Son watches DVDs in French

[cmuir]

Hi

 

Robert's (he's 4 with AS and has language difficulties which need further investigation to assess severity of difficulties) been watching DVDs in French. At first he must have been playing around with the buttons on his remote control. It seemed to me that he didn't seem to notice a first the language. Once pointed out, he frequently demands that I put his DVD on in French. Strange! Anyone shed any light on this? Does your child do this?

 

Caroline.

[phasmid]

It seems odd at first glance but it may be he just likes the way the language is spoken, the intonation's he can hear and so on. It's another way of exploring language for him to try. It might also be sheer novelty value. Unless it is doing harm I wouldn't worry - if he starts to speak it I'd seek advice from SALT just to be sure it is appropriate.

[jb1964]

Hi Cmuir,

 

It could be that as you say he watched it first and didn't realise - but then to him the film is as he first watched it - and it wouldn't be quite the same if he watched it with different words etc, everything would seem wrong.

 

I remember when my daughter was little and watched loads of videos (over and over and over again) she would remember every tiny little bit and song etc - same with stories - and if you missed a word or a line - you'd have to go back to the beginning and start again.

 

Take care,

Jb

[mossgrove]

Your son may not be underrstanding much of the language from the DVD in either French or English, and may not make the distinctions you do between them. It may well be that he simply likes the sounds more when the DVD is in french.

 

Simon

[kirstie]

Lewis has often done the same thing with his remote and he finds foreign languages hysterically funny! A little boy in his nursery was chinese and he would go into raptures when he heard him speak, and he would try and speak like him too! At the moment my Son is talking with a very distinct Glasweigan accent. His Dad has a new girlfriend who is from Glasgow and it's driving me nuts!!!! (not the girlfriend, the accent ) Although he does an excellent american accent too!

[lotty]

yes my 9 year old ha sdicovered s4c he loves it and also watches his films in japanese, he likes listening to different languages?

[shortie]

my DD loves watching Dora the explorer who speaks english and spanish,she knows more of the spanish words than english and counts to 10 in spanish,yet her speech is mainly ecolalia she seems to understand the spanish better!

[LizC]

Hi my son who is 6 is very interested in languages! he started at about 4 watching knight rider in german and spanish! he trys to speak the language too lol, so your son isn't the only one!!

[Minxygal]

Could it be that because it's a different launguage it makes it easier for him to block it out and concentrate on the pictures?

We recently went abroad and I anticipated my boys having a real problem with the mix of languages around them. I was wrong, in fact they seemed to find it much more comfortabe not having to attempt to understand at all and they were much more relaxed in rooms that at home would be too crowded.

Maybe it;s the pictures that interest him most and by changing the language he eliminates the need to concentrate on both

[lil_me]

We had dora for a while too, had to teach myself some spanish to understand what on earth my son was on about.

 

My son likes watching with the sound off sometimes, says the speaking gets in the way, maybe watching in another language means they can ignore the words ?

Edited July 29, 2006 by lil_me

[reggubasti]

I listen to Swiss radio a lot. It's in Swiss German, which I don't understand, I just enjoy the music. I never listen to English radio because I struggle to get the meaning fast enough, and the concentration needed makes me very tense.

I often watch German or Polish television (Polonia often has English subtitles). I can follow quite a few films etc and it's much more relaxing than struggling with understanding English speach. Whenever I watch English television I turn the sound off and use the subtitles. That way I don't have to look and listen, it's all visual. I can easily read much faster than needed for subtitles but I can't process speach fast enough to keep up. Reading is no effort whereas following speach takes a great deal of effort. If the English sound is on I cannot not try to follow it and it prevents me watching. Like eye contact, I can look or listen, but not both, and looking is much easier.