Advise for Spanish-English bilingual family adopting a 9-year-old Russian girl

[Blume, Maria]

Thanks so much. I am sure they will find this advise most valuable. They previously had adopted an 18 month-old but they are aware that this case is going to be a lot more challenging.  I am glad your child is doing great. María
María Blume
Assistant Professor
Department of Languages and Linguistics
Liberal Arts Building, Room 119
University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX 79968
mblume at utep.edu
915-747-6320

Director of the UTEP Language Acquisition and Linguistics Research Lab
Liberal Arts Building, Room 111
University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX 79968
915-747-7024



From: Emily Rusnak <rusnakes at gmail.com<mailto:rusnakes at gmail.com>>
Reply-To: "info-childes at googlegroups.com<mailto:info-childes at googlegroups.com>" <info-childes at googlegroups.com<mailto:info-childes at googlegroups.com>>
Date: Monday, November 5, 2012 9:03 AM
To: "info-childes at googlegroups.com<mailto:info-childes at googlegroups.com>" <info-childes at googlegroups.com<mailto:info-childes at googlegroups.com>>
Subject: Re: Advise for Spanish-English bilingual family adopting a 9-year-old Russian girl

Hi Maria,

As someone who adopted an older child from the foster care system in the US, I might suggest that the family also look seriously into mental health services for the child. Older children often have complex issues that do not present themselves before or at placement (the honeymoon period).  I have known many families adopting older children from orphanages that later regret not having addressed the mental health piece early and often, as they were much more (rightfully so) focused on language acquisition and transitioning the child to a new culture.  Child mental health outcomes appear to be connected with the number of traumas experienced by the child, as well as the number of placements before adoption.

Just my two cents! Language was a huge concern for us as well on placement, as our daughter was very delayed with language skills. However, she ultimately picked up language skills quickly as her delays were secondary to environmental risk, not a true language disorder. We did not have the second/third language issue, but we did have a substantial dialect shift with which to contend.

I hope their placement goes smoothly and successfully--


Emily Rusnak
Assistant Professor
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43403


On Sun, Nov 4, 2012 at 8:31 PM, Blume, Maria <mblume at utep.edu<mailto:mblume at utep.edu>> wrote:
Dear Colleagues:

A friend of mine is adopting a 9 year-old Russian girl. The family lives in El Paso, TX. The family language is Spanish and the language the child would be schooled in would be primarily English.

They are planning to home school her for the some months until she adapts to the family and the language change, and have her tested in Russian first to see how she is doing cognitively and linguistically since this is a child who has spent many years in an orphanage. The family is learning Russian but obviously their Russian is very basic. They have found a Russian speaker here at our university who can help tutor her in English and there is a chance they may find a Russian-Spanish bilingual in nearby Ciudad Juárez to help with Spanish.

In principle they do not want to change the home language from Spanish to English. The mother asked me for advice but I do not have much experience in late childhood trilingualism. I advised that since the child is going to stay at home at first, Spanish should be introduced first so that she feels comfortable in the home environment and later could English  be introduced.

Could you please give me your advise so that I can tell the mother on

Should they introduce one language first or both at the same time?
What would be indicators that the child is ready for the second language if they introduce one first?
Any bibliography suited for university-educated parents who are not experts in language (mother is a translator, the father is a doctor) or any practical tips?

Thanks in advance for your responses

María

María Blume
Assistant Professor
Department of Languages and Linguistics
Liberal Arts Building, Room 119
University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX 79968
mblume at utep.edu<mailto:mblume at utep.edu>
915-747-6320<tel:915-747-6320>

Director of the UTEP Language Acquisition and Linguistics Research Lab
Liberal Arts Building, Room 111
University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX 79968
915-747-7024<tel:915-747-7024>



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