Granny advice needed

My eldest daughter was four when she arrived here and I put her straight away into the free local nursery. She didn’t have any ‘special’ classes but the teacher in the first year of primary school when she was six, took care that she understood.
Second daughter could read English at two and started local nursery at two etc. no problems.

Third daughter followed her sisters but she is dyslexic, and the French at that time didn’t recognize this problem, plus the fact we went to China. She had the reading age of eight when she sat her exams at sixteen but we persevered. She is a physio in Manchester now, in the worst of it.

You being an English teacher can help him a lot, I believe you are fully bilingual. I wasn’t and had no training.
Children love watching tv it is a way they love to learn, the first few months is hard but with your experience he will come through it all. We only spoke English at home and they all had to take up two other languages at school.

I don’t think you will have to worry about your grandson but your daughter will need to find a job so she will not be at home which would be very depressing (I have been in that situation). You would have to find out if she would be allowed to work .

Learning a second language at 3 may very well after an initial period where he is reluctant to speak English increase his language skills.

Starting another languague at his age he will later on in life speak it without any foreign accent which will be a very positive asset for him, as will a second language be.

If your daughter is happy and willing to come, go ahead.

Have a friend whose DD moved to Spain when her youngest was 3. All GC were placed in non English speaking schools and have settled really well. How do you know GS has an issue with speech. I didn't speak until I went to school. Had medicals etc to find if there was anything physically wrong - nothing. Eventually did speak and layer on when asked why I hadn't spoken apparently my reasoning was that I just couldn't be bothered and there was enough other people doing the talking. Does your DD want to move, that's the biggest issue to be addressed.

Here in Wales many children go to Welsh speaking schools and have all their lessons in Welsh while speaking only English at home. I believe that research shows that bilingual children find it easier to learn new languages when they are older.

One of my grandchildren did not start talking until he was three. He had heating tests etc. Now he does not stop. He is a highly intelligent creative child. I see no mention in your post of what your daughter wants. I only see you going on about what YOU think is best for them. It will be your daughter's decision. Seems as if you want to take over her life. Maybe she would be better off staying here. Travel abroad is constricted here anyway.

I worked as a teacher/ consultant for English as an Additional Language. Academic research shows that the more languages children learn and the earlier they begin the more proficient they.

Are you SURE you are not being swayed by the destructive negative hysterical over emphasis of every bad thing in the press. If you live within the rules and your means, life here is very good.

It has probably been said here earlier but I do think getting a proper assessment of your GS 's difficulty is a priority. What ever you do regarding travel, schooling and child care will depend on how they understand this problem. My son worked in an International School and they really are superb, so no worries about finding a good education for him. He just needs the right support. I also worked in Switzerland and almost everyone speaks perfect English too so it will a multi-lingual experience for all of you. Sounds wonderful, good luck!

If it's any help, I used to be friendly with a french family in Aberdeen. They had a baby and a 3 year old. I was visiting and was informed that Charle said he is not speaking English today!! The phone rang, my friend gave me the baby to give him his bottle. The Charle came grabbed the bottle and announced "He's had enough now"
This little one could just switch languages on and off like water coming out of a tap!!

Sounds like a wonderful opportunity to me, providing of course, that they want to move! Is it actually possible in the middle of a pandemic? Would you be happy for them to stay if they decide not to return home? And how easy would it be for them to pick up the pieces of their present life after two years. But the thought of your DGS growing up bilingual is a wonderful one.
With regards go his speech I really wouldn't worry. My DD is an August baby so started schools just days after her 4th birthday and her speech was very slow. She couldn't say "s" which was a problem as she is called Sarah. Everyone thought her name was Mary! We had her hearing tested but it was fine. A few years ago she graduated from Sheffield uni with a first as a speech and language therapist!

I would feel better if this said “I am considering asking” rather than “I am considering bringing”. Are there underlying other issues? This all needs to be by joint discussion and agreement with dd really. Not just the language but there will be other upheaval for your little dg. This needs very carefully thinking out. Upheaval could put his language skills back. I think at the end of the day it would perhaps be best to think of what would make everyone happy, and if coming to live with you is that then they should, provided Covid regulations allow.

In another post you said you were self isolating after being in close contact with a student who tested positive. I do hope you get the all clear. Best wishes.

You would have a bilingual grandchild and it most certainly would affect his linguistic abilities. I am a professional in this field. It would be a fabulous experience for your daughter, your grandson and you.

GagaJo......I wouldn't worry about the language issue. My DG has been very slow with her speech. She has now started her formal education and is being taught in a language other than English-her parents choice. She is speaking in her second language very competently and her english is improving too. All in all a different girl.

You talk of DD and GS - is there a dad anywhere, if so might the relocation cause problems?

Re late speech, a BiL of mine barely uttered at all until he was 3. My MiL told me she’d been getting very worried, but once he started....

He eventually won a scholarship to Cambridge and later went to work in Paris. Now completely bilingual.

Might add that when we lived in the Middle East, there were a number of mixed-nationality families. I knew personally of two where the children grew up with 3 languages - Greek speaking father and German speaking mother, who spoke to each other in English - and to the child in their mother tongue.
The children obviously became most proficient in the language used at school (English or Greek - there was a Greek-speaking school on our compound) but would happily converse in the other two.
Such a wonderful advantage for them, I always thought. At the toddler stage they would sometimes muddle them up, but they were sorted out eventually.

My first grandson was slow to speak intelligibly. His little sister was articulate much earlier. Now he is six and speaks very precisely and mostly clearly. (He still has a little trouble with "l"s). His other granny is a retired speech therapist and has no worries about him. He Facetimed me last week to read me a book he has written about animals. His literacy skills are way up with his age level.

I agree with Caslon. If your daughter isn’t keen, she may not settle. What would happen to her UK home? Does she rent? If she owns her own home living abroad from a year or two could complicate matters.
As for worrying about your GS’s language, he would probably soak up both languages quite easily. I know a couple of families whose children have learned two without any problems, mixing up words at the beginning, but quickly sorting them out into separate languages and quickly becoming fluent.
I’m a bit cross with my Peruvian SIL. He was convinced that speaking two languages around my GD would confuse her, and wouldn’t be persuaded otherwise. So my very voluble almost 4 year old GD knows only a few Spanish words, when she could have been fluent in both languages by now.

Whereabouts in Switzerland are you. Could you afford to send your grandson to the international school in Geneva? (My cousin is head teacher there now, so I know it's a good one.)

I don’t think the COVID situation in the UK at the moment is the right reason, it has to be something that your daughter actively wants to do regardless of the current restrictions in the UK. The corner here is being turned now, so there will be a leveling off of restrictions compared with Switzerland.
Your grandson will adapt as long as his mum is happy, so it’s what she wants that is most important.

I think that as long as he has both you and his mother to chat to him at home in English and wants to communicate with other children at nursery in French? or German you may well find his speech comes on well in both languages when he has more stimulation.

Yes, we would need to rent it out. It'll need a fair bit doing before letting it, but no one can go anywhere yet so there is time.

It can only be a good thing re language. Children are like sponges. Wish my mum had talked to me in her language but she was too busy trying to learn English. Different times of course.
If dd wants to come and if it’s affordable given how expensive Switzerland is, why not? Could she let her UK accommodation ?

Agree with daddima.

There is Peasblossom and it would be a mammoth task to sort out, but it would be a way for them to avoid the horrible covid time the UK is having. And it would make my remaining here (which is what my school wants, they are very keen to retain me) possible.

It is still much better here than the UK despite us being in lockdown too (schools are still open, for example). And because I live in a small town, the beautiful countryside is a 5 minute walk.

Oh, I was going to post that I thought she’d need a job before she could get a permit. But obviously living there you would have known that?

Is it going to work if she’s not really keen? Just asking. Will she keep her home here to come back to if things don’t work out?

I know you just asked about language, which wouldn’t worry me one jot, but there’s a lot to think about.