My Spanish is coming back sloooooooowly. It will come back at great speed when I'll begin my lessons. Hubby's spanish is nada, niet, kuput, non-existant, he has to start from scratch.

Because of my french, I can understand catalan easily.

Our daughter will go to a daycare for the summer time in the morning where they speak english, spanish and catalan to help her get use to it before she start school in september (here they begin at 3).

So it is a busy time for us trying to find the best schools, etc... I refuse to send her to International school, I want her to integrate here directly, like I'll do too.

Nil

I teach children who are learning 2, 3, 4 + languages and there is absolutely nothing to worry about.
All children are different.
Some children begin speaking a new language when they know a few words. While others prefer to listen until they feel confident and will acquire the language quickly once they start speaking.
A boy I taught didn't speak at all until he was 3, he was learning English, German and Mandarin. He was dealing with 3X the info of a monolingual child so it is only logical it may take 3X as long.
Another girl is learning 5 languages and she chooses to say what she knows and speaks mixed languages.
Your child can only benefit from knowing multiple languages. So relax : ) They younger they learn the better.

Personally I found it very difficult as an adult - to be confronted by both catalan and castillan ('Spanish') - like you, being a native French speaker, Catalan is quite easy - but I kept mixing the Catalan and Spanish - the reason I've given up and am concentrating on Italian at the mo. Shame in a way she could not have just one or the other at first- but I'm sure she'll be fine. Would be interesting to hear how you 2 get on. xxx

We visit one of the school today and the good thing is they learn catalan only (with english) for the first 3 years and when they start primary school, they switch to castillan.

It means for me, I'll have to focus on the catalan too when I'll take my lessons, otherwise I wont be able to understand her.

I guess it is the same situation for parents who learn high german and their kids learn swiss german...

I am curious how this work for them...

Great, I'm glad she'll (and you) be able to concentrate on Catalan and get that 'sussed' before you have to add castillan.

hey there,

I don´t think you really have a reason to worry. Some kids are slower than others, but they will for sure catch up later.

I know an even more complicated case. A friend of mine she is French, her Husband is Danish and they speak English to each other. On top of that they live in the German speaking part

The kids:
5 year old - speaks German, French, Danish and understand the basics in English
9 and 15 year old understand and speek fluently all 4 languages.

I wish I would have learned at least a second language home. I was very slow too as a kid, but in the mean time I learned 3 languages at school and working hard on the 4th now.

Your child might turn up to be better with number, which is great, because he will learn the languages anyway... for kids it just goes automaticaly.

just found this thread - our sons will grow up bilingual, english and swiss german, plus is my older one picking up a lot of spanish from his daycare friends.

what I noticed is that he mixes up english and german words and structures, did anyone experience the same and did that change, if yes, when? We made sure we only address him in our mother tongues but since he knows that each of us understands both languages he doesn't bother separating the languages..

Yes, no worries. My brother was learning English, French and Spanish while growing up and it took him longer to start speaking, at around 3, but then the three of them came! So, enjoy

Agreed. I am Dutch and my wife German, and our 2 year old goes to French/English kindergarten 4 mornings a week. He speaks fluent German, understands Dutch but does not speak it (our family language is German), and he speaks well and understands everything in French, and speaks little and understands a bit of english.

If I talk to him in French he answers in French. If I talk to him in German he answers in German...

Ours is 2 yrs 2 months and only just getting mono english. She starts Swiss nursery next week. Should I worry?

I'll give you mine...
My kids(twins) were slower then everyone, everywhere in their age groups. I speak solely with them in English, and the correct French and Spanish I know. The wife speaks with them in correct French, Portuguese, and English. When they were in school here, they were in the Swiss schools, no international screw them up experience schools.

In the end, they lead their classes, where ever they go in Swiss and High German, French, and English. Portuguese is taking a bit longer.
They are 8. That is the short version of the story. The point is, they are young, and they are sponges. Even if they are slow in the beginning, later they won't just soar in languages, they will also do well in mathematics and sciences because learning a 3rd language opens a part of their brains, and how to approach problem solving that kids of only 2 languages haven't been exposed to.

Both my sons are classes above the others of their age in math, and easily understand problem solving.
We were told by teachers in both France and Switzerland, because my children were behind coming into language learning that they were slow. Like thick in the head. Now they lead their classes in whatever is thrown their way.
Just give them a lot of patience and understanding, and challenge them every chance you get.