Teaching babies more than one language?

Question

I speak 12 languages to varying proficiency. However, I am only truly fluent in one language, although some I have a very good understanding of. My childhood was a bit all over the place, and by the age of 4 I was speaking or had spoken 5 languages (just odd bits not fluently, except obviously English). I really want my child to be able to speak foreign languages, and I believe speaking these at a young age has helped me learn other languages easier. My partner is French so my daughter will definitely be speaking French and English (she hasn‘t been born yet). I have 2 questions really:

My main question, I would like to teach her one other language, probably German, but is it worth teaching her when I am not totally fluent so do not know the German for everything that I would know the English for?

Secondly, I know from experience that at a young age learning languages can be tough, but children generally cope with 2 languages. However, is 3 languages too much for a child to learn

Answer 1

Two is wonderful, three is even better. However, not if you are not fluent in German. It would be different if she went to a German language school, though.

Our son grew up with English and Ukrainian, and he went to a Ukrainian Bilingual elementary school.

His cousins grew up with English, Ukrainian and Ruthenian, and now are totally fluent in all three. Ruthenian was their birth language.

My husband grew up speaking Ruthenian, Ukrainian, German, Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Serbian and probably a few others.

Polyglots, all.

Answer 2

My parents once knew this couple that started off with two languages. As their children grew up they spoke a different language to them every night at dinner, but for a baby or toddler I think 3 languages is a little to much.

Answer 3

teaching children multiple languages is a good idea. Children that learn more than one language tend to do better and score higher down the line in academics. as far as not being fluent in the third language. remember you're teaching a child most of the first year will be simple words and as they get older you'll be able to learn some of the words with them as long as you are fluent in the rules of grammer for that language you should be fine. I would also consider what language would be usful for the area they are living French and German are great but I live in California and Spanish would be more useful the  asia languages would also be a good idea, but thats not the important part. YES its a good idea try getting the same story books just in different languages that worked for us we have spanish and english versions and I think it makes it easier because they realize by the images that its the same story and make the connection.

Answer 4

I live in a border town called el paso.

When going to school i see kids struggle so much in school because they know more than one lauguage, i think you should teach them very good english and then start tot each them other ones but from experience school is not easy when you dont know the lauguage too well.

Answer 5

I would say that three languages is too much to start off with. Children are very good at learning languages at a young age, but I would just start off with French and English. One suggestion I have, which I have heard works very well for raising a child bilingually is having one parent speak in only one language to the child, and the other parent speak only the other language. In your case, your partner speak only French and you speak only English. That way, the child will get into the habit of speaking both languages because they know using the correct language with each parent is the only way they will be able to communicate with them.

You obviously don't have to continue this once they get older and have a firm grasp on the languages if you don't want to. After they have a good understanding of the first two, you could then begin introducing a third language. Or, you could wait until the child has to choose a language to take in school. Even if not introduced in the home, knowledge of a foreign language aids greatly in the learning of another.