Tuesday, October 13, 2009

talking toddler


Griffin's language use amazes us every day! Word nerd that I am, I've been tracking his linguistic development (with an oh-so-dorky spreadsheet so fun to update), so I can report with confidence that he has so far said 200 words on his own, 60% in English and 40% in French, mostly one at a time, but increasingly more two- and three-word phrases. It is SO fantastic that he can communicate his ideas to us now!

Of course, they're still a 20-month-old's ideas....

Chuh ch'aime Mommy! (aww, he loves me) Chuh ch'aime shoes! (and apparently, he also loves his footwear)
Happy gateau (cake)
More book more book more book more book (repeat ad infinitum while Maman and Daddy thank their lucky stars that they live only 100 yards from a public library)
Fini book moo (done reading Goodnight Moon)
Bye-bye neige (snow)

As well as a 20-month-old's tenuous grasp on mathematics as he "counts" his blocks:
Two, huit (8), neuf (9), dix (10), huit (8), onze (11), douche ("douze" is "twelve," while "douche" is "shower"), two....

(And then he screams "Yay!!!" as he applauds himself before starting to count all over again.)

6 comments:

  1. Sarah! Yay! Glad you posted again. I'm glad Griffin is such a chatterbox. It is such an exciting, fascinating process. I kept track of Dani's vocab, too, though I must admit I stopped at 100 words. Anyway, glad you are enjoying your time.

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  2. I was just wondering recently if your little boy had begun speaking yet! Love what you're doing! Hope the percentages flip-flop and French prevails!

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  3. @Estela--I have been a lousy correspondent for the past year. Forgive me? Let me profile Dani now that she's a preschooler? Please? :)

    @Rachel--Thanks! I'm just thrilled that he's talking this much already. I doubt that French will ever "prevail" (unless we move to a francophone country--highly unlikely), but as long as Griffin understands my French and enjoys speaking it with me, then I have succeeded. (And I know there will come a time when he'll refuse to speak it--but I hope we'll be able to power through that and he'll be happy to be bilingual!)

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  4. I love that you have a spreadsheet!! I'll admit my tracking of Ronan's vocab is more of a guestimate:) Interestingly, I've been saying for awhile now that I think he's about 60% English, 40% French! Glad to see that's what you're noticing. When Ronan started 1.5 days of daycare about a month ago, I definitely noticed an increase in English, which I expected. A little sad, and I find myself constantly teaching him the French equivalent of what he comes home with. But he's having a great time and becoming more social, so I guess that's what counts first, right?:)

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  5. This had me laughing out loud! I'm SOOO eager to chart Zoe's development. Bilingual nerd moms unite! :D

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  6. "Bilingual Nerd Moms Unite"--that would make such a good title for a newsletter or blog or social movement! Maybe a new Facebook or Meetup group? I love it!

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