Learning multiple languages have shown to be beneficial to a child’s mental and social skills. A recent study showed that bilingual kids are better in multitasking than monolingual. It’s scary to think that Gab will probably grow up being exposed to four different languages. Right now, he is learning a mix of all four. So, will Gab be four times better with these languages he is exposed to?
Ilonggo or Hiligaynon – This is his parents native dialect. Quennie and I talk in Hiligaynon at home. He will be very exposed to this language and I hope he learns it too. The Ilonggos malambing intonation will be an advantage for him someday.
English – This will be his second language. We have lots of books for toddlers and all of them are in English. Flashcards and iPad apps are in English. Of course, learning English is a must , I guess.
Filipino – We are not yet teaching him Filipino words. Most of interactions have been with Ilonggos and he doesn’t have much exposure to Filipino language. But once I gets older, meet friends and interact, he needs to learn Filipino too. I would not be the best Filipino teacher for him. I almost failed this class in high school.
ASL or FSL – These stands for American Sign Language and Filipino Sign Language. We have been teaching Gab baby signs and has been an effective communication tool. Through baby signs, we know when he wants to milk, if he wants to go outside, go to sleep, drink, or eat. We even know what iPad App he wants to watch or play but just showing us a sign. Once he starts talking, he would probably out grow this one. But we’d like him to learn more as me mature since Dad and Mom loves learning new signs too.
For Gab to learn these languages sounds too much. But I won’t expect him to master all of them.