Resolve: To Teach or Not to Teach Your Young One's our Native Tongue: Filipino

[andypaul]

yeah, i know a family whose kids are also filipinos but when they migrated here 3 yrs ago ... the kids (6-8y/o) find it difficult to adjust because of the language... a year after, they can't speak Filipino!

Now, the parents talk to them in English. Kids, can't understand them when they speak in Filipino or Bicol Dialect.


Quite a dilemma there... that is why i'm asking some your opinions re. this...

Thanks

Im surprised schools dont have teachers/parents who can give advice
on this. As its surprsing how similar familys and pupils i meet have varying levels of mother tongue skills. From non existant mother tongue skills to parents holding back children by not helping them with their English at all.

So how do Parents here ensure a good balance?

Do they thinking oral skills are enough or are written skills important as well?