Comments on: Growing up bilingual in Grenoble http://www.grenoblelife.com/growing-up-bilingual-in-grenoble/ The English speaking forum of Grenoble Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:01:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: James Dalrymplehttp://www.grenoblelife.com/growing-up-bilingual-in-grenoble/comment-page-1/#comment-150 James Dalrymple Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:29:36 +0000 http://www.grenoblelife.com/?p=277#comment-150 Another nice piece on bilingual families from The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/15/bilingual-family-french-children Another nice piece on bilingual families from The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/aug/15/bilingual-family-french-children

]]> By: James Dalrymplehttp://www.grenoblelife.com/growing-up-bilingual-in-grenoble/comment-page-1/#comment-40 James Dalrymple Thu, 07 May 2009 11:50:14 +0000 http://www.grenoblelife.com/?p=277#comment-40 Following on from this article, I've had the pleasure of realizing what an advantage it is having a baby for gaining contact with the French. I went to the market with my five week old daughter in a baby carrier and - voila! - was approached by at least three curious people. It seems the French love babies (but then who doesn't I guess) and suddenly I don't feel quite so alien. Good language practise for me too. Following on from this article, I’ve had the pleasure of realizing what an advantage it is having a baby for gaining contact with the French. I went to the market with my five week old daughter in a baby carrier and – voila! – was approached by at least three curious people. It seems the French love babies (but then who doesn’t I guess) and suddenly I don’t feel quite so alien. Good language practise for me too.

]]> By: James Dalrymplehttp://www.grenoblelife.com/growing-up-bilingual-in-grenoble/comment-page-1/#comment-35 James Dalrymple Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:43:52 +0000 http://www.grenoblelife.com/?p=277#comment-35 Hi Pete, and thanks for the useful link. I'm glad to hear that growing up bilingual will give my daughter a cognitive advantage - I hope some of it will rub off on me ! Hi Pete, and thanks for the useful link.

I’m glad to hear that growing up bilingual will give my daughter a cognitive advantage – I hope some of it will rub off on me !

]]> By: Peterhttp://www.grenoblelife.com/growing-up-bilingual-in-grenoble/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Peter Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:34:49 +0000 http://www.grenoblelife.com/?p=277#comment-34 A very nice article. You may also find the following site interesting: http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2009/04/bilingual_babies.php It discusses potential benefits of growing up in a bilingual/bicultural household in terms of cognitive ability. A very nice article. You may also find the following site interesting:

http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2009/04/bilingual_babies.php

It discusses potential benefits of growing up in a bilingual/bicultural household in terms of cognitive ability.

]]> By: James Dalrymplehttp://www.grenoblelife.com/growing-up-bilingual-in-grenoble/comment-page-1/#comment-33 James Dalrymple Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:58:11 +0000 http://www.grenoblelife.com/?p=277#comment-33 Hi Bernard, Thanks for your perceptive and reassuring comment. Coming from a monolingual household I think I fooled myself into thinking myself as part of a monolingual culture, even if childhood friends of mine spoke Urdu and Arabic with their parents - it just wasn't the side of their identity that I engaged with. In fact, the majority of the world's population is apparently bilingual or multilingual, which makes my struggles with French even more embarassing ! James Hi Bernard,
Thanks for your perceptive and reassuring comment. Coming from a monolingual household I think I fooled myself into thinking myself as part of a monolingual culture, even if childhood friends of mine spoke Urdu and Arabic with their parents – it just wasn’t the side of their identity that I engaged with. In fact, the majority of the world’s population is apparently bilingual or multilingual, which makes my struggles with French even more embarassing !
James

]]> By: Bernardhttp://www.grenoblelife.com/growing-up-bilingual-in-grenoble/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Bernard Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:34:09 +0000 http://www.grenoblelife.com/?p=277#comment-32 As for NEVER feeling French, living as an expat in this blessed country, let it not bother you... Very often, I don't myself, even though I was BORN and raised, and did spend most of my 66 years here! Now, married for 38 years to a Danish wife, I might have been "LUI" (living under influence) Even my own "compatriotes" treat me as a curious specimen!! As for speaking tongues, early exposure is a master key, if not the only one. Cultural integration in a country is still another matter, shouldn't we value a broader integration not tied to a specific culture's values ? Whatever, our kids used their multilinguism during their expat years, and they don't feel more French than say, Danish or even Japanese... Regarding tongues, I just wish I could catch up with my own family, and use more than barely 3 languages ! As for NEVER feeling French, living as an expat in this blessed country, let it not bother you…
Very often, I don’t myself, even though I was BORN and raised, and did spend most of my 66 years here!
Now, married for 38 years to a Danish wife, I might have been “LUI” (living under influence)
Even my own “compatriotes” treat me as a curious specimen!!
As for speaking tongues, early exposure is a master key, if not the only one.
Cultural integration in a country is still another matter, shouldn’t we value a broader integration not tied to a specific culture’s values ?
Whatever, our kids used their multilinguism during their expat years, and they don’t feel more French than say, Danish or even Japanese…
Regarding tongues, I just wish I could catch up with my own family, and use more than barely 3 languages !

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