A commenter on social media wanted to find out if he was wrong for refusing to let his child speak her “native” language at home.
His Daughter’s Birth
“Title isn’t as bad as it sounds,” the original poster (OP) wrote.
It all began with the birth of his daughter. OP was disappointed by his wife’s choice of name for his daughter, which was a Welsh name.
It was tough to pronounce and spell, even for his extended family, and he had to get over jokes people made about her name, which left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Attending The Local Welsh School
The problems came to a head when the Welsh mother got the daughter to attend the Welsh primary school in the area and started speaking Welsh to her at home.
This caused an uproar from OP, who felt that English should be the primary language spoken in their household, seeing as it was the language everyone else spoke.
He wasn’t keen on learning Welsh either, seeing it as pointless.
He Couldn’t Understand His Own Daughter
While OP agreed to raise his daughter bilingually, he was annoyed that his daughter mixed English and Welsh in sentences he couldn’t understand.
The arrangement seemed fair enough until his daughter spoke in Welsh more than in English – even when speaking with her father.
The poster was worried that this would negatively affect her education, and when she eventually went to university in English, she’d be left behind.
It Affected His Relationships
The father asked her to stop, but his wife said he was rude. He believed that his daughter speaking Welsh was pointless, and his wife offered to pay him to take lessons in Welsh.
“I really don’t see the point in learning a dead language when we can all just speak English?” OP commented.
This caused an argument between the two, and his wife made him sleep on the couch while they “think about their relationship.”
Was He Wrong?
He believes his wife is in the wrong for wanting to “disrupt” the child’s life for the sake of learning “a dead language.” He failed to see any wrongdoing on his part.
“Am I wrong for wanting my child to speak English??” OP wrote in his post.
Reactions From Social Media
The consensus on Reddit was that the man was wrong. One user commented: “Like a true blood colonial, you can be bilingual as long as you speak my language mainly.”
“Also sad that he hasn’t been learning Welsh so he can speak with her family and learn the traditions…”
Reactions From Social Media
Her name was later revealed to be “Megan,” which the commenters laughed at.
“Really wasn’t expecting ‘Megan,'” one user said.
“Yeah, I was expecting her to be called Myfannwy or similar. How does someone struggle to pronounce Megan?” another user wrote.
The Name Pronunciation
“The Welsh pronunciation is actually different from that commonly used elsewhere. In Welsh, it’s pronounced more like Mare-gen, with a strong emphasis on the first syllable (as opposed to meg-gan, with an emphasis on the second syllable),” one commenter shared. The response garnered over 2,000 upvotes.
“Meanwhile, in Australia, it’s randomly pronounced Mee-gan for some strange reason,” another user declared.
What do you think about this? Do you think the daughter should change her ways?
How It Ended
OP later regretted what he said as he realized he was wrong. He admitted he was “wrong and bitter” and took that out on his family.
How It Ended
The father decided to take Welsh lessons and attend couples counseling to work through their issues. He also promised Megan they would pronounce her name the Welsh way.
The Benefit of a Second Language
In the end, they were able to come together and understand each other better. They both realized that learning a new language, such as Welsh, benefits Megan’s education and life in general.
Read More: The Worst Things Teachers Have Confiscated
Teachers have seen it all. So we asked them: what was the worst thing they had ever confiscated from a student?
Their answers would be enough to put you off the teaching career for life.
Read Now: The 20 Worst Things Teachers Have Confiscated From Students
Read More: Dad Let His Son Take “Toy” To Show and Tell, Not Knowing What It Really Was
When Mom’s away, Dad and son will play.
Read More: Dad Let His Son Take “Toy” To Show and Tell, Not Knowing What It Really Was
Read More: She Didn’t Want Her Son To Sleep At His Girlfriend’s Because “Something Felt Very Off”— And She Was Right
To a child, parents’ rules and restrictions may seem arbitrary and controlling. While the occasional rule might be strict, hindsight usually reveals that—more often than not—a parent’s intuition was right.
Read More: Teaching or Chatting?
Did you know that up to 45% of all Americans have a side gig? Do you?
We found probably one of the most enjoyable, rewarding ways to earn money by teaching (chatting) with those who want to learn English online. Log in any time you want, 24/7, and get paid weekly for the hours you put in.
Learn More: Cambly 2023 Review, Requirements & Pay For Tutors (Beginner Friendly)
Read More: Transgender Man Wants To Use The Male Toilets But Feels Uncomfortable— Seeks Advice on Social Media
Do men care who’s in the restroom with them? The debate over gender-neutral bathrooms has usually centered around women’s restrooms. As the conversation continued, trans men also began to voice their concerns.
Read Now: Transgender Man Wants To Use The Male Toilets But Feels Uncomfortable— Seeks Advice on Social Media
This post called Dad Won’t Let His Daughter Speak Her “Native” Language at Home, Is He Wrong? was syndicated and produced by TPR Teaching. Find the source here.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and founder of TPR Teaching, crafting inspiring pieces that promote the importance of developing new skills. For 7 years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.
He was right to learn a new language and to insist that she master English as well and focus on that in his presence until he got up to speed.
If you are learning how to speak proper English, it is really important that you speak the language every day and once in a while speak your native language with your family. To find good job, you need to be able to speak proper English in America.
Absolutely! Consistent practice is key to improving your English speaking skills. It’s also a good idea to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible, whether it’s through reading, watching TV shows or movies, or even listening to podcasts. And you’re right, speaking proper English is often a requirement for many jobs in America.
Dad Won’t Let Daughter Speak Her “Native” Language at Home, Is He Wrong? Yes he is wrong. Are you people idiots. Women do not lay eggs. Lets cut off both of his thumbs. 1st hint. Build a baby depot for those who want kids. Given they are mentally and financially secure. Why the thumbs? Ladies the sexy alluring fashion trend is a send off. Lets just be honest. Thumbs? He usually has them, and lies when he claims he need you for anything. Fact.
Saying Welsh is her native language is a false statement. They married and live in a English language country and she was born there. Her native language is ENGLISH. However, that does not make him right. My wife is not from an English-speaking country bout she married me in one ad we have two children, that have masted English better than their mother. However, on weekend we only speak my wife native language except when working on homework. Additionally, both my children have names derived by my Wifes native country. and while different not hard to say or understand. We live this way not because my wife wanted it but because I wanted my kids to have my wife culture as well as mine. That is why I insisted on my wife hyphenating her last name so our kids would have a sir name of her home country. If we dent start embracing other cultures and peoples’ things are going to keep going from bad to worse, not just in our country but across the world.
It’s important to respect cultural and linguistic differences, especially within a family. The father’s initial reaction to his daughter’s Welsh name and language use was understandable, but it’s great to see that he eventually realized the value of bilingualism and took steps to learn Welsh and work through his issues with his wife. Learning a second language can have many benefits, and it’s great to see that the family was able to come together and understand each other better in the end.
Yes Jace, it’s so great to grow up bilingual, there are so many benefits according to the research!