Baby & Toddler

Should I talk to my son in English at home when my own English is not very good?

saffron_lamp_320

My son is in UKG and joins class 1 next year. At home we speak Urdu. I studied in Urdu medium till class 10, so I can read and write English, but speaking does not come easily and my sentences are slow. I have started ten minutes of phonics with him every day from YouTube, and he is enjoying it. Now relatives are saying I should also talk to him only in English at home, otherwise he will struggle in class 1. But if I speak to him in my broken English, won't he learn my mistakes? What did other mothers do in this situation?

2 comments

  • peach_lantern_1764

    our two picked up english mostly from school, friends and cartoons, much more than from us. both of us at home speak it with a strong marathi accent and nobody could tell by class 2. keep the phonics going and keep talking to him in urdu. a strong first language doesn't hold the second one back

    • saffron_lamp_320

      This gives me confidence. I was worried I was teaching him my mistakes. We will continue the phonics and talk in Urdu like before. Maybe English picture books at night also.

  • teal_balcony_1101

    mine is a baby so i can't say much. but i grew up hearing tamil-flavoured english at home and picked up the 'proper' sounds at school anyway. ten minutes a day sounds lovely

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