Question about ADD and bilingualism

[xandra-aida]

Hello!



I suppose to have ADD and I've('ll) maybe transmit(ted) it to my child(ren). Allthough I live in Germany 50% of my neighbours are turkish Immigrants. So I would like to take this chance to make my son and future kids bilingual.

I heard that the development of the mother tongue is often more difficult for children with ADD. But what about ADD-children with more than one mother tongue ?

What are your experiences about bringing up an ADDchild bilingual?

Thank you!
Xandra

[andocrates]

I learned Japanese, but it was really - REALLY - hard. Anyway, language is a very basic human thing, normal ADD kids would have no problem learning 2 languages. In fact the programming world (computers programs) is filled with ADD people. And learning C++ is just as hard as learning a language (although Turkish is tough)

P.S. I have never heard that learning to speak is hard for add kids. My brother is way worse then I am and he learned to speak at a normal age.

[Trooper Keith]

I developed my mother tongue (English) with great ease...I was linguistically developmentally advanced, without hyperlexia, so it was a good thing. I then when I was 16-17 learned that I still had a knack for learning languages if I used charts...I now speak English, German, and Russian, I can read and write Latin and Finnish, and I know some very basic Swedish...so I count as "multilingual" by any standard.

This demonstrates a degree of ability in languages which is not impaired by my ADHD. Now, that said, language learning is much easier for children than for adults. However, it may be difficult for a child with ADHD to switch from language to language mentally, simply because of the nature of ADHD...

It will be interesting to see the results.

[xandra-aida]

Thank you for your encouriging answers! :-)

KMiller, how do you cope with learning a language without loosing interst? I've been trying to lern french since years but I allways loose my energy in the beginnings. :-( On the other hand Latin was never a problem.

[pembroke]

I spoke Hungarian first, learned English at about 3 and German at 6; I still speak all three. I can get by in French, Italian and with helping my kid in Latin. I have never had a problem with the language thing. Now my problem is brain-freeze. Since I was out of practice for so long, it took a while to find the word in the language I needed it in at the moment. Kids tend to be naturals. As long as they can keep practising both or all three languages, it shouldn't be a problem.

[Kimalimah]

Both of my kids were born in Germany. One is ADHD/ODD and the other ADD. The ADHD has a real talent for languages. Speaks and reads with ease both German and English. Is now learning French. The ADD can also read and speak both languages, but has more trouble with English. He also has trouble with the "grammar" of the languages...mixes them up, but nothing earth shattering.

We always spoke a complete hodge-podge at home. German and english all mixed up (both sentences and within sentences) and neither has any trouble confusing which language is which. Their vocabulary is smaller in English simply because we tend to always speak German.

I don't think the "talent" or lack of is related to AD(H)D specifically. Some people have it, others don't. I studied French at University and didn't have a clue. It also took me quite a while to get going with German (even though I live here), but am considered "exceptional" in my fluency now. I am also ADHD.

My husband, on the other hand, learned German in a matter of weeks. He is a computer programmer and I think his brain just works well with languages. When we vacation he picks up the language in a matter of days. He's not ADD.

Hope this helps.

Kim

[didine]

Well I am ADD and was brought up a bilingual (english-french) and it never caused me any problems.
And since in my country we must learn german as well, it just went very well as well.
I decided last year to learn spanish and it went quite easy.

I don't think languages are more difficult for ADD. You learn a language by practicing it, not by learning it in a book. The grammar? You learn it by practicing. You don't need to go to school to learn a language.

Your kids shouldn't miss the opportunity of learning another language, ADD or not doesn't change anything.
They will surely be thankful in years to come (as I am towards my own parents)

[Digitl]

My mother tongue is French, but when we moved to B.C. when i was 10 or 11 yrs old. I was put into an english school, and i knew only yes and no in english. I manage to pass the year, with good grades, and practicly bilingual and i am ADHD. My brother and sister who are not...did not pass their year.

[RhapsodyInBlue]

Same as Digitl.........miss the french though, Digitl ...nicer to write in.

It's easy. I was 17 when I had to learn several languages. I think that ADHD and language learning is no different than non add'ers. We can do it!!!

[exeter]

My best friend has ADD, and speaks perfect English and excellent French. I should also mention that she came to this country when she was 6 months old with her parents, 2 older siblings, and her teddy bear, Mr. Bear.

One thing I kind of wonder about, though. A lot of LD's are either language-based or interfere with language in some way, like auditory processing disorders, for example. Since a high percentage of ADDers have LD's as well, I wonder if this might be the source of the idea that ADDers have difficulty with languages?

[Ichpuchtli]

I love learning languages how do you think I know so many, and once your tri/bilingual your next languages are a breeze to learn. There was a study made on Languages and it is you only need to know 3000 words in a language because on average people speaking use about 2000 different words a day (not including repeted words).

Dig I suck at my french although I am relearning it so soon I won't have to use a translaton site for french, really soon I am almost there.

My Turkish: I -si olmak bırakmak benim Türk , o was ileri zaman önce i öğrenmek o , söylemek beni nasıl bkz. be o. I bilmek adl. şu Almanya bkz. have biraz çok -in Türk insanlar canlı orada , ekseriya çevrede Berlin I düşünmek.

[finchmiester]

** just noticed this thread is over 6 years old xP

[mildadhd]

I understand this is an old thread, but still an interesting question.

My family spoke English at home, but I also took French immersion from grade one through grade twelve.

I had trouble focusing to read in both languages.

Which made learning French as a second language harder.



m

[dvdnvwls]

I find in general that languages are significantly easier for me than they are for most NT people. This makes me think that ADHD's only role here is its impact on one's general ability to study, and that it doesn't necessarily affect language at all.

However, maybe ADHD has a variable effect where some of us have language problems and others not, depending on [something, I don't know what].

Also, my language usage can sometimes be stilted in a way similar to those with Asperger's. So... Who knows.