My Korean Husband

Intercultural Life

Tag: bilingual children

Bilingual Play: Korean and English

2020/03/17 / / 0 Comments

Natural Bilingual Play with a Toddler

In this video we set up cameras and played with our son Yul as we normally would. Hugh is using Korean and I’m using English mostly, but as you can see in a natural environment we still both use words from the other language too.

People are always curious about the bilingual aspect so we wanted to show that. We also wanted to show that toddlers speak a lot of “toddlerspeak” too! Kids don’t usually just start with full sentences. There are lots of sounds and not quite words yet.

Yul gets his Korean from Hugh and the environment like our community and daycare. He hears English from me and other English speakers in Korea, as well as when he sees my family in Australia. So far this has been a good balance and he understands both languages pretty equally.

We will continue to do videos like this as it’s a nice moment to capture as well as a way to be able to see his progression with both languages.

Sophie’s Blog

2014/09/03 / / 8 Comments

Click here for Sophie’s Blog

Hi, Sophie here!

Since Han and I appeared together with our daughter Alice on My Korean Husband, many people have asked about whether we will raise Alice as a bilingual and how we plan to do so. The answer is definitely yes, but the method may require a little explanation.

When Alice was born, friends and relatives told me that the best way for a baby to become bilingual is if one parent speaks one language, the other parent, the other language (OPOL method) I think this method is very successful when the primary caregiver is also the speaker of the minority language since the child gets maximum exposure to both languages. In our family’s case I am the primary caregiver and also the speaker of the majority language, how could I give Alice enough exposure and context to speak Korean as well as English? We decided we’d both speak to her only in Korean.

I’ve got Korean textbooks for travel, business, student life and even domestic life, but none of them teach the language of raising babies, or the little elements of culture and play that are handed down through generations of mothers.

I’ve decided to try and fill this gap through my blog: thedaughterinlaw.com
I will share all the characteristic grammar, expressions, essential vocabulary and Korean family culture and manners that I have gradually learnt parenting Alice.
I will also discuss other elements of family culture, Korean ettiquette and maybe share some of my experiences as Han’s wife, Alice’s mum and as a Korean family’s daughter in law.

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