(I know there's a topic on this somewhere already, but I cannot find it. My apologies).
My husband, who has never had a French lesson in his life, can speak a surprising amount of French. He always does it in a funny voice, like a gruff old man. At first he just seemed to be stringing together random French words that an English speaker might know... "oo la la, coup d'etat, sauce bearnaise"... but lately, he's actually started saying French sentences.
This seems to have changed about the time our son was born. He speaks in the gruff tone because it amuses the baby, and the more he does it, the better his French gets. Over the weekend, for example, I was floored when he asked our son "Voulez-vous aller voir les elephants?" (Do you want to go see the elephants?)
I've actually spoken to him about this. He is a die-hard skeptic about reincarnation, but even he has to admit that he can't explain the French skills.
However, I am having an odd problem in that he does not know what he is saying, and I do! I am a little torn -- it is VERY interesting, and offers up some clues to one of his PLs, I'm sure. But on the other hand, what he says is often very vulgar, and not appropriate to be saying to the baby!
Any thoughts on what to do with this? I've been listening closely for any evidence of a dialect or place names, but so far haven't picked up on anything.
Thoughts? What would you do (if anything)? Could this be a clue to a PL he shared with the baby?
y.
My husband, who has never had a French lesson in his life, can speak a surprising amount of French. He always does it in a funny voice, like a gruff old man. At first he just seemed to be stringing together random French words that an English speaker might know... "oo la la, coup d'etat, sauce bearnaise"... but lately, he's actually started saying French sentences.
This seems to have changed about the time our son was born. He speaks in the gruff tone because it amuses the baby, and the more he does it, the better his French gets. Over the weekend, for example, I was floored when he asked our son "Voulez-vous aller voir les elephants?" (Do you want to go see the elephants?)
I've actually spoken to him about this. He is a die-hard skeptic about reincarnation, but even he has to admit that he can't explain the French skills.
However, I am having an odd problem in that he does not know what he is saying, and I do! I am a little torn -- it is VERY interesting, and offers up some clues to one of his PLs, I'm sure. But on the other hand, what he says is often very vulgar, and not appropriate to be saying to the baby!
Any thoughts on what to do with this? I've been listening closely for any evidence of a dialect or place names, but so far haven't picked up on anything.
Thoughts? What would you do (if anything)? Could this be a clue to a PL he shared with the baby?
y.