bilingual child - experience with learning english from DH?

[tesa]

hi there

I was wondering whether anyone who is a non-english speaking expat here has any experience with her kids learning english from an asian domestic helper?

I´m a little worried that my daughter (16months old) will pick up the accent since apparently it´s very hard to get rid of later once you learned the language being younger then 3 /4 years old.

Of course most helpers speak god english but it´s still hard to understand. Since we speak in our mother tongue to our daughter the helper will be the one she learns her second language from. of course there are playgroups but still, since there is no kindergarten for that age she will hear the accent quite often.

Any experience anyone? Am I to worried? :)

cheers
T

[Frenchy]

We are french speaking at home, and our helper speaks english. Our son speaks both english and french.
So far, I didn't hear my son talking with an asian accent, as he also hears english on TV, on DVDs, at playgroups, with his buddies, and now at school. He can adapt very quickly to his environment, and I would say that he has his own accent, which is none of ours.

[carang]

my nephew was born in england. he had quite the british accent by the age of 4. then he moved to canada. that british accent is now completely gone (he still has the vocabulary, though). it does resurface after an extended period of time in the UK, but after a couple of weeks back home in canada, it's gone. he's now 8.

i wouldn't worry too much about the very early months of learning english. it will be whatever your child is most exposed to... ie. if your child attends an english playgroup/kindergarten, mixes with english children, watches english dvds & tv etc that will help determine the accent, not just speaking to your helper.

my kids are mixed. my helper speaks to them in english. there has only been the VERY odd occasion when i've corrected my children's pronunciation because they've been imitating our helper.

[tesa]

thanks for your replies, glad to hear it shouldn´t be a big problem then. I will make sure she is exposed to ither english influences as well.. Thanks!