Overseas adoption language barriers- is it an issue?

Randy B

The first night my 8 month old daughter was in our home she was crying constantly, primarily due to constipation and a host of other illnesses she had from being in an Indian orphanage. Anyway, my wife and I were living in India at the time so we had plenty of support, including some domestic help. We had tried using the common terms that westerners would use to sooth and calm a crying baby but nothing worked. Our maid heard the fuss and came in asking if she could help. As soon as she picked up the baby and used the same words we had used, only in Hindi, she (the baby) calmed right now and was fine. By the end of the night we had learned enough words to be able to do it ourselves and within a few weeks our daughter was understanding both simple "baby english" as well as "baby hindi".

For the remainder of the time we lived in India (we moved back to Canada when she was about 2.5 year, we used english and because of the household help she also spoke and understood basic hindi with the maid and driver. An elephant wasn't an elephant...it was a hathi, hello was "namaste", good was "accha" and so on.

Depending upon the age of the child the change can either be quick or take some time. It's always best to try to learn enough of the language to communicate, even at a basic level, before you adopt in order to minimize and stresses the language barrier may no doubt cause.

Freckle Face

Yes, its an issue. You should also try learn their language as you expect the child to learn yours. Depending on the country, its harder to learn some languages than others but still do the best you can to learn it. imho.

Sophie

Yes, it is always an issue. When adopted, a child or baby who comes to a new home and is in a new family with a new language... it terrifies them.

Additionally, it really depends on the child as to the extent of the issues. Personally, I believe that the younger the child, the easier it will be for them to learn a new language. I've met many, many internationally adopted children from Guatemala. Many have speech difficulties and are in speech therapy. The older they were upon adoption, the harder it was for them to learn a new language and develop other skills.

There was a recent show/documentary where the adoptive parents followed a child around with a camera to "prove to the world" that the child was acting up. I wanted to jump through the screen and tell these parents to talk to her in her language! They didn't say anything about learning their own child's language. It was painful to watch. The child needed a hug, not paparazzi. Language is SO important at any age.

Heather B

Yes. Learn their language.

kims

I adopted school age children from Ethiopia. I didn't find out until a few weeks before I was to travel what language they spoke. It was a dialect only used in one area of the country. Fortunately I had already gotten in touch with an Ethiopian family near where I live and they networked through their church to put me in touch with people who spoke that dialect.

My husband and I learned some phrases and tried to just memorize as much vocabulary as we could. When we brought the children home we spent some part of every day exchanging language classes. They taught us some words, we taught them some. Their progress was amazing. The older children started school within several weeks of coming home.

Our bigger issue has been trying to keep them from forgetting their language. Learning English was a breeze. Keeping their dialect is a piece of work, especially since our Ethiopian immigrant friends tell them it's unimportant. We want to preserve their language abilities so when we bring them back they won't feel completely Americanized.

Kim

We adopted two children (separate adoptions) who were 13 months and 16 months, respectively, at the time of adoption. Neither spoke any Russian at the time, but both of them understood it quite well. Although both picked up English understanding very quickly, I was thankful that I knew some Russian (especially things you'd say to a baby, that aren't part of normal learn-to-speak lessons). I think it really helped to comfort them in the early days.

Of our travel groups, we were the *only* ones who learned to speak any Russian at all, and some of the others adopted older children. I got several late-night knocks on the door from other families asking how to say this or that...

I do not think you necessarily need to be fluent in the other language (although it would be a bonus... and I'm working toward it), but having a working knowledge of phrases is very valuable.

Jennifer L

My children's primary language was English, so this wasn't an issue for our family. But yes, I can't imagine what it would be like for a child to be with a strange family in a strange land and not be able to at least communicate basic needs.

APs should at least be marginally conversant in the child's native language, in my opinion.

Lillie

Only if you want to communicate with the child, Gidget.

Olivia J

Very quickly! My sister adopted a four year old from Cambodia who learned English to the same extent as her American classmates in only 4 months. It was incredible! Kids are like sponges!

Independ"ant"

Yes and in more than one way.

Losing their native language thanks to the thoughtlessness of Aps is another major issue they face as they age.

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