Bi-Lingual? I Don't Think So...

So. Jake.

It's been almost 4 years, and he forgot most of his Vietnamese after the first 9 months.

That was an unexpected grief for me. So many conflicted emotions were wrapped around his first months with us. I wanted him to retain his native language, wanting to honor him by encouraging him in his efforts to hold on to all he could of his heritage.

He forgot it all quickly as his mind fought to grasp the new sounds.

Oddly, I remember more Vietnamese words than he does.

It is what it is.

Today, though, in school: we were making words by adding consonant blends to common ending sounds ("-ing," "-at," etc.).

"Jake, what can we add to "-at"?

"P! Pat! Um... S! Sat!"

"Right! Good job! Anything else?"

"W! Wat!"

"Not a word, Jake. What could you add?"

"Wat is a word! It's Vietnamese!" with great offense. And with great confidence.

And so it went. Jake would add odd consonants & blends to ending sounds and then proclaim them "Vietnamese!" "And who are YOU, oh American-non-Vietnamese-speaking-mom-person, to question that?" was the attitude.

sighing, great sighing...