Italian mum says hello!!
Jun 9, 2015 0:20:21 GMT 9
Post by Giulia on Jun 9, 2015 0:20:21 GMT 9
Hello everyone!
I'm Giulia (same pronunciation as Julia, just spelled different), mom to a 2 and half year-old boy...my little monkey...although I call him "my little peanut"!
I live in Italy, my parents and grandparents are Italian...I've always lived here except for a few, wonderful, unforgettable experiences abroad.
My first "real" experience abroad was in the States, when I was a teenager and went there as a foreign exchange student for a year, and that's when I fell in love with...English, specifically American English! (Well, not only that...I also fell in love with peanut butter!)
After that great experience my mind opened up to...so many things....
Travels were essential to me, discovering new cultures, meeting new people, visiting new places....and learning new languages.
I had some other great experiences abroad, both for work and study, then one day when I returned to Italy after my stay in England...I found love, this time a man..,and something changed...priorities. We got married and after a few years my son, L., arrived.
Before having L. I changed quite a few jobs, I worked for companies and I got to speak foreign languages every day. Then after L. was born they fired me, they didn't renew my contract. I have to say that maternity, work-wise speaking, in Italy, most of the time is like having a disease.
Yes, but that was good news for me! I always try to be positive, I didn't like working for that company so I tried to look at the bright side...
I started speaking English to my son the day he was born. It was hard at first, so unnatural, especially when they are so tiny that you would hug them and cover them with kisses and cuddles and just baby-talk with them doing funny voices...but I did it! At first I was concerned about talking English to him in front of other people...but now I don't even think about it, and some people even ask me questions or start speaking English to me...it's so nice!!
I've been speaking English to him ever since; even if my husband doesn't speak English, I speak English to my son when we are all together. L. understands everything I say, and even speaks English with me, although not always: Italian is still the majority language. Even if he replies in Italian to my questions, I speak English all the time.
After they fired me I started teaching English to adults, then I tried with children...and now I run my own playgroups for children (1 to 3 year-old with mommy or daddy and 3 to 5 year-old just me and the kids). I'm also working as an English teacher in day care centres with toddlers. I enjoy it a lot. I've never been as satisfied as I am now.
I've been doing this for a year or so, I've just started. It's not easy, especially because it's difficult for many parents to understand that it's not hard for babies and children to learn a second language and most of all it's not harmful!
Sometimes it's frustrating...but I think this is what I am meant to be doing.
I believe in this project so much, and children are so amazing! I think some parents underestimate their kids' potential. I'd like to let parents know the great opportunity they could give to their children, this wonderful present that is the knowledge of a second language...they'd have the chance to learn it now, as kids, through play...instead of studying it in books as adults...and this is just one little advantage..
Thank you all!!
Giulia
I'm Giulia (same pronunciation as Julia, just spelled different), mom to a 2 and half year-old boy...my little monkey...although I call him "my little peanut"!
I live in Italy, my parents and grandparents are Italian...I've always lived here except for a few, wonderful, unforgettable experiences abroad.
My first "real" experience abroad was in the States, when I was a teenager and went there as a foreign exchange student for a year, and that's when I fell in love with...English, specifically American English! (Well, not only that...I also fell in love with peanut butter!)
After that great experience my mind opened up to...so many things....
Travels were essential to me, discovering new cultures, meeting new people, visiting new places....and learning new languages.
I had some other great experiences abroad, both for work and study, then one day when I returned to Italy after my stay in England...I found love, this time a man..,and something changed...priorities. We got married and after a few years my son, L., arrived.
Before having L. I changed quite a few jobs, I worked for companies and I got to speak foreign languages every day. Then after L. was born they fired me, they didn't renew my contract. I have to say that maternity, work-wise speaking, in Italy, most of the time is like having a disease.
Yes, but that was good news for me! I always try to be positive, I didn't like working for that company so I tried to look at the bright side...
I started speaking English to my son the day he was born. It was hard at first, so unnatural, especially when they are so tiny that you would hug them and cover them with kisses and cuddles and just baby-talk with them doing funny voices...but I did it! At first I was concerned about talking English to him in front of other people...but now I don't even think about it, and some people even ask me questions or start speaking English to me...it's so nice!!
I've been speaking English to him ever since; even if my husband doesn't speak English, I speak English to my son when we are all together. L. understands everything I say, and even speaks English with me, although not always: Italian is still the majority language. Even if he replies in Italian to my questions, I speak English all the time.
After they fired me I started teaching English to adults, then I tried with children...and now I run my own playgroups for children (1 to 3 year-old with mommy or daddy and 3 to 5 year-old just me and the kids). I'm also working as an English teacher in day care centres with toddlers. I enjoy it a lot. I've never been as satisfied as I am now.
I've been doing this for a year or so, I've just started. It's not easy, especially because it's difficult for many parents to understand that it's not hard for babies and children to learn a second language and most of all it's not harmful!
Sometimes it's frustrating...but I think this is what I am meant to be doing.
I believe in this project so much, and children are so amazing! I think some parents underestimate their kids' potential. I'd like to let parents know the great opportunity they could give to their children, this wonderful present that is the knowledge of a second language...they'd have the chance to learn it now, as kids, through play...instead of studying it in books as adults...and this is just one little advantage..
Thank you all!!
Giulia
) 
