Language and bilingualism

Visitors to this site will have an interest in bilingualism almost by definition: They are English-speakers living in Greece. But there are many different kinds of families with two languages. One of the most common here in Rhodes is the ‘Shirley Valentine’ situation; often the woman is British and the husband Greek. Probably the couple started out speaking English to one another, and although the woman often learns Greek, when children are born the mother will speak to them in English. The children learn Greek from the rest of the family and the wider community. The language spoken in home may be Greek or English depending on a number of factors including the parents’ degree of proficiency in the ‘other’ language. However there are many other reasons why English is spoken in families in Rhodes: Sometimes both parents are English-speaking and are here for business reasons, employment or simply a better lifestyle. Often one or both parents are members of the Greek diaspora that took Greeks to all corners of the world, and they have returned from America, Canada, Australia or other English-speaking countries; their proficiency in Greek may range from rudimentary to completely fluent. Other families may speak English because it is the only means of communication: Often a Dutch or Scandinavian married to a Greek will communicate in English because neither knows the other language.  Increasingly in Rhodes one also finds second generation bilinguals; adults who have themselves been brought up in bilingual homes and who want to pass their knowledge of English on to their own children.


 

Advantages and disadvantages of bilingualism

• You probably want to be able to communicate with your child in your native language, however proficient you are at Greek. You will want to pass on nursery rhymes, songs and stories learned when you were a child.  Later it will probably be easier to shout at rebellious teenagers in your own language.
• You may want to return to an English-speaking country after a certain period of time, and your child may have fit into an English-speaking speaking school.
• Your child will feel more at home in your home country during visits, and will be able to communicate with English-speaking grandparents and other relatives.
• Speaking fluent English is obviously an advantage in adult life. Your child may want to work or study in the UK or other English-speaking country and even if they do not, English is an advantage in almost any Greek career. And think of what you’ll save on frontistiro bills.
• Bilingual children often find it easier to learn a third language, and recent studies have shown they may score better on intelligence tests (they probably need to become brighter to handle all those words!)
• They can more easily understand English-speaking culture – films and television, books, pop songs and computer games.
• It may be a source of pride for them to speak two languages; they will do well in English classes and may earn respect from their peers.

• It is undoubtedly more effort for the child; when learning to speak they need to learn two words for everything, as well as two grammatical systems who to use those systems with. Later they will need to learn two writing systems and alphabets with all the associated scope for confusion (e.g. the Greek letters ‘ro’ and ‘ni’ and the English letters ‘p’ and ‘v’)
• Speaking a foreign language is quite conspicuous, and the child may feel self-conscious and ’different’. Fortunately in Rhodes there is little or no prejudice towards English-speakers and people are accustomed to hearing English spoken. However there may still be situations where the child is embarrassed (often they are expected to act like performing seals) or when Greeks who don’t understand English feel left out or resentful.  Bringing home school friends may be awkward – often the parent and child must speak together in Greek – the language they don’t usually speak with each other - or the guests won’t understand is being said.
• Any English lessons at school may be far beneath their level (they may actually be more proficient than the teacher – one of my children was recently taught to say ‘apple’ as ‘ai-pel’!) with the result that they waste their time and get bored.

Bilingual families usually develop a system, either explicitly or subconsciously, for deciding which language to speak. The most common is probably ‘one-person-one-language’ whereby each parent speaks to the children in their native language. This has the obvious advantage that the child picks up the languages from native speakers (I certainly don’t want my children picking up my error-strewn Greek!) and the parents feel comfortable because they are speaking their mother tongue.  The language spoken when everybody is together as a family will often depend on the parents’ proficiency in each other’s language.  We usually speak English together, as my wife’s English is far better than my Greek and it’s hard to break the habit. The system will usually change when we have guests however as we don’t want them to feel left out. The language siblings speak between themselves will usually be Greek, especially if they are of school age, but it may depend on their activity (they often speak English when doing things they usually do with me, such as playing on the computer).

There are very many things you can do to help your child. Books are obviously an extremely important resource, and English books are readily available; buy them or have them sent from the UK, use the new English school library or look out for second-hand books at car-boot and jumble sales. Of course, just having the books is not enough; you need to set aside time to read to your children. And although many parents are aware of the importance of the bedtime-story routine, this experience can be intensified in many ways: Talk to your child about the story (‘What do they think will happen next?’, ‘How do they think this character is feeling?’). This will transform a passive experience for the child into an active one. Make sure a wide range of books are covered: women may sometimes choose inappropriate ‘girly’ or ‘fairytale’ stories for boys with the result that the child is put off reading; try reading more factual books as well – my son is fairly indifferent to ‘stories’ but is fascinated by books on how cars work.  And it’s not just books: Comics are an excellent resource as the pictures can give clues to the language. And don’t forget about magazines and newspapers; children resistant to traditional books might be more interested in music magazines or the sports pages.  Finally, remember that stories aren’t just for bedtime: Try reading on weekend lie-ins, after naptimes, in tavernas while waiting for the food, on aeroplance journeys etc etc.

• They will be taught literacy in English as a native speaker would be, not as a second language.
• They will meet and speak with other English children; apart from improving their English (and it is important for children to speak ‘children’s’ English as well this only learning from adults) it will help them feel less ‘different’.
• They will learn about cultural traditions in their native country, such as Halloween, Bonfire Night, the Fourth of July etc.