What's your purpose to say a different language when your child is nearby?

I admire you that can speak a different language beside English and Chinese with your husband. Is it Spanish, Japanese, or Korean? How I admire my students who know at least two different foreign languages while I do not though I have the chance to learn either Japanese, Korean or German. As I am busy with my teaching job, I do not have time to study another foreign language. I admire my students very much when I hear them speak another foreign language while I cannot. You are great to use a different language to play some trick to make your little son have some vegetable that is good for him. When he used to the food, he will not be picky any more. Wish you lucky as always.

Watch out, he may be learning the other language if you are speaking it all the time.Kids are sharp.I agree, kids need to have time just to be kids.There is time to learn a second language.

When my son was younger and we wanted to talk about him when he was around or when we wanted to talk about others which we didn't want our son to hear, we would speak in Hindi (which is the national language but not our mother tongue). But now my son learns Hindi at school...and we can't do that anymore because he would understand. The only other language that I know that he doesn't understand is Arabic...but my husband doesn't know it! But we do get away with a little bit of Kannada (which is the official language of the state we stay in). My husband speaks fluent Kannada....but mine is just enough to get by though I understand....my son's is also rudimentary...so my husband usually tells me something in Kannada. Before marriage, my dad used to speak to us in Arabic when he wanted to tell us what we were doing wasn't appropriate in Indian culture without putting us down in front of other people. When I was engaged to my husband, one day, as he was leaving, we stopped by my house gate and stood and talked there. We didn't think anything of anyone seeing us...after all, we were engaged...but my dad called from inside in Arabic and asked us to come inside and talk...he later on explained that it was not the done thing in the state we were living...and people do not consider even engaged people showing signs of affection publicly appropriate behaviour.

The children in our country have to learn three languages during their primary school stage. So we have to speak other languages or dialects which the kid doesn’t understand if we don’t want him to know what we are speaking about. As you know small kid is curious whenever he comes across any thing he doesn’t understand and will keep on asking until he gets the satisfactory answer.

No, i don't have a child :P i don't even know how to talk a foreign language

I have friends who understood their parents' "secret" language anyway, and some who didn't. I've taught language to children and adults. Children learn more quickly, and it is natural for them to learn new sounds, so they usually speak without an accent. I used to teach at an immersion language preschool. The school taught Spanish, French, Chinese and English phonics. I taught Spanish to children as young as about 8 months. We sang songs and played games. They really understand and remember, too. Once, we learned colors. After that lesson, 3-year-old boy went on vacation for 2 weeks. The first thing he did when he came back was point to a blue balloon and say the color in Spanish! It will be easy to work out a few signals, spell words, or pass notes with your husband. I think it will be worth it to teach your son your language.

We used to spell things in front of our kids, and in front of our nephews. However that just made them grow up with a good spelling ability. For my nephew we even began spelling things backwards.

I do agree with you. Most children here in the philippines learns english at a very early age as their second language but I didn't teach my child english right away but I waited for her to learn it from school. If there were things before that i don't want her to know, I just speak in english so that she won't understand. But now, its getting hard for me to not let her know since she has started schooling and have grasp of the english language already. So I now started speaking in a language designed by my cousins way back 10years ago so that she won't still get to know those things that I don't want her to know.

my husband and i both can speak a third language.. japanese... and we use it.. normally when we need to 'discuss' things that we dont others to know.. sometimes we like to surprise our children - like taking them out for a movie during the weekend, or taking them somewhere... so.. usually we will discuss it in japanese... if they are around... also sometimes when we are out - and we need to make 'unkind remarks' about something - we use japanese, so that the children wont understand...

If you want to teach a child a language, it is easier for a young mind to learn than an older mind to learn. I married a German girl years ago, when I was stationed there, and my two oldest children were born in Germany, and being around their mother and Grandparents(all speaking German), the kids spoke German before they ever spoke English. Needless to say, when they started school in the U.S., it was a mess. As one teacher told us: Either they have to learn English or I will have to learn German(and she laughed). Today, both of the kids have all but lost their abilities with the German language, because they stopped using it. I try to tell them about how difficult it was for me as an American to learn German. If you are trying to keep secrets(speaking in another language), it won't be long before they catch on. Kids are smart!

Your son will learn it soon enough if he hears it :) My son likes watching tv shows like dora & others...he is slowly learning spanish, lol.

my kids learn 2 languages at the same time,,so we dont have a secret.

Some times you have to use some tricks for children in other to give them what they need and to stop them from what is of no value to them

i have't got married ,and i don't have a child .seveal years later ,when i have a child, i will response you :p