How can i teach my child Polish language? (I'm Russian, my wife is Polish)

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Dec 18, 10, 15:05 #1

Does anyone know of a good program i can by for a five year old girl to learn polish? I am Russian myself but my wife is Polish and she would like our daughter to learn polish as well. I dont speak Russian to her becuase she seems to respond better to my parents and my family members speking Russian than my wife's family speaking polish to her. I dont want her to become fluent in Russian (Just yet) Becuase my wife wants her second language to be polish. So it will be that way. I try to avoid speaking Russian around her, but i do not know any Polish myself. It would mean alot to me and my wife if anyone can suggest a good program that me and my wife can buy that is Fun and will keep little Anasiazja's attention to teach her polish.

Marynka11Threads: 8 Posts: 1,447 Joined: Nov 3, 10 ♀	Dec 18, 10, 15:42 #2
So what language do you speak to your daughter if you are Russian, and don't speak any Polish?

PlatoThreads: - Posts: 11 Joined: Dec 18, 10 ♂	Dec 18, 10, 15:53 #3
I suggest you buy a few polish fairy tales books, CDs or DVDs. I don't think a programm is a good idea for a 5 year old.

PennBoyThreads: 157 Posts: 3,441 Joined: Dec 7, 08 ♂	Dec 18, 10, 16:00 #4
Rosyjska: I am Russian myself That shouldn't be too hard for you if you're Russian

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Dec 18, 10, 16:02 #5

I know several kids with Polish mother and non-Polish father and it's usually enough for the mother to speak to them in Polish to learn the language. Even if she seems to be picking up Russian easier, after many years of hearing her mother speak Polish she will definitely become fluent. Just one thing - your wife should speak to your daughter in Polish ALL THE TIME, not just teach her some phrases from time to time. She will never achieve the same fluency in a language from programs desiganted for foreigners as with being accustomed to hearing it.

BorrkaThreads: 49 Posts: 770 Joined: Apr 25, 08 ♂	Dec 19, 10, 14:42 #6
vetala: your wife should speak to your daughter in Polish ALL THE TIME Absolutely right. One person one language and everything works perfectly. And I do know what i'm telling you.

DarrenMThreads: 2 Posts: 126 Joined: Dec 21, 07 ♂	Dec 19, 10, 17:40 #7
As stated above mum MUST speak Polish ALL THE TIME. I speak English to our son and his mum speaks Polish and even now at 3 years old he is able to flip between the 2 languages seamlessly. The funny thing is he goes to a French speaking school and speaks French with almost all of his colleagues but speaks Polish in the class with his Polish speaking friend.

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Dec 19, 10, 17:41 #8

What others have said as well, just become bilingual. Your wife speaks Polish to your daughter and you speak Russian. And you speak Russian to your wife and your wife speaks Polish to you. I've been brought up bilingually. My mother always spoke (and speaks) German to me, and my father Dutch or French (I've lived in France and Belgium as well).

My father never spoke German to my mother and my mother never spoke French or Dutch to my father. It worked perfectly. But -what others have said as well- your wife should speak Polish to your daughter and you should speak Russian to her ALL THE TIME. It'll work out a treat.

Your daughter will soon pick up the languages, especially at the age of 5.

smurfThreads: 46 Posts: 660 Joined: Sep 8, 09 ♂	Dec 19, 10, 19:29 #9
you take a rag and one of these Boom!

enderThreads: 13 Posts: 528 Joined: Nov 7, 09 ♂	Dec 19, 10, 20:56 #10
Rosyjska: How can i teach my child polish? Simple. Talk to him.

RosyjskaThreads: 2 Posts: 13 Joined: Dec 18, 10 ♂	Dec 20, 10, 02:02 #11
I speak English to my daughter all the time. I used to speak Russian to her when she was younger but my wife got irritated that she picked up on Russian better than Polish.

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Dec 20, 10, 13:28 #12

I think first you have to decide what languages you would like your child to speak. After that you teach your child those languages just as anyone teaches their child a single language. Supplement with reading materials and dvd's.

We would like our children to speak English and Polish (we live in Poland). We started out with each of us speaking our own language only but that left our kids a little deficient in the English department. Now we speak English at home and Polish everywhere else. The result is that we have 2 little bi-lingual kids who at this moment prefer Polish. It will be up to us as they grow older to supplement their English but luckily we are equipped for that. Really, for now it is just as simple as speaking to them.

Good luck!

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Dec 20, 10, 13:30 #13

Rosyjska:

speak English to my daughter all the time. I used to speak Russian to her when she was younger but my wife got irritated that she picked up on Russian better than Polish.

Firstly, how old is your daughter?

What country do you live in?

The saying mother tongue, is exactly that, the mothers language, my wife is Polish and I am British, we brought our children up speaking our native languages to our children from birth ( both girls). They are very capable in both languages ++

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Dec 20, 10, 15:38 #14

Rosyjska:

I speak English to my daughter all the time. I used to speak Russian to her when she was younger but my wife got irritated that she picked up on Russian better than Polish.

You shouldn't let her treat you like this. This is your heritage and your daughter's as well, you have every right to teach it to her and your wife should respect this. Tell your wife she should just talk to her daughter more often if she wants her to pick up Polish better.

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Dec 21, 10, 01:07 #15

I know and you are right... My wife and I had a argument last night about this. Because my mother said the same thing as well. I'm Russian, shes Russian so therefor she should be exposed to both heritages. Not just polish, I would like for my daughter to grow up speaking English, Polish and Russian and there for I'm going to start speaking to her in Russian, and i told my wife to speak to her in polish... ALL THE TIME. She said "Fine".

warszawski:

Firstly, how old is your daughter?

What country do you live in?

My daughter is 5 years old and we currently live in the U.S. Although we have plans of soon moving out of the US for a little while. Since we live in the United states she gets English in school.

Her mother tounge, as you said. Is Polish becuase thats what my wife speaks to her most of the time. Sometimes my wife will go into speaking German to my daughter which confuses her and I dont understand why she does that to her.

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Edited by: warszawski Dec 21, 10, 08:34 #16

Rosyjska:

Her mother tounge, as you said. Is Polish becuase thats what my wife speaks to her most of the time. Sometimes my wife will go into speaking German to my daughter which confuses her and I dont understand why she does that to her.

German why?

She is only 5 you still have time. The school will take care of the english, your wife can take of the Polish and you should take care of the Russian. From our experience the ability for the child to speak a language is the easy part, the hard part comes with motivating them to read and write in the other languages. Good luck.

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Dec 22, 10, 00:19 #17

Honestly I dont know why the German...
Me and My wife both speak fluent German. My wife does not understand Russian and i Dont understand Polish so we speak German and English to eachother.

More often German..

I told her that she shouldn't speak German to my daughter becuase it confuses her. I, unlike my wife are taking an proactive approch to teach my daughter Russian. I bought a book of Russian stories and fairy tales to tell her every night before she sleeps. (Русские Рассказы)

I've told her one before that she seemed to like, Снежная Королева (Snow Queen) which she likes alot. I told my wife if she can find a book with interesting Polish stories like the book i have she might be more turned on to Polish as well.

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Dec 22, 10, 09:38 #18

I think I can see what the problem is - your wife is too ambitious. She's trying to teach your daughter four languages at the same time. It's too much for a five year old, but your wife sounds so bossy that I'm not sure if she will listen if you tell her that. I'd advise you to search professional help - tell your wife that perhaps she should speak to a pediatrician or a psychologist about how many languages she can teach to your daughter and how she should do this. She will surely to listen to a professional.

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,955 Joined: May 17, 07 ♂	Dec 22, 10, 09:51 #19
Probqbly the daughter has russian soul.

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Dec 22, 10, 16:53 #20

Rosyjska:

that me and my wife can buy that is Fun and will keep little Anasiazja's attention to teach her polish.

Beautiful post. Reading a father concerned about his daughter is very nice. You, your wife and your daughter are a complete unit. I know its supposed to be the normal thing, but these days this is nothing less than unique.

In any condition ... buy some Polish rhyme DVDs ... children music ... audio story telling DVDs ... they are available. As your daughter gets to hear them, she will develop a better Polish. But nothing can match her mom's help in speaking Polish with her.

Beyond all these languages ... my suggestion would also be to teach her the language of love, patience and respect, regardless of country, history, race, language or religion. We have strained and unnecessarily wounded history with many of our neighbors and unnecessary doubts against many good people in the world. We need a generation who would dress the world replenished with love and care.

A Russian Polish couple like this is very much welcome to me.

Take care.

RosyjskaThreads: 2 Posts: 13 Joined: Dec 18, 10 ♂	Dec 23, 10, 00:31 #21
She is so stubborn though. I've told her countless times that learning all these langauges at the same time is nothing that a five year old girl should be given the task to learn. She speaks Russian to me. She will not speak Polish back to my wife when she adresses her in Polish. I'll suggest vetala: she should speak to a pediatrician or a psychologist to her and see what she says. Thankyou :)

warszawskiThreads: 60 Posts: 2,387 Joined: May 21, 10 ♂	Dec 23, 10, 00:54 #22
Rosyjska: I've told her countless times that learning all these langauges at the same time is nothing that a five year old girl should be given the task to learn If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion Rosyjska, maybe its about time you learn Polish and your wife learns Russian, then there would be no concern of a secret squirrel language with your daughter.

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Dec 23, 10, 01:06 #23

You have a point. Polish looks like i can learn it. and some of the words are similar sounding to Russian words and they usually mean the same thing they do in Russian. My wife has Russian books from elementary school in poland. I took them out and placed them on our kitchen table as a hint ;)

I think i'll try Rosetta stone? I've heard many good things about that.

I should buy my wife the Russian Rosetta Stone as well. This might actually be fun.

Peter Cracow	Jan 2, 11, 05:24 #24
The more effective way is to dip her in Polish enviroment, if it is possible. Polish peers, "uncles", "aunties", cartoons, comics, books. But whatever you do, she will forget quickly not used language.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Jul 7, 11, 00:36 #25
There are many similarities. The key is to prioritise your learning in targetting that which you feel they really need. Here's some hope given how close they are, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riS_i5CqncQ, Polish has very similar equivalents.

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Jul 7, 11, 01:07 #26

Rosyjska (well, technically it should be Rosjanin :) - your daughter might be too young for an iPod (or iPhone) but I think you can use this program from a regular computer too. Check out http://innovativelanguage.com/learn-polish. I have the Mandarin and the Japanese version on my iPhone and I love it. I actually bought it on survivorphrases.com but the website doesn't come up anymore?? I think innovative language bought them because the iPhone app is still showing as "survivorphrases".

They use simple phrases and a pretty logical layout. Probably "too adult aka boring" for your daughter but it'd help you to learn Polish for sure (and your wife to learn Russian ;).

You might want to remind your wife that it takes two to tango, sounds like she's more into dancing ballet - solo. ;)

Good luck to you and congrats on being a great and a thoughtful dad!

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Jul 7, 11, 01:23 #27

Here's the app store link

Polish - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/survivalphrases-polish/id363657013?mt=8

Russian - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/survivalphrases-russian/id362554607?mt= 8

It costs ~$20 per language, I don't get any kickbacks from them, and the audiobook version was cheaper ~$12 I think but this is a good way to "hear" the language being spoken. Rosetta is probably a much better, more in depth program but costs more.

Tottin

Jul 7, 11, 07:57 #28

Well you should really decide what languages you know your little daughter to know and speak.. As other said, speak with her only Russian and your wife should speak to her only in Polish.. Personally, I was 6 when I was first taught my father's language (which is Greek so it was extra tough) and at age 7 I started learning English.. The next years I also started German.. Well, it is possible to make your child speak 4languages by the age of 10 but keep in mind that she will very probably have perfect knowledge of only 1 of them.. So, discuss with your wife which is better to be your child's primary language.. It will also be very useful if you learn Polish and your wife learns Russian.. From personal experience I'd say that this's essential for your family's good-functioning.. I wish you lots of Luck

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Jul 7, 11, 11:03 #29

If you speak russian, your wife polish, german to each other and english at school your daughter will learn all languages. One will be dominant. Children can learn 6 languages before the age of six. the key is consistency. she will learn which language to speak with whom. the best time to learn is now- when she is young as her brain will adjust, it is much harder to learn as we age.
my kids are completely bilingual polish/english and they have french in school.

CulturesrockThreads: - Posts: 4 Joined: Aug 14, 11 ♂	Aug 20, 11, 11:28 #30
You can try Dino Lingo Polish (dinolingo.com/languages/polish.html) , the DVDs cover children's vocabulary and common phrases.

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