With the Internet, TV and inexpensive travel options bringing
families from different countries together daily, many parents want to teach their child a second language. “Knowing
a second language can only benefit your child in the future. They might get a better job, get paid more, have more doors open
to them, plus it will enhance their social opportunities. Learning another language also improves listening skills and helps kids of all ages better understand words in general.
As children develop an inventory of foreign synonyms, they might more fully understand English. Many English words share Latin
roots with Spanish and other romance language synonyms, and if kids know these foreign words they can analyze the meaning
of English words. This could lead to higher scores on the verbal portions of college entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT.
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English isn’t the only language spoken
in the United States. The 1990 census figures show 13 percent of the population, 5 years and older, spoke a language other
than English. More than half of the non-English speaking population spoke Spanish. Other languages with over one million speakers
each are French, German, Italian and Chinese. |
College may seem far away if you have a toddler or preschooler, but babies as young as 6 months old can start learning
a foreign language, and 2- to 3-year-old are capable of learning and speaking several languages.
At SpanishABQ we find teaching Spanish to toddlers rewarding.
It’s not so common to teach a foreign language to kids at this age but they love it. The kids always greet us with an
enthusiastic "Hola!" and wave good-bye saying "Adios!" Cick here to inquiry about our classes
The Younger, The Better
| Why teach your toddler or preschooler
a second language? Words and phrases learned before puberty are stored in a different area of the brain than language learned
later in life. That’s why adult learners can’t get rid of accents. |
Parents can make learning fun by playing audiotapes of
songs in English and Spanish and reading books to kids in both languages. James Aaron, a father of one of our students
tell us: “I truly believe my younger daughter has a large vocabulary at this early age because of the exposure to two
languages.” James, who is also learning Spanish, is married to a Panamanian and they speak English and Spanish to their
daughter.
Although alternating languages
works well for some families, experts recommend that each adult stick to a designated language to avoid confusing a child
who is trying to become bilingual. Using this technique, the adult designated to speak English will only speak English to
the child, and the adult speaking the second language will only speak that language. The child doesn’t mix up the languages
because he channels one language to the first adult and another language to the other adult.
Play Time, Say Time
Happy children, who think they’re just singing and playing, remember
more of what they hear. That’s why at SpanishABQ we believe in a structured playgroup method. We boost language
retention through a playful, fun way to instruct the child. Besides taking classes, we recommend:
- Age-appropriate Audio Tapes – Play the tapes
a few times each day. Turn them off before the child becomes bored or he’ll “tune out” and forget what he's
heard.
- Videos and CD-ROMs – Look for items that present vocabulary in a fun, creative way. Make sure your child
is interested in a similar type of programming in their native language. If your child doesn’t enjoy watching videos
in English she won’t want to watch them in Spanish.
- Books – Find books with bright pictures and engaging
text. Choose subjects that your child already likes. The Thomas the Train books, for instance, are available in several languages.
It’s best to start language training early. Kids
possess their greatest ability to absorb and retain languages until the ages of 12 to 13 when their brain begins losing plasticity.
Also, kids are less self-conscious than adults and not as afraid of getting things wrong or not saying them right. This results
in greater verbalization and helps kids become fluent in a language sooner than adults.
In the toddler and preschooler classes, kids are encouraged to participate in classes since they already know how
to talk. The children sing, play games and practice new words. We’re delighted when we see that youngsters understand
or we hear them say the Spanish they’ve learned in class
No Thanks, Mom
Some children resist learning another language. If your child balks
at learning another language we suggest ordering cartoons on the Internet in Spanish. Another suggestion is finding something
that interests your child like a favorite action figure or doll and developing games to play using the second language. Your
child may be more interested if you integrate Spanish in play, rather than in adult to child conversation.
Give your child the gift of another language while they’re
still small and it’s easier for them to learn. A second language lets them create special friendships, understand different
cultures and seize opportunities resulting in lifelong benefits!
