Bilingualism

Cheers!! I think so too!Even if in moments of self doubt and contemplation I feel the need to explore the potential difficulties in doing so on an interent forum............ But that probably says more about my own neuroses than it does my sons linguistic development.Anyway thanks for your comments O'wise one.Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.

I will genuinely do all I can to make sure that he does respect and appreciate both cultures. Language is a part of that. Maintaining relationships with his family on the other side of the world is another key part of that.In terms of sport.... Well if he is like me as a kid he will just support whoever is winning!!! I supported the West Indian cricket team (much to my dad's amusement) when I was a kid despite having no ancestral link to the Carribean whatsoever!! They were the best team. I was brought up in a very "black" neighbourhood. It was the natural conclusion for any self respecting kid in my situation.This actually raises a serious point. A famous right-wing British politician raised what he called "the cricket test" as a means of testing the national and cultural loyalties of citizens. It was widely derided here and I personally have no time for it. Too simplistic and narrow minded approach to a complex cultural, social and historical issue made by a politician all too often associated with thinly veiled racism. But if you are interested here is a link: Cricket test - Wikipedia Of course!!!! He even has two passports. But having said that, in terms of sport alone, I still hope to indoctrinate him into supporting the "right" team. No matter how much better at football Argentina may be

Louder and slower. That is indeed the stereotype, source of much comedy and something I have seen actually happen on numerous occasions. My experience of continental European countries is that the less internationally spoken their own language is the more able they are to speak several others. For example the Dutch people I have known all seem to speak a bit of every main European language and are fluent in a few. Germans too. The French and Spanish less so. The British least of all. There is definitely a mindeset in some (most?) that consider Europe as "over there". We often use the term Europe to mean continental Europe rather than something that includes Britain. Politically we are not part of the European currency and have a history of being a relatively reluctant part of the wider European political process. Geography and history must be part of the reason for this and for our relative linguistic ineptitude as a nation. I started French at 11 (first year of secondary school). I had never done any language classes of any sort before that age. I hated it. I think there have been a number of measures to encourage earlier language learning since I left school going on 20 years ago. But to my knowledge there remains no compulsory requirement, or even standard practise to do so, before the age of 11. If anyone else knows different I would be interested to hear what the current situation is.

I guess I was thinking more of those Brits who consider themselves to be reasonably educated "having a go" at French, German, Spanish or one of other main European languages. Even then I was suggesting that in most cases it is a rather pathetic token gesture instead of any genuine attempt at communication in another language.Pretty much everything I have said in this thread is based on mere personal experience and anecdotal evidence. I will happily concede that such "evidence" can be as unreliable and fallible as it can be convincing.So feel free to disagree. I am happy to be put right by those with more relevant experience.

Yep. I'd agree with that.

So do I. I have no idea at all about pre-decimal currency (I was born in 1972) but I was taught metric throughout school.Whilst I have a perfectly good grasp of things like how tall people are in feet and inches, or how much they weigh in pounds etc. etc. metric measurments of such things generally makes much more instinctive sense to me.With the exception of miles and kilometres where I still have to convert km into miles to get a true idea of distance.

I am amazed to say that even in the week or two since I first wrote this stuff his Spanish has come on remarkably. He has full on conversations with his mum and with family in Argentina on the phone.He then comes and tells me what he has been talking to them about (in English). He has even started laughing at me and calling me silly when I don't understand his favorite Abeja Maya cartoons.I can see the day when him and his mum will be ripping the piss out of me in front of my face while I stand looking in confused monolinguistic bewilderment.I am gonna have to do some secret Spanish classes.........Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.