25 replies to this topic

[prettygirl]

assalam alaikum

thank u for startin this post. now that i am pregnant i have been thinkin a lot about the same thing. i am arab but was born and raised in uk so i am native english speaker. i do speak little tiny (no more then 15% if not less ) arabic. my husband on the other hand hes half arab half english but can speak fluent arabic mashaallah. we speak to each other in english. i would really love my children to b able to speak arabic.

I am now trying to learn Arabic so we can use only one language in the house which is arabic inshaallah and English outside the home.

Edited by prettygirl, 19 November 2008 - 07:05 PM.

[~MissKitty~]

Salam alaikum,

Sister Trumuslimah, why not have your husband speak only in Arabic to your daughter, and you speak your language, Gujarati to her.

I have never heard of Gujarati before, where is it spoken??

[umm.humaira]

Wa alaikum as salaam,

Sis misskitty I think it would be hard for him as he doesnt speak to anyone in arabic except when he has to write his jum'ah khutbah or listening to a lecture in arabic... insha'Allah im going to suggest it to him.

My parents are originally from Gujarat, India but we were born and raised here. I remember when we were small we were not allowed to talk in English with our siblings. It was a rule in our house that my father had and we would get in trouble if we didnt speak in gujrati. He used to tell us that u guys are going to learn it anyways in school... and alhamdulillah we're able to do so because our grandparents dont speak english at all.

I'd like to keep the same rule with humaira as id like for her to be able to communicate with her grandparents in gujrati although they do know english but if ever she wants to go visit mine and hubbys relatives in india she wouldnt have a problem.

insha'Allah.
Wasalaam,
Umme Humaira

[oum_husayn]

Assalaam aleikoem wa rahmatoelah wa barakatoeh

We speak arabic and dutch at home.

wa aleikoem salaam

[Islam_is_beautiful]

Salams, I don't have kids but I will give you an example from my own family, my mother is pure north indian but my father is yemeni of indian ancestors who was raised in yemen from an ethopian mother. My mum speaks only hindi and english and my father speaks arabic,amharic and very little hindi . So it was like this, mum spoke hindi with us, and father amharic and arabic, since we lived in yemen most of our life we automatically learned arabic, but later when we moved to india we siblings would still communicate in arabic together till today.
Now to give you an estimation, I am fluent in hindi, arabic and english and can understand 75% amharic but don't speak it. My brother on the other hand is married to a pure indian so my nephews speak hindi and english but are verry weak in arabic blame my  brother for that!
I think like the other sisters said, one of you should speak arabic and other english but since you live in the states your kids inshllah will automatically learn english so no worries. I guess if you live in arabic country wil learn arabic in school and by interacting with other kids, the same if you live in an english speaking country.

Abidah