We are very lucky to have a language school in our area. One of the languages offered is Japanese, and Maia has been attending classes once a week after school for two years. We really want Maia to be bilingual, but so far, English is definitely her dominant language. Since her dad is consistent about speaking only Japanese to her, she understands a lot, but she is hesitant to speak. She's also studying Spanish now in first grade, and I've noticed the same thing. My theory is that she hesitates to speak because she does not want to make a mistake.
When I taught French, I noticed there are two types of language learners. The first type wants to understand all the grammar points and needs to pronounce everything perfectly, and the second type learns the grammar and pronunciation through their desire to communicate. I am definitely more the second type, and I think Maia is the first, which is not necessarily a bad thing. She just processes language differently and needs to understand it before she uses it. Tai, on the other hand, is more like me in this regard. He eagerly repeats anything he hears and says lots of phrases in Japanese although his dominant language is also English.
If all goes well, we are planning a trip to Japan this summer. We are excited to see what effect being immersed in Japanese will have on Maia and Tai's language skills. Since I'm not fluent in Japanese, I'd like to "disappear" for a bit so the kids won't rely on speaking to me in English. Perhaps I can take a Japanese course somewhere or just go read books at coffee shops. It sounds like an amazing plan to me!
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