"Germanish"

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.

So when they speak German, they code-switch a lot. They use English words, often with German grammar.

Today on Google+, I came across this thought experiment by Jakub Marian: "Germanish". 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 Germanish.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 Germanishust 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 Germanish"

This is actually very close to how my kids speak at times, especially BK3.

Funny.

Family Language Diagram Update

I feel a bit bad: we haven't updated the family language diagram for ages! I cannot even remember how long ago I touched it. Bad Babeldad!

Then again, the situation has only changed very slightly when it comes to languages. All three Babelkids are now sufficiently fluent to be able to speak pretty normally with native speakers of their four languages. English is the dominating language, by a mile, but it has always been.

So all good in the Babelhouse from a language perspective.

Small Changes

Drill down into details though, and you will notice changes.

BK2 is more and more defaulting to English, when in the past she would speak Arabic or maybe German. We now witness (and sometimes interrupt) long conversations between BK2 and BK1 entirely in English. BK2 starts it, usually.

BK3 has recently jumped onto the bandwaggon as well. And while the long days in school are a good justification for why BK2 does it, BK3 doesn't even go to pre-school yet, so she got it entirely from her sisters!

BK1 is probably the one with the most solid knowledge and command of all four languages, as she's always been. I guess the time we were able to devote to her when she was alone really paid off for her.

Slightly Bigger Change

So all is more or less as usual in our Babelfamily.

Just the right time to overthrow it all and add more complexity to the mix: we're moving to Basel, Switzerland!

This is a work-related move, of course, but we did actually chose Basel on purpose based on its proximity to France and Germany and the hope that we would come into a multilingual environment. I won't make any guesses as to what the move will do to the girls' language, but I'm sure it'll be interesting.

If you were thinking "Basel... hm... German-speaking part of Switzerland, isn't it?" then all I can say is "technically yes", which obviously means "nope!". There's a fine line between a dialect and a language, I guess. For me, personally, Swiss German is a language. I recently spent four days in Basel and quickly found that I was better off speaking English if I wanted to actually understand what people said to me. So, depending on how you see it, the girls will either pick up yet another language (and a new majority language, too!), or learn a dialect that is quite frankly very different from mine.

This blog might just come to life again in September!

On Good Books and Difficult Translations

"We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury is on of my favourite books for the babelkids. (I might have mentioned it before.) All three of them like it and BK3 (now 2.5yo) wants to see and hear it pretty much every night currently.

We managed to get three versions of the book: English, French and German.

Now I fully get that translating is a difficult job. Especially for a book that comes with a rythm and all.

(Btw: BK3 has seen this video a couple of times a lot and demands that I do the same routine.)

So how do the French and German version fare? Honestly: sub-par.

The French translation tries to stay close to the text. That works in a sense, because if you know the original, you can read from the French version in English, i.e. translate on the fly. I'm sorry, but the French just doesn't work.

The German version, though, is absolutely abysmal. The translation is trying to stay closer to the pattern, but it does so in a stupidly funny way that I think really doesn't do the book any justice. At all. As in: do NOT buy that.

Yes, I do understand that translating is difficult. Maybe for some really good books it just shouldn't be done at all.

Nochmal auf Deutsch, weil es wichtig ist: Die Deutsche Version ist wirklich schlecht. Lieber die Englische kaufen und ein paar Wörter lernen.

Official: Daughters not really German

We had friends over from Germany this week end. We handn't seen them for years and it was great to spend time. They also have two kids who are a bit older than BK1 and BK2, respectively.

BK1 and the older boy were a perfect fit while the younger girl mostly wussed around BK3. Overall they were all playing together really well. Happy days.

At some point we had a discussion about language and it was the first time that someone clearly expresses that my girls do not speak proper German. Unfortunately they are right, too, especially when it comes to BK2. Her grammar is particularly English.

My theory is that because BK2 grew up listening to all the same sources as BK1, except that she also had BK1 to listen to, she was exposed to more English than BK1. Also, we had to share our time between BK1 and BK2, while BK1 was alone for 2.5 years and had our full attention and thus language.

I am not concerned, because BK2 is perfectly able to express herself in German. I am also sure she'll be able to pick it up properly in no time should she ever want or need to. I'm just a bit sad.

After our friends had disappeared, I asked BK1 whether she got used to speaking German in the three days. For my ears she had definitely improved. Her response, though, was: "it's still difficult".

*Sigh*

We'll see where this all goes.
 

Less German

The Babelwife has been in Algeria for 3 weeks now with the Babelkids and I'm finally joining them later today.

Babelkids were obviously very excited yesterday evening when I called them. They even asked the Babelwife to give me another call when they went to bed, so they could say good night. Bless them.

I spoke with BK1 and BK2 briefly in the afternoon. It had be a long time, almost 2 weeks. (We kept our calls very brief because there is currently no landline phone where they are, stolen cable apparently, don't ask.)

I noticed that both BK1 and BK2 had lost some of their fluency in German, as they always do during the summer holidays when they're immersed completely into an Arabic-speaking environment.

Interestingly BK2 lost a lot more than BK1 this year, and now I'm wondering why that might be.

Does it help that BK1 has been speaking German for a lot longer than BK2? Probably. Maybe the time when she was the only child we had was crucial, too? I'm convinced BK1 had less English around her when she was little.

I reckon it is a combination of those two.

Whatever it is, I'm happy to see them later and I'm sure all kids will find back to their usual level of German quickly.

German wins?

So BK3 has decided that she should maybe start using words. Or rather a word.

For quite some time, she has been nodding or shaking her head in order to signal "yes" or "no", but apart from "mama" (means all sorts of things and sometimes refers to the Babelmum), "papa" (means all sorts of things and sometimes refers to me) and "miam miam" ("feed me!" or "I'm eating"), she hasn't been too vocal.

But then, all of a sudden, she stood in front of me, raised her arms and said what BK2 would say: "ARMIE! ARMIE!" which is derived from the German "Arm" and means "Carry me!".

Hm? What? English? No way! "Arm" is totally a German word.

Unusual Mixing of Languages

The following discussion happened earlier tonight:

Me (to the Babelwife): J'ai quand même arreté bosser il y a 10 minutes... [French: I only finished working about 10 minutes ago]
BK1: Warum? [German: Why?]
Me: Weil ich heute tierisch viele Sachen machen mußte. [German: I had to do shedloads of things today.]
BW (didn't really listen): Quoi? [French: What?]
BK1: blabla besaf blablabla [Arabic: he had to do lots of things today.]

Interestingly enough, we notice these kinds of situations. That can only mean they don't happen that often. Who would have thought?

Also: I can not repeat Arabic phrases my family use. Neither vocally nor in writing. Sorry about that.

Not Mixing Languages - Extreme Edition

Our friends have a little boy called S who just turned 4 a week ago.

I think I have mentioned before that I sometimes address children in German whether they speak it or not, and S is no exception. In fact, I started early on and I somehow must have thought he would eventually learn it, but of course he didn't.

S is trilingual: he speaks Arabic, French and English. So we have two languages in common, right?

Well... for some reason, I just kept on speaking German with him over the years. And he, inexplicably, has decided to speak Arabic with me. Except for rare occasions where something really important has to be said and either of us will switch to French or English, we both speak a language that the other just doesn't understand. It's hilarious.

Earlier today, we walked towards our cars and he pointed to something and said:

S: (a long series of words that I cannot repeat)
Me: Ich habe keine Ahnung was Du sagst, S (I have no clue what you're saying, S)
S (slightly annoyed): WOT?

I wonder whether he speaks Arabic to me because I speak German to him.

And I wonder whether we will both eventually give in, or rather learn the others language :-)

English, English, English

There is currently no need to ake a new family language diagram because BK3 is only just starting to make recognisable sounds. She seems to say her oldest sister's name, "mama" and "papa", and yesterday I thought she repeated "Katze" ("cat") after me, but I'm not sure.

BK2 is now using English words everywhere. No matter what language she is currently speaking, 20% up to 90% of the words are English. That makes for some very funny phrases, of course. The Babelmum was glad the other day when she noticed BK2 does it with German as well, whereas I have gotten so used to it I didn't even notice anymore.

Mind you BK2 still expects me to say it back in proper German. When I don't, she looks at me like something important is missing.

BK1 is reading a lot, preferrably in English, but she can read French and German. She is also interested in learning the Arabic alphabet and she is writting letters on the whiteboard and even putting them together to form words. She also writes a lot, again in English. Her latest thing is to write a diary, parts of which she will then type up on a web site that allows pupils to post (like a forum).

There is a lot of English flying around in our house currently.

But our last trip to Algeria was a couple of months ago and the last visit from someone German even longer. I guess it's totally normal that without further input, all kids lean towards the language we're immersed in. Our trip to Germany around Christmas is likely to bring a lot of German back.

Lost German

The other day I when I was on the phone with the Babelmum, BK1 walked past and decided she wanted to speak with me. So BM passed the phone over.

It felt slightly weird after two and a half weeks to speak with my eldest daughter. I had almost forgotten her voice.

But for her, it was apparently even weirder!

For the first couple of minutes she wasn't really able to say anything but "Ja" ("yes"). I think it took about 3 minutes for her to muster all her German and produce a sentence.

Funny. Makes me wonder how it'll be when I see them on Monday.

There will be Arabic

We are preparing for our traditional summer holidays: Bablemum and the Babelkids are going to Algiers to visit the grandparents while I stay home. I will then join them a month from now.

BK1 and BK2 are currently speaking German a lot, no doubt because my mum and my sisters daughter visited us 10 days ago. They also brought German books which I read although I am starting to think the Babelkids prefer books in English.

Anyway, doesn't matter, because in 3 days they're off to Algeria and they'll be fully immersed in Arabic for almost 6 weeks!

When they come back, they will have switched to speaking Arabic between them mostly. I am even wondering whether they'll use any English at all. They did last year, but not a lot.

So from September to December, English will slowly work its way back into their language and then we're off to Germany for Christmas and it'll all change again.

Brilliant, innit? ;-)

Multilingual goes Mad!

8.15 PM, the Babel Residence, childrens' room. BK1 & BK2 are drawing.

I interrupt them and ask BK2 where her pyjama bottoms are. BK1 remembers they should be in the bath room. BK2 then exclaims:

"Ich habe gemagict die away!" (I made them disappear using magic)

If you are German (and I suspect only then) you will notice that she took a perfectly normal German phrase ("Ich habe die weggezaubert") and translated the verb, leaving the grammar pretty much intact (well, in her way).

This is the first time I really noticed her doing it that way round.

Interesting...

Updated Family Language Diagram

It's been a long time but here comes the updated language diagram, now with BK3!

BK1 & BK2 both speak English by default, except when they talk about what they play, which they still do in Arabic. They also speak German and French when the situation is right. The mix a lot when they speak with us, and even when they don't, the grammar more often than not is English.

It is called "majority language" for a reason. *sigh*

BK3 obviously doesn't speak so far. The girls will address her in whatever language is appropriate. They will speak Arabic with her if she is with Babelmum and German if she is with me. If BK3 is alone they will use whatever language first crosses their minds, I think.

We need more holidays in Algeria and Germany, I guess. Or more visitors.

A Scribble in the Hole

The girls run around the picknick area at Dunham Massey. BK2 shouts: "a scribble! The scribble is in the hole!"

She points up a tree, very excitedly.

Me: Ein Eichhörnchen? [a squirrel?]
BK2: Ja! Ein Eichhörnchen!

Yay! She might not be able to say "squirrel" but she can say "Eichhörnchen". German wins this time.

Reading

In a funny coincidence, just when Fiona wrote an article about too much reading, BK1 started to read more seriously. We are seeing the exact same thing.

2 weeks ago, she was a normal 5-year-old, playing with her sister, running around a lot, dressing up, the works. And then something happened. She picked up some book and decided to read it on her own. I have no idea which one it was that started the interest.

When we went to do a bit of shopping on Sunday, she took her book and read it in the car even though she was feeling slightly sick. She then carried it around with her when we split up and while the Babelmum shopped, BK1 was sitting on the floor reading at H&M and other shops.

She is half-way into "Pippi Longstocking" currently, and she spends pretty much every second she has with her book.

I certainly remember phases like that, but a lot later in my life! I have this recollection in my head of one day when I wanted to "just read a bit before sleep" and then my father walked in to wake me up for school and I was still at it. I must have been about 15 years old, maybe older.

Also, unlike her I read German books only until I was 18 years old. And BK1 is already reading English, French and German.

Mind boggling, really.

Phone Calls

BK2 was holding her yellow plastic telephone and making calls.

I love how serious she is about it. She tells me who she is currently on the phone with then proceeds to perfectly emulate a phone call: "yes... yes... ah... no... I'm busy... yes... ok... ok... I'm playing puzzle with daddy, yes..." and so on for ages. Eventually she'll hang up and call someone else. Adorable.

She copies our behaviour on the phone really well. And it probably helps that she speaks to her grandparents mainly via skype and phone.

Now here's one more sign that English is the number one language in her head: her calls with English people take a lot longer than others. And she calls them more often.

Her preferred person to call currently is our friend Fiona. I would say that she spends more time "on the phone" with Fiona than all other people combined!

Now the Babelmum speaks with Fiona regularly and she thinks that explains it, but I'm not so sure. I think it is because BK2 knows a lot of things to say in English.

Also, since her conversations seem to almost make sense, I guess she is imagining the other side and then answering to what she just imagined. It might just be that she feels more at ease imagining stuff in English.

Or maybe I'm just making things up now.

Funny enough this goes against the current trend towards German that BK1 & BK2 show. Since the birth of BK3 a month ago we had family over twice from Germany so they had a lot of exposure and it shows.

English Really is the First Language

More and more often I find myself in this kind of situation with BK1: We are speaking about something or I'm telling a story and I use a word that BK1 doesn't know. Today it was "Abenteuer", "Adventure".

Not long ago I would have explained the word, but recently I found the easiest way is to say it in English.

Tonight I noticed I was doing it and I thought 'I'm being lazy, I really should explain this in German!'

The two main points are, of course: 1. her English vocabulary has passed German vocabulary in size. I'm guessing it is bigger than French and Arabic vocabulary, too. When did that happen? And 2. she grew that vocabulary entirely outside our house, it is truly foreign to me. This is very strong evidence that both OPOL and MLAH work and work very well.

One thing: I have this idea in my head that at some point, I will start wondering how well I know my children. I always thought that and I probably placed that time somewhere around puberty. But now I'm wondering just how unknown my daughters will be given their first language is not mine. The time might come a lot earlier than I thought!

Ew.

All I can do is keep OPOL alive. Let's hope the little German part inside their heads will always be my home...

ICP - Why I Want my Children to be Multilingual

InCultureParent just put up our second guest posting: Why I Want my Children to be Multilingual

Enjoy!

Babelkids and Languages

It's interesting to follow the development of language between BK1 and BK2.

When they are playing they often switch to English, especially if they're pretending to be someone else or something else. They have done this for a long time, even before BK2 started attending pre school.

But when they discuss something serious or switch to talking about what they play, they switch language immediately.

Amazingly, they have different preferences: BK1 always switches to Arabic while BK2 uses German as much as Arabic!

I have no explanation for this. Is German easier for BK2? Maybe.

The funny thing is that whoever switches away from English first sets the language they both will use, at least for a couple of phrases. They will then invariably fall back to Arabic at some point before they go back into play and use English again.

Funny, isn't it?

Interpreting is Easy for a BabelKid!

(This is the 100th article if I counted correctly. I'm amazed!)

Anyway, we were having dinner and were talking about something. The word "cozy" was uttered by someone and this is what followed:

BK1: "Papa, was heisst 'cozy'?" ("papa, what does 'cozy' mean?)
BD: "gemütlich"
BK1: "ah"
BM: "Ca veut dire quoi, 'gemütlich'?" ("what does 'gemütlich' mean?")
BK1: "snuggly" (and she makes a gesture like she's pulling up her blanket)

How easy it was for her to find the word and say it! I was still thinking about how we Germans always claim that "gemütlich" has so many things attached it cannot properly be translated.

And that's the difference between speaking a couple of languages and growing up with them. I will never be able to do what she does.

*sigh*