Raising the baby in an OPOL system. My partner doesn’t speak Irish and doesn’t do languages.
​
Has noted that its amazing how much Irish she has picked up from me just speaking to baba in the background, she cant reply but she does now get a lot of what we are saying
> ‘Now,’ I say, as he puts down the book and I ready him for sleep.
>‘Niiiiauuu?’ he says, mocking me with his last conscious breath, and I realise he’ll be fine.
Yep, they’re raising that kid well.
My dad is a fluent Irish speaker, but never taught me much, except from Suigh síos, amadán, and dún do bhéal, because I grew up in London, and it wouldn’t make sense learning something not many people spoke. Which, from a practical point of view, I can understand, but would of been nice to of grown up with it. I still use those words when talking to my kids, thrown in with bits of Spanish from my wife, and cockney rhyming slang. Also odd bits of Irish pronunciation of English, usually from my dad’s side, ( who are from Kerry), and Irish phrases. It’s a strange hybrid of languages, but the kids seem to understand it, although my wife has had to translate me sometimes when we’ve been speaking to English people
3 comments
Raising the baby in an OPOL system. My partner doesn’t speak Irish and doesn’t do languages.
​
Has noted that its amazing how much Irish she has picked up from me just speaking to baba in the background, she cant reply but she does now get a lot of what we are saying
> ‘Now,’ I say, as he puts down the book and I ready him for sleep.
>‘Niiiiauuu?’ he says, mocking me with his last conscious breath, and I realise he’ll be fine.
Yep, they’re raising that kid well.
My dad is a fluent Irish speaker, but never taught me much, except from Suigh síos, amadán, and dún do bhéal, because I grew up in London, and it wouldn’t make sense learning something not many people spoke. Which, from a practical point of view, I can understand, but would of been nice to of grown up with it. I still use those words when talking to my kids, thrown in with bits of Spanish from my wife, and cockney rhyming slang. Also odd bits of Irish pronunciation of English, usually from my dad’s side, ( who are from Kerry), and Irish phrases. It’s a strange hybrid of languages, but the kids seem to understand it, although my wife has had to translate me sometimes when we’ve been speaking to English people