Do you teach your adopted child their native language?

[Queen of the World]

To all the parents who have done an international adoption do you make an effort to teach them their native language? Some parents only expose them to the culture: food, music, people, and history.
Just wondering.

[ghetto_princess283]

I don't have a child yet, but I plan to adopt in the future. My boyfriend was adopted from Haiti when he was 17 months old and he knows his native language. His parents didn't teach him, but he learned it (somehow) from a couple visits to his natural family. I think it is always important to know your culture. Hope this helps.

[JENNIFER L]

English is the native language of Liberia. It's certainly not American English, or even British English, but it is English.

If you watch the movie Blood Diamond, there is a short scene with Leonardo Dicaprio selling guns to someone and they revert to a very accented speech that requires subtitles.

I didn't need the subtitles to understand what they were saying.

[Kristy]

My 3 year old has Spanish lessons at school and I try to speak it at home. It's VERY important for him to learn it because I don't want a language barrier when or if he decided he wants to talk to his natural family, especially if he wants to visit his native country.

[wynner]

I'm learning my eldest son's native language with him, we go to classes twice a month, and have since he was two years old.

My other two children (sibs) were adopted older and so as they've learned English, they've taught us their language. I have to say, we're not proficient. We use a lot of their words instead of English to at least keep the vocabulary up. Since our kids speak a very uncommon dialect, we made sure to buy lots of music and videos while there. We made videos of their family and people in the village speaking to them. When the kids first came home we made movies of them singing all the songs they knew. So although we haven't found anyone local who speaks their dialect, we're hoping to save some of their language for them.

We plan on bringing all our children back to see their families as finances allow, so we want them to keep as much of their language as possible.

[bookieboo]

i havent adopted yet but my husband adn i were looking into adoption while we be come foster parents... we are looking to adopt from germany someday... and the child will be brought up speaking both english and german as my husband is a dual citizen.

[Sage]

Not adopted or have an adopted child. But my sisters friend was adopted from Mexico. They had next door neighbors that were also hispanic and from mexico. They offered free lessons and to show her things about Mexico and Hispanic history in general, She rebelled. That ended that they never pushed her again. *She was five-eight or so when they first asked and she is 10 now* But her parents have agreed to taking her if she wanted to. She was adopted as a baby so it isn't like it was bad past. Let the child chose what he or she wants.