familiarity. There are moments where I feel at ease where I am now, lots of times actually. But then , I suddenly realise, I've not been to a family wedding for a while. Only heard of family members passing away over the phone, not been to see them one last time.<br />
<br />
I left home 19 years ago. Another three years, and I would have spent as many years abroad as in my home country. In my heart, I still feel totally Algerian. But I feel definite connections with the places I've lived in: France and England.<br />
<br />
But then, it only takes a random sentence, some get-together, to feel excluded. I don't belong. Despite my language and cultural proficiency, I am not French nor English. Actually, I am not sure I still belong in my home country either. And I certainly do not belong in Switzerland!<br />
<br />
Ramadan will start in a couple of weeks. For the last eleven years, ever since BK1 was born, I spent most of it in Algeria. There, activity is reduced, life slows right down. Nobody expects you to take kids to the open-door swimming pool in the searing heat while you haven't had a drink or anything to eat for the last 12 hours. Nobody plans a school musical show preceded by nibbles at 5pm. Nobody wonders why on Earth this crazy nursing woman of four kids would abstain from eating or drinking from dawn till dusk.<br />
<br />
This year is different. Because the girls are still in school for almost the whole duration of Ramadan, we'll only be able to fast the last few days in Algiers. And it makes me sad. It makes me long for my childhood smells, the market stalls, the anticipation of sharing a long-awaited meal with my parents, the long evenings, the rituals.<br />
<br />
Today is one of those days.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-53956390933770788422016-04-10T19:00:00.001+01:002016-04-11T09:57:27.833+01:00That Swiss Habit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you take the train to Basel, then step off the train into the station, prepare to be welcomed by a dreadful smell. Not the cows, not chemical industry... cigarettes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXd9REz9lW8aFrXBHSCHm0JZRbc7NiNfiomfOBYGyusFn2Fc313rtS7wAT03dPtct-0hVAO9QdX0TX22v0H7nbGiTeC9Bx72hLMNjEtzppRAjh8O_LVw7T3UWVM_Sqbdk53ZVfTlPYaQ/s1600/cigarette.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXd9REz9lW8aFrXBHSCHm0JZRbc7NiNfiomfOBYGyusFn2Fc313rtS7wAT03dPtct-0hVAO9QdX0TX22v0H7nbGiTeC9Bx72hLMNjEtzppRAjh8O_LVw7T3UWVM_Sqbdk53ZVfTlPYaQ/s400/cigarette.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Lots, and I mean LOTS of people smoke in Basel. everywhere. train stations, outdoor swimming pools, children play areas, you name it, if it's "outside", it's allowed.<br />
<br />
A couple of weeks ago, we were visiting the scenic <a href="https://www.region-wasserfallen.ch/en/">Wasserfallen</a>. I sat down on a bench with BK4 asleep in a sling, enjoying the sun and the view. Next to me was a pregnant young woman, smiling broadly at me. Sat opposite to us was a young lady, in her early twenties, who found nothing better than to light up.<br />
I mean, seriously?<br />
<br />
A quick google shows Switzerland is ranked <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_cigarette_consumption_per_capita">21 out of 185 countries</a> for tobacco consumption. Unsurprisingly, it is the third consumer of tobacco in Western Europe after Greece and Spain, and well ahead of Germany, France and the UK.<br />
<br />
Having lived 10 years in the UK, I have come to associate smoking with lower social classes, rightly or wrongly. The National Health Service offers many programmes to quit smoking aimed at young adults with low incomes, particularly in council estates.<br />
<br />
Here in Switzerland, it seems smoking does not discriminate: young, old, women, men, low and high income.<br />
<br />
I find the habit difficult to reconcile with the idea of a people who like the great outdoors, are keen hikers and cyclists. The good news though is it seems smoking uptake <a href="http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-start-to-cut-back-smoking-habit/9037970">is declining</a>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-12622685253864386412016-04-08T19:49:00.002+01:002016-04-08T19:49:55.046+01:00Why I'll never Learn German in Switzerland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When we made the decision to move to Basel, two years ago, I thought: "Finally, I'll be able to learn German!".<br />
<br />
Haha.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfyivMjh7dEtahJLI-f16wm4W21SLsWnRaBOckL4k1Nnp1bnBmNqiKf7vXfBz6-0OhRjdFaEvpBMe-fco4FyL47lvJ5GxckEajG91Z3t9XYZPeGd5OcwSMioFdypN7B01XSL9yqHDIug/s1600/Switzerland.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfyivMjh7dEtahJLI-f16wm4W21SLsWnRaBOckL4k1Nnp1bnBmNqiKf7vXfBz6-0OhRjdFaEvpBMe-fco4FyL47lvJ5GxckEajG91Z3t9XYZPeGd5OcwSMioFdypN7B01XSL9yqHDIug/s400/Switzerland.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Well, my German has definitely improved but it is nowhere near the level I was hoping it'd be two years down the line.<br />
<br />
I've come to realise that Basel is not the place to learn German. Basically, the Swiss do not like to speak German. Many prefer to speak French or English to me rather than Hochdeutsch.<br />
<br />
I guess there are many reasons for this.<br />
<br />
To start with, people here have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_German">their own language</a>, which is unintelligible to most German speakers. Being Algerian, I know exactly how this feels. Algerian Arabic is virtually impossible to understand for anyone who does not come from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maghreb">Maghreb</a> (time to brush up on your geography!). The best I can do to make myself understood is to speak Classical Arabic. However, I do not like doing so. It somewhat feels false, artificial, forced. The Arab world uses Classical Arabic to read and write, but no Arabic speaker has it as his/her native language.<br />
<br />
Secondly, the Swiss may have an inferiority complex with respect to their northern neighbours. With its 80 million inhabitants, strong economy and stature in the world, Germany has the capacity to intimidate many European countries. I have witnessed quite a few Swiss people apologise to the BabelDad for their supposedly bad German!<br />
<br />
Thirdly, the Basel area is highly cosmopolitan. Not only does it border Germany and France, but also a third of its population originates from foreign lands. English (and to a lesser extent French) is a preferred <i>Lingua Franca</i>. Moreover, in my experience, Swiss people like to practise their English whenever they get a chance.<br />
<br />
In conclusion, I am confident I will learn German, eventually. But it will not be through immersion as I'd originally thought. It will be because I want to and I will put a lot of effort into it.<br />
<br />
<i>Ich schaffe das!</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-87272769288909379722016-02-29T07:57:00.002+00:002016-02-29T07:58:04.753+00:00BK2 is a pentalingual 8 year old!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqy01S4kZOpfcdpkHAsn0Zem9NQGIgwlc97mXkU-G9vE_Z5E3k3D_4riCObINdJziHRs27yUpTZcmU-JKeiFh9kSy5YeyvSZULZP2d4gJcWyMCOtz2Y_OkJ33MNw6UWLtvCDUzZXIpW1s/s1600/IMG_1214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqy01S4kZOpfcdpkHAsn0Zem9NQGIgwlc97mXkU-G9vE_Z5E3k3D_4riCObINdJziHRs27yUpTZcmU-JKeiFh9kSy5YeyvSZULZP2d4gJcWyMCOtz2Y_OkJ33MNw6UWLtvCDUzZXIpW1s/s320/IMG_1214.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
BK2 is 8!<br />
<br />
We celebrated her second birthday in Switzerland by inviting a few of her friends to a party. As all the children sat down to eat, we realised it was a pretty multicultural/multilingual bunch. Check this out:<br />
<br />
<table border="1">
<tbody>
<tr><td><b>Child</b></td><td><b>Parents</b></td><td><b>Languages</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>BKs</td><td>Algeria, Germany</td><td>Arabic, French, German, Swiss, English</td></tr>
<tr><td>Boy</td><td>Australia, New Zealand</td><td>English, Swiss, German</td></tr>
<tr><td>Girl</td><td>Netherlands</td><td>Dutch, Swiss, German</td></tr>
<tr><td>Girl</td><td>Switzerland, Hungary</td><td>Italian, Swiss, Hungarian, English</td></tr>
<tr><td>Girl</td><td>Norway, Germany</td><td>Swiss, German, English, Norwegian</td></tr>
<tr><td>Boy</td><td>Spain, Australia</td><td>Spanish, English</td></tr>
<tr><td>Girl</td><td>Switzerland, Germany</td><td>German, Swiss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
By virtue of living in Switzerland, nearly <a href="http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/languages/29177618">everyone speaks more than one language</a> to some extent. But these children with their 10 nationalities and 10 languages are multilingual and multicultural. They live their diversity on a daily basis, switching between languages all the time inside and outside.<br />
And we love that!<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-23104081236759419922016-02-19T20:41:00.002+00:002016-02-19T20:41:39.571+00:00Ski Camp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9YIZZu7N6Vxuv21pgDJDu_drwjv9p2Z0hDLUCCkOJ3pjxFuCMrnRdDlmigkW4pldXA7tuzkCU9srDX_z1m4LGoxpQNe-8DNZyvbgo5R8tbnIQk77DPnZyNDRCKVDDUaD6O93CouxlxY/s1600/lilia_ski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9YIZZu7N6Vxuv21pgDJDu_drwjv9p2Z0hDLUCCkOJ3pjxFuCMrnRdDlmigkW4pldXA7tuzkCU9srDX_z1m4LGoxpQNe-8DNZyvbgo5R8tbnIQk77DPnZyNDRCKVDDUaD6O93CouxlxY/s400/lilia_ski.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
BK1, who will be 11 in March, is currently taking part in a ski camp. Two firsts: going to a holiday camp and skiing.<br />
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She's a mere two-hour drive, but she could be at the other side of the world, she's been gone for 5 days today. I can't wait to see her tomorrow and hear all about it!<br />
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Meanwhile she sent me the following messages via her friend's phone.<br />
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<br />Bonjour hadawin nadna. le snow ouw vraiment vraiment high. Est-ce que ça va el tmec. Eneya ou Anna ana nrcdo kdem each other ou berech kenna ne cuddleo ma each other. Comment sont les autres? Caien une notre Fille ou ai vraiment vraiment funny. Je pense peut-être gdro ne bio friends ou Anna aussi. Koli hello end les autres ou blic eni OK. Miss you. Le Internet hana ouw Rubbish. Bye Bye</blockquote>
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Geh ouw bien. Rachna fok la piste rouge le whole morning. Ou berk tacht 5 fois. Krib rocht fok la Piste noire</blockquote>
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Next time anyone asks me what do the girls speak, I'll show them this!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-13158803222652571032015-10-20T09:49:00.002+01:002015-10-20T12:25:47.080+01:00Arabic "Camp"!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The girls have just gone back to school after their two-week long Herbstferien (Autumn holidays).<br />
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For the last ten days, I have been teaching BK1 (10.5 years old) and BK2 (7.5 years old) how to read and write in Arabic. We have been doing between 10 and 30 minutes every day, following the Algerian textbook for 6-year olds. I can already see a lot of progress: BK1's reading and writing are improving, and BK2 has started to read too!<br />
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Here you can hear both girls reading (deciphering) a sentence, without me first reading it to them.<br />
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You can hear BK4 babbling (shouting!) in the background. It's hard going, I was in my bathrobe, and BK3 was on the iPad. But hey it works somehow.<br />
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I hope we can keep the momentum now that the girls are back in school. We'll have to downscale the frequency and duration of lessons. Now that they have gained confidence in their skills though, I am hoping we will manage a weekly session, life permitting.<br />
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You know what the best thing is? BK1 said our daily lessons have been FUN!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-34247415095738667832015-08-26T20:52:00.000+01:002015-08-26T20:52:15.208+01:00BK1 can read Arabic!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When we landed at Algiers Airport a few weeks ago, I noticed BK1 (10 years old) looking at the signs in Arabic. I said to her casually that I was hoping she'd be able to read Arabic by the end of our 6-week stay. She then squinted at the sign and spelled out "ma-t-a-r م ط أ ر " (airport), just like that. Turns out she could already read!<br />
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During our stay with my parents, particularly at mealtimes, BK1 would decipher the Arabic writing on bottles of water, lemonade etc. Granted, she has a limited grasp of what the words she is reading mean, but still! How many 10-year olds are there who can read in 4 languages?<br />
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Compared to our friends' son, who at 10 years of age passed his Arabic GCSEs successfully, grasping how to read is neither here nor there. However, compare that to the vast numbers of kids of a similar age, born to both Algerian parents and who are unable to speak colloquial Arabic, let alone read or write classical Arabic, and I feel sort of ... satisfied.<br />
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Yes, the road is long before BK1 achieves some literacy in Arabic, but we're on it :)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-76039043295349505582015-08-13T07:10:00.003+01:002015-08-13T07:11:21.762+01:00Fresh Swiss Air<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since our <a href="http://www.babelkid.net/2014/09/switzerland-here-we-are.html">move to Switzerland</a> last year, the children have been spending a lot of time outside. I mean they already did back in England, particularly in our lovely ex-garden and national parks during the weekend.<br />
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However, being outdoors here has taken a whole new dimension. Some of it is undoubtedly 'cause the weather in Basel is <i>slightly</i> better than in Manchester.<br />
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Walking to school </h3>
BK1 (10) and BK2 (7) walk to school in the morning and come back home for lunch, everyday. Twice or three times a week they do so again in the afternoon. The school is a <i>mere</i> mile away!<br />
On those all-day school days, they sometimes take the (public) bus to school though, in order to be back in time.<br />
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Playing outside</h3>
We're lucky to be living in a green neighbourhood, with a play area, a bicycle track and trees to climb. BK3 (4) being with me at home usually has at least one bike/scooter ride a day.<br />
After school, the girls play with the neighbourhood kids, outside of course.<br />
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School trips</h3>
BK2 has been on 13 school outings, that's one every 3 weeks! BK2's class climbed a hill and of course lit a fire to cook their lunch. They've been to the outdoor pool, the zoo, the forest, water tower and ice skating. Kids usually either walk or take public transport.<br />
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BK1 was not left out, as she's been on numerous times hiking, ice skating, to the zoo and forest.<br />
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All in all, I can safely say I am happy with the amount of fresh Swiss air the children get!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-2203067206228010162015-06-12T21:23:00.000+01:002015-06-12T21:23:39.727+01:00We Said Hello to Basel 10 Months Ago<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I haven't spoken classical Arabic in ages. Today I did, and of all people, with a Scot!<br />
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This dad from school speaks classical Arabic (<i>fus'ha</i>) fluently. I felt all rusty when I conversed with him!<br />
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We moved to the area 10 months ago, and I can honestly say it's a great place for our family: yesterday I shopped in Germany, today I nipped to France, we speak English with our neighbours, the girls speak German at school and are exposed to Swiss on a daily basis.<br />
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BK2 (age 7) is in a music class, and today they gave a concert in a local tram station. The children sang in Swiss, German, English, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amharic">Amharic</a> and Spanish.<br />
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I think our life can hardly be more multicultural/multilingual than it is currently!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-2497587358745371822015-02-11T14:37:00.001+00:002015-02-11T14:37:14.643+00:00BabelKid 4 is Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">And it's a girl! She arrived on the 5th of February, and is being adored by her sisters.</span></div><div><br></div><div style="direction: ltr;"><b>Number trivia</b></div><div><br></div><div>BK4 is:</div><div>Our fourth child and daughter</div><div>My third home birth after a Caesarean (hbac)</div><div>My second water birth</div><div>My first birth in Switzerland</div><div><br></div><div><b>Birth in Switzerland, a multilingual affair</b></div><div><br></div><div>Like many people in the area, my midwife speaks four languages: Swiss German, High German (Hoch Deutsch), French and English. So for the first time, I was able to communicate with my midwife in a <i>native</i> language. </div><div><br></div><div>As it turned out, I found myself saying some things in English during the birth, mantras I learned to help me through labour like "Let my monkey do it" or "My body's not a lemon", or simply invoking the Lord. Both the midwife and the BabelDad seemed surprised that I would speak in English while in the throes of labour.</div><div><br></div><div>Maybe instead of asking what languages multilingual women dream in, we should ask them what languages they <i>labour in</i>. We may be surprised by the results!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-55867110736504078202015-01-07T09:00:00.000+00:002015-01-07T09:00:03.994+00:00What's in a Name?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A lot, particularly when your parents come from two completely different cultures and backgrounds.<br />
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We are expecting our fourth child February time. Yep, we look forward to being blessed with a fourth BabelKid in a month or so.<br />
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What we don't enjoy is the search for a name. Our quest is complicated further by an indecisive mother and a name-giving-phobic father. BabelDad had so much trouble naming his cat that the latter was forever known as Kater!<br />
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So, instead of leaving it to BabelDad, and ending up with Baby, Junge or Mädchen as a name for our child, I am perusing various websites and books. looking for a more socially acceptable alternative.<br />
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Many parents agree that naming a boy is somewhat more challenging than deciding on a name for a girl. So imagine how hard it must be for us, having already exhausted our girls' list three times already!</div>
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I trust we will find a name, hopefully in time. We were spoilt in the UK, as parents usually have up to 6 weeks before registering the birth of their offspring, as opposed to 3 days in Switzerland!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-56528942407482948422015-01-04T13:23:00.000+00:002015-01-04T13:23:59.555+00:00"Germanish"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Babelkids only ever learned German because we tried to be an OPOL family. I spoke German with them in an environment that was otherwise very English and had Arabic and French sprinkled in. Exposure to a language via the breadwinner is always problematic, I guess.<div>
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So when they speak German, they code-switch a lot. They use English words, often with German grammar.</div>
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Today on Google+, I came across this thought experiment by Jakub Marian: "<a href="http://jakubmarian.com/germanish-english-with-german-grammar-verbs-and-pronouns/">Germanish</a>". As he puts it: "Just as a funny mental exercise, I wanted to try to see what English would look like if it used German grammar, but with English vocabulary preserved as much as possible. The result is a constructed language which I call <b>Germanish</b>.<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.150000005960464px; background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 0px;">ust as a funny mental exercise, I wanted to try to see what English would look like if it used German grammar, but with English vocabulary preserved as much as possible. The result is a constructed language which I call </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.150000005960464px; background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 0px;">Germanish</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.150000005960464px; background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 0px;">ust as a funny mental exercise, I wanted to try to see what English would look like if it used German grammar, but with English vocabulary preserved as much as possible. The result is a constructed language which I call </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.150000005960464px; background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 0px;">Germanish</b>"</div>
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This is actually very close to how my kids speak at times, especially BK3.</div>
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Funny.</div>
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BabalDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462472771197361179noreply@blogger.com0Oberwil, Switzerland47.5159745 7.558200299999953147.4730805 7.4775192999999529 47.558868499999996 7.6388812999999534tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-84973073051918578082015-01-01T15:11:00.001+00:002015-01-01T15:45:52.406+00:002014: Year of Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As we bid farwell to 2014 and welcome 2015, I, like the rest of the wolrd reminesce on what happened last year, and wonder what (hopefully good) things the new year will bring.<br />
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2014 was a year of massive change for our family. When it started, never did we suspect it would mean:</div>
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<li>New job for BabelDad.</li>
<li>New job for me.</li>
<li>New country, language, culture in the landlocked, yet huge melting pot, island that is Switzerland.</li>
<li>Saying goodbye to dear friends that we made these last ten years in the North of England.</li>
<li>Saying goodbye to our lovely house.</li>
<li>Saying goodbye to our dream of going back to the South of France.</li>
<li>Getting one sea nearer our families.</li>
<li>And last but not least, new pregnancy with BK4 expected in February this year.</li>
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So here's to warm memories and new adventures!</div>
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Happy new year! Bonne année! Gutes Neues Jahr! عام سعيد</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170764364936678547.post-66810971545178725602014-10-03T14:56:00.002+01:002014-10-05T18:26:31.540+01:001st Eid in Switzerland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Tomorrow is Eid El Adha. If we were in Algeria, we'd be having a nice meal, probably a roast chicken prepared by mum, as we don't usually slaughter a lamb in my family. We did it a few times when my sister and I were little. But since we left home some twenty years ago, my parents have never seen the sense in buying and slaughtering a whole lamb for just the two of them.<br />
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Over the years, I've managed many times to spend Eid El Fitr with my parents (the one celebrating the end of Ramadan) but never Eid El Adha. It's never had the same importance for our family.<br />
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This year it's taken me by surprise. Freshly arrived in a new country, with a ton of things to do and great adjustments to make, I've been caught short and hadn't realised the imminence of Eid. Now we won't even be able to celebrate as a family, since BabelDad planned a day trip in Germany for BK2 and himself to hear <a href="http://www.scilogs.de/go-for-launch/buzz-aldrin-spricht-am-4-10-in-speyer/">Buzz Aldrin talk about the moon and Mars</a>.<br />
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Had we been in Manchester, we'd have spent a good part of the day with our Algerian friends, celebrating. Instead, this year, I'll be entertaining two children and resenting the fact there is no one to celebrate with.<br />
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This immigrating stuff is still hard, fifteen years down the line... But then I go on the terrace, and look to my right. Life is good.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0