FN:draft#1: english, spanish, lucia,

From: Mercedes Monaco
Submit: Post Field Note
VisitDate: 10/03/96
Date: 04 Oct 1996
Time: 20:17:42
Remote Name: as-maclab-11.ucsc.edu

Comments

Child-Name-Age-Genger

Lucia, age 4-5, female older girls 7-11

Events

Lucia wanted to play monopoly. So, a group gathered around to play. (Me and three older girls) As the older girls were passing out the money Lucia hummed and moved her peice around the board. On Lucia's first turn the older girls told lucia her number in spanish and she counted around the board in Spanish. She was counting the space she was on, so I told her, in English, to start with the next space, guessing she wouldn't understand much. (Earlier she had told everyone that she didn't speak English.) One of the girls told her in Spanish. Lucia replied "Why?". (in English). After that she spoke in English. She counted the dots on her die in English on her own and went around the board, counting in English.

Reflections

I was surprised when Lucia began speaking English, after she said she didn't.

Inquiries

Why would Lucia say she didn't speak English? Was she not confident in it?