In Filipino gatherings, our Filipino friends speak to them in English even if they all know that we use the dialect at home. Maybe, they think that both Yna and Jason only understand a little, or maybe because, they're all used to in speaking English with all Filipino children because most of these kids don't understand any Filipino language at all.
My children are only exposed to Bisaya through the mister and me. This is why I am really trying my best to maintain their exposure by using it consistently, may it be in spoken or in written form.
One time, the mister sent me a message on Viber. He wrote:
"Mohapit kos Gravel and Grind unya." (I'll drop by at Gravel and Grind later.")I am not a grammar teacher but right away I saw a mistake in his sentence. So I corrected him,
"Sayup man na imong giingon. Ang sakto 'mohapit ko SA..." (What you're saying is wrong. The correct one is 'mohapit ko sA...")
I told him that our children only learn from us, and that he should set a very good example. Writing it properly will not take him a lifetime to finish it, or adding a space and an A will not cost him money. I don't want him to get used to it, and write the same wrong way to our children.
From that time on, he has been sending me messages still in Bisaya but in the correct way. Or else...!
Text messaging was introduced to both of my children when they were in middle school. I knew that written Bisaya will be difficult for them especially that it was not introduced to them from the time they learned to read and write. But I didn't mind, and that didn't stop me from teaching them. I genuinely believed that these kids are smart. They will learn in time if I keep going. I wanted them to see, read, and learn the language in written form.
Fast forward to today.
I have seen Jason's progress, and I am really proud of him.
Translation:
The boy: Ma, my stomach still hurts. The tea made it stop temporarily. I'm at the nurse's office.
Me: It still hurts?
TB: Yes, Ma.
Me: You want me to pick you up now?
TB: Can you?
Me: Ok. Got to put my shoes on first.
With Yna, she's a master according to the boy.
Translation:
The young lady: Can you go to DC on Saturday so someone can take Fable (her cat) and I to the vet? I also want to come home this weekend, but I'm not sure because I'd feel bad for Fable.
Fable is recuperating from her surgery. She just got spayed.
Me: What time on Saturday?
TYL: I haven't scheduled it yet?
Me: Make it during afternoon or early afternoon.
TYL: Do you think that's okay? Hopefully this is the last time that I needed to go to this vet. I really like them but they're far.
Me: That's a shame, isn't it?
*********
I have been telling the boy to keep writing and speaking in Bisaya. There'll be no Mama or Papa in his college life to speak Bisaya with everyday. He has been trying his best so far.
Teaching my children to speak, read, and write a second language isn't easy, especially since it's just the mister and I exposing them.
To parents who are teaching their children another language, keep it going. Never give up. But don't forget, our children learn from us, so speak to them in the language that you want them to learn.
For parents who want to teach their children Bisaya or the Visayan dialect, there's no school, may it be online or in a real classroom, that would teach our children to speak and write this dialect. Google will not help your kids, and YouTube will not help them become fluent. It's always you, and the people that are consistent in their lives. So set good examples. Don't kill a beautiful language by writing it improperly.
#kumbatipaBudoy.
6 comments:
There is "home" in "home language" or the language spoken at home by a language learner. Keep it alive, as it keeps them more flexible to learning other languages and also keeps their and your neurons alive and active.
No language is superior than the other, as you have mentioned, there is beauty in every language.
Marunong din po pa sila ng tagalog?
Naalala ko po sa bahay namin, parang ganyan din po sa inyo, sila papa at mama ay madalas naman mag-bikol, at tama po kayo, kakagamit nila ng dialect na ito, natuto na lang ako na makaintindi ng bikol, di ko nga lang ito na practice na magsalita o isulat.
Thank you, Kat.
It's the language that we are all comfortable using at home.
Wish they also know fluently but they only know mga words lang. Di kasi ang lingwahe na spoken at home. I subscribed to TFC noon kaso lang si young lady hated the Taglish and the English na iba ang accent. The boy watched wowowee only. "Bigyan ng jacket" lang natutunan niya doon. Hehehe.
My friend, who used to live in NJ, and now in Oz, tries to keep the Filipino language alive in her family. Yun ang naging proverbial seed ng company namin (http://philipandana.com/ hehehe shameless promotion), keeping not just the language, but also the identity as a Filipino in a foreign land.
Meanwhile, ang bana ko, ayaw akong turuan ng Bisaya. Gamay-gamay lang ang alam ko. :( My daughter, who attends school, speaks in English mostly and understands Cebuano, but she doesn't let on that she understands. Makes it easier for her daw to scoop out chismis from her classmates who think she doesn't understand. Hahahaha. So wily, that one.
i am really amazed by Filipinos raised abroad and still know how to speak the Filipino/Bisaya language.
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