Bom noite from Holland!
Jan 16, 2019 5:16:53 GMT 9
Post by Leo on Jan 16, 2019 5:16:53 GMT 9
Bom noite everybody!
I have been a member for quite some time (probably more than two years? since our son is 2+ years old), but I'm new to this. I was born and raised in The Netherlands and am of CapeVerdean descent. My parents, both CapeVerdean immigrants, raised me speaking their native language, Kriolu.
It's a language spoken on the Cape Verde islands (of the west coast of Africa), where the OFFICIAL language is Portuguese. However, people communicate almost exclusively in Kriolu, in non-formal settings.
My partner isn't CapeVerdean and doesn't speak the language at all, but before our son was born we made the conscious decision that we would raise him bilingual. She and I speak Dutch, since we were born here and have lived here all of our lives.
This has proven to be quite the challenge to me, because it made me conscious of my own language skills in Kriolu. I can speak it and fairly well, but I'm not on the level of a native speaker yet. I say 'yet', because that is my goal now.
I've improved my language skills by listening to rap Kriolu, reading regularly in a Kriolu dictionary and immersing myself in situations where speaking Kriolu is a must.
To be perfectly honest, although I try, I don't speak Kriolu 100% of the time, sometimes some Dutch slips between the cracks, but I'm sure it's 90% of the time. But, we'll get there!
He's getting older, and I need to be even more focused on Kriolu. I'm afraid there are few to no children's books in Kriolu, so I'll have to translate them myself. Unless, anyone else has a suggestion?
Looking forward to reading your stories, anyway!
I have been a member for quite some time (probably more than two years? since our son is 2+ years old), but I'm new to this. I was born and raised in The Netherlands and am of CapeVerdean descent. My parents, both CapeVerdean immigrants, raised me speaking their native language, Kriolu.
It's a language spoken on the Cape Verde islands (of the west coast of Africa), where the OFFICIAL language is Portuguese. However, people communicate almost exclusively in Kriolu, in non-formal settings.
My partner isn't CapeVerdean and doesn't speak the language at all, but before our son was born we made the conscious decision that we would raise him bilingual. She and I speak Dutch, since we were born here and have lived here all of our lives.
This has proven to be quite the challenge to me, because it made me conscious of my own language skills in Kriolu. I can speak it and fairly well, but I'm not on the level of a native speaker yet. I say 'yet', because that is my goal now.
I've improved my language skills by listening to rap Kriolu, reading regularly in a Kriolu dictionary and immersing myself in situations where speaking Kriolu is a must.
To be perfectly honest, although I try, I don't speak Kriolu 100% of the time, sometimes some Dutch slips between the cracks, but I'm sure it's 90% of the time. But, we'll get there!
He's getting older, and I need to be even more focused on Kriolu. I'm afraid there are few to no children's books in Kriolu, so I'll have to translate them myself. Unless, anyone else has a suggestion?
Looking forward to reading your stories, anyway!
