Saturday, April 28, 2012

Bilingualism and Technology

Here's the scene. My wife sits at our dining/living room table curiously manipulating an iPad. My daughter bounces around the room, as two year olds do, curiously manipulating toys, books and the occasional strange grownup thing like a couch pillow, junk mail or stray administrative document that we'll probably need later. Without any apparent reason, my daughter points to something outside of the window. The following conversation ensues:
Daughter: Baum! 
Wife: Yes, that is a baum! And what does Papa say?
Daughter: Papa says, "tree!"
Wife: Exactly! Mama says baum, Papa says tree.
Daughter (pointing to the iPad): iPod!
Wife: Actually, this is an iPad.
Daughter: Papa says, "iPod!" 

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