Raising Bilingual in Spanish Children
Findings and Tips
When I started raising my child to be bilingual in Spanish I never envisioned
all the road blocks I would be encountering.
I wrote this article to let you know my own findings and realistic tips
that work for me in a household that is in a predominantly English speaking
environment and where only one parent is fluent in Spanish.
Findings
Remember, all children and household environments are different, therefore
you may experience some of the findings I describe here or you may not.
The point is I have described them here so hopefully you have knowledge
and options (tips) on what is coming down the road while raising a bilingual
in Spanish child.
Introducing Spanish for kids at a young age should not be a daunting
task; well…I had to do a lot of research to find the best materials to
reinforce Spanish. Be informed, knowing what you may be facing allows you
to prepare and enjoy the journey.
Reality hits hard. I found out that Speaking Spanish at home is not
enough for children to learn how to properly use, read, write, and communicate
flawlessly in Spanish. Be prepared to do more than speaking.
Bilingual children probably know twice as many words as their peers
just because they speak two languages. At least this is my experience with my son.
Don’t worry about your children not learning English if you speak only
in Spanish to them. As soon as they enter pre-k, kindergarten or school they
will be bombarded with English and you will see how fast they acquire it.
Remember raising children to be bilingual in Spanish requires work as Spanish
is the minority language.
Your children will most likely mix languages. Don’t panic, they don’t get
confused at all. This is perfectly normal, and it tends to disappear at the age of five.
You will probably have to “fight” with your children to use Spanish because
soon after entering school they will know more English. Be smart about it, and make
speaking Spanish fun and enjoyable, otherwise they will see it as a chore and won’t
speak it.
Some bilingual children delay their speech. My son did not, but my friend’s
son certainly did. There is no scientific proof of this, but some parents report
their children being delayed three to six months.
Many more people speak Spanish than you think. Having friends that manage
both languages is a real advantage because your children will see it as normal to
speak both and won’t feel intimidated or “different” if they do it also.
Raising children to be bilingual in Spanish is also a cultural experience.
It opens doors to know other countries, family environments, customs, foods
and music, making you and your children more flexible and understanding of others.
Tips
Try to speak only in Spanish to them. By the age of 3 I could
see my son having to think more in search or words to communicate in
Spanish (we live in a predominantly English speaking community.) At that
point I decided to speak ONLY in Spanish to him. I also try to make him
communicate ONLY in Spanish with me.
Read, read, read to them in Spanish. Have many books in Spanish ONLY so your children familiarize
themselves with the letter combinations that produce the sounds. If you are concerned about the
depth of your children's lexicon just read more to them, and try to use different
words when communicating with them. Read in Spanish at least once a day and encourage
dialogue and comments to enrich the experience.
Follow the rule of “we only speak in Spanish to mommy” or any other
family member who has the minority language. We follow this rule to the t.
With mommy my son speaks ONLY in Spanish, with daddy he can speak in English
or some basic Spanish as my husband has learnt some. Children are very clever,
my son knows fully well daddy is not a native Spanish speaker therefore he doesn’t
waste any time and speaks mostly in English to him.
When possible do some
Latin travel (Spanish speaking countries.) If you can,
stay for extended periods of time. We do so forcing our family to speak
in Spanish and to educate their ear. Immersion is the best tool.
Introduce Spanish games, DVDs, and puzzles. These aids make learning
and using Spanish fun.
Get together with other Spanish speaking families. Maintain close
contact with mothers who have Spanish speaking children Reunite and let
them practice. Make it a point only to communicate in Spanish.
Combine music in Spanish with movement. I teach my son how to dance
while we sing in Spanish, this makes learning to speak Spanish a memorable
experience. I use Spanish songs constantly to teach Spanish to children.
If you hire an au pair or baby sitter, make sure she speaks in Spanish to your
children. Au-pairs work wonders as you can choose where they come from,
therefore you can also benefit from the culture not only the language.
No matter how, make speaking in Spanish part of their daily routine.
That's right, everyday practice makes perfect! It is like practicing an instrument,
you have to do it to get better at it.
Compromise and educate yourself about what it takes. Raising your
children to be bilingual in Spanish is certainly a commendable goal, but be
ware it takes effort, time and a strong compromise from both parents to follow through.
There are many things you can do to raise your children bilingual in
Spanish but remember the main keys: Exposure and practice. If you find the
process difficult don't give up, it is normal. You will see that as time passes,
it gets easier to do it because you and your children become more accustomed to
the process.
|
NEWS AND FACTS
Did you feel at home? Interested in contributing to Hispanic Culture Online?
Contact me. We are always interested in conveying
what Hispanics have to say through small articles
while giving you exposure and credit.
|
