Friday, October 07, 2005

Language Learning

When we were in Chicago in June, we became friends with a family from Puerto Rico, relocating like us, but to a Middle Eastern country. They have two boys, who spoke mostly Spanish. This was a healthy concept for Maggie and Lydia, that there are words even their parents don’t understand.

Our first weeks in language study here, the girls have stayed with Orna, a Mongolian lady who comes to our house. At first it was tough for the girls to understand that she couldn’t tell them to go to bed, (or much else) because she doesn't speak English. This past week, they’ve really warmed up to her and celebrate when she arrives in the morning.

On our way out the door to school, I heard Maggie ask her: "How do you say (I forget what) in Spanish?" Even though they may think they’re learning that language, we hear them counting and saying hello and goodbye in Mongolian, when they think we’re not listening.

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