No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive." - Mohandas K. Gandhi, Indian nationalist and spiritual leader
Advice for Parents of
Kids Learning SpanishDo not ask your child to “perform” Spanish in front of friends or relatives in the target language. Children rarely want to perform on cue, and demands to show off language ability can backfire.
Do not get caught up in a “competition” for language achievement. It is unrealistic to expect your young child to speak a second language fluently. It is usually a poor idea to hire a tutor for very young children. This language journey should be fun-filled with music, games and creativity (not conjugating verbs and grammar).
Do not expect your child to meet the benchmarks you set for yourself. Becoming fluent in a new language takes time and takes living the language. Every child learns and develops differently. Make sure your child enjoys language learning by avoiding pressure to excel quickly.
It takes about 600 hours of daily classroom experience to become "fluent" in a foreign language like Spanish for native English speakers. GHS students in the Lower School receive about 72 hours of classroom experience in the language.
Articles
Bilingual Kids Not Slowed by Second Tongue (2001)
Raising Bilingual Children: Common Parental Concerns and Current Research (2006)
A Case for Early Language Learning (2006)Neuroscientists Have Discovered Why Children Excel at Learning Languages (2003)
Fun Spanish links to visit!
Test your Spanish! Have fun with Spanish!
Spanish Quizzes! Spanish Games
