Thursday, January 24, 2013

Video for Babcia.

I will never cease to be amazed by how easily children learn language and can learn multiple languages at one time. My kids understand everything in Polish. Everything  Even when the person is speaking fast and not to them, Hejjo is eavesdropping or Felek is responding. They know what is being said. I don't. But they do. It's great. I think it's great. Their ability to speak is still a little delayed behind their peers, perhaps, but it's not so much a  worry as something we will continue to focus on until we don't have to anymore and they just "get it".

Except for Kacio. One of the things that is unique about Kacio is that he will be growing up here, in Poland, as his language skills are developing from toddler to young child, unlike the others. He has heard and understood Polish from day one but he still knows that his Mama speaks English. He speaks to me in English. All the kids do. But the amazing thing to me is that he responds to Martin in Polish. The other kids do not. In fact, if Kacio is speaking in English to Martin and I, and he thinks we are not listening or he is not getting what he wants (which is more often the case) he will turn to his Tata and ask for it, in Polish. This has been amazing to see. I am hopeful that over time, as the older children are able to better express themselves in Polish that they will also begin to respond back to Martin in Polish. Nothing would make him happier, I know. 

Lastly, and most importantly, for any young child of course, is just to be talked to in general.  Kacio gets plenty of that, in both languages. And he, in turn, never stops talking. All. day. long. ;)


I made this video for Uncle Freddie, but he's just darn cute, I had to share it here.





7 comments:

  1. Yay Kacio! Way to go! You're so cute!I love this.
    Now say it again in Polish- for Babcia!!!

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  2. your.kids.are.stunning

    Dorota in Colorado

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  3. you got a great family!
    I'm working on mine as we speak haha
    I'm getting married to a Spanish guy, I'm Polish myself AND we plan on living in Belgium for a while...hope that my kids will speak both our languages fluently!cant imagine them being Belgians:-)

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    1. So your children will potentially speak, Spanish, French, Flemish?, and Dutch, as well as Polish... and English?! That would be amazing!

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  4. Olivia, I'm loving your blog! I don't know if you remember me (actually, you met my husband, Gaylon, right before you left Austin. You spoke to him about some repairs on your house before it sold, and he told you that you probably didn't need to do it all? Anyway. . . ) I really do love your blog, and your writing style. My great-grandmother moved from Poland to Chicago when she was only 16 years old, and didn't speak a word of English. However, when my grandmother (her oldest daughter) came home from her very first day of elementary school and told her that they didn't speak Polish in the schools, only English, my great-grandmother declared that it would be that way in their home, as well! So, by the time my grandmother was grown, she didn't remember a word of Polish, although she could understand just a tiny bit of it. :( I have always wished that they would have kept speaking both languages, that would have been so cool.

    All that to say: I'm so impressed with your children, and with you for working so hard on the Polish. It's not the easiest language to learn, I'm told. I would love to learn it, would love to have the opportunity your family has. Anyway. . .just wanted to say "Hello!" from Austin, and let you know how much I admire everything you're doing. :)

    Valarie Brooks

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