This ring so true, my husband is danish, me french. We both want to speak each other language but...we met in english, and speaking any other language feels so foreign! Same with my children, I've always spoke french with them, lately my boy wants me to speak english with him (he finds it funny and wants to learn), but even though I speak english all day long with everyone around me, it feels extremely weird with him!
Ah yes! Thank you for this great observation. I really do think there is something to that idea of your « first language together » — it becomes a touchstone. One thing I find helpful is just to agree to switch back and forth, no matter when. And the more you do that, the more natural it becomes (in my opinion). I often just switch in the middle of a sentence or story, which is useful because it takes the pressure off one language or the other. I know my family understands me, so I just go for it and they always seem to just come along 😊
This ring so true, my husband is danish, me french. We both want to speak each other language but...we met in english, and speaking any other language feels so foreign! Same with my children, I've always spoke french with them, lately my boy wants me to speak english with him (he finds it funny and wants to learn), but even though I speak english all day long with everyone around me, it feels extremely weird with him!
Ah yes! Thank you for this great observation. I really do think there is something to that idea of your « first language together » — it becomes a touchstone. One thing I find helpful is just to agree to switch back and forth, no matter when. And the more you do that, the more natural it becomes (in my opinion). I often just switch in the middle of a sentence or story, which is useful because it takes the pressure off one language or the other. I know my family understands me, so I just go for it and they always seem to just come along 😊
That's a good advice, thanks 😊