Second language exposure

[Anonymous]

Neither DH nor I speak a second language and our nanny only speaks a little French. I am not expecting fluency in our kids but do you think a Spanish tutor once or twice a week for all of us would be valuable for the kids? They are almost four and almost two.

[Anonymous]

No. Waste of time.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do tutoring for kids that age. I would maybe consider immersion preschool. Fwiw, I speak a second language and have spoken it to my 2yo (inconsistently) and so far she understands but doesn't speak it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't do tutoring for kids that age. I would maybe consider immersion preschool. Fwiw, I speak a second language and have spoken it to my 2yo (inconsistently) and so far she understands but doesn't speak it.

Agreed. Immersion is the only thing useful at this point, otherwise just wait until the take classes at school. An hour a week at that age isn’t going to have much of an impact.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry but I agree it likely won't help much. I opted for immersion preschool. I am also fluent in our second language and have spoken it to the kids since they were born. You probably won't like this idea but I also allow unlimited screen time in our second language. YouTube has a lot of good free educational videos and also just fun cartoons and movies in multiple languages.

[Anonymous]

If you are really serious about a second language you should do immersion preschool, nanny who only speaks Spanish, tv only in Spanish for the kids. Your kids will be bilingual this way. One hour a week is a waste of money in my opinion.

My kids speak 3 languages because DH are not American and have exposed the kids to these languages since birth.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I agree with other posters. My kid goes to a 50/50 immersion school and is fairly proficient in the second language. The school also teaches a third language once a week and my kid can do greetings and counting but that's about it after a year. I really wish the third language was at least daily- once a week really isn't enough exposure.

[Anonymous]

Honestly you're not going to get any substantial proficiency in a second language (even in immersion school). Even if the parents speak different native languages, the only way to get proficiency in two languages is if both parents exclusively speak and accept responses in that language. For example if mom speaks Chinese but accepts responses in English, or flips back and forth between speaking English and Chinese, say goodbye to proficiency in Chinese

[Anonymous]

OP here. Immersion preschool isn’t an option.

This would be tutoring for the kids and nanny and me - all together. We would all participate and then use what we learned during the week. Maybe with those One Third Stories.

You really don’t think it would be of any benefit?

[Anonymous]

OP, I think tutoring for parents and nanny, with kids around, will be beneficial in that the adults will learn some Spanish and the kids might find it marginally easier to learn Spanish properly when they’re older. I wouldn’t expect any particularly fluency to come of it but it’s unlikely to hurt your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly you're not going to get any substantial proficiency in a second language (even in immersion school). Even if the parents speak different native languages, the only way to get proficiency in two languages is if both parents exclusively speak and accept responses in that language. For example if mom speaks Chinese but accepts responses in English, or flips back and forth between speaking English and Chinese, say goodbye to proficiency in Chinese

Lol no. I responded to my parents in English for several years but I am definitely proficient in Spanish, particularly after spending time in my home country. Hearing Spanish at home was critical.

Some people seem to think you can only learn languages as young children and that it takes no work at that age. That's not how it works. If you want to keep it up it's lifelong effort.

Fyi OP I signed up for Corrie Wiik's newsletter, she is a non-native Spanish speaker who is teaching her kids Spanish. She has a lot of good resources and encouragement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Waste of time.

ditto

[Anonymous]

Outlier here! I think any and all exposure to foreign languages is a benefit. The brain-conne ruins are valuable as well as just exposure to the fact that people have different words for the word “apple”, for example.

I grew up with exposure to French and Spanish, taught informally by a grandmother and nanny (both who also spoke to me in English, and languages were always easy for me to pick up as a student in high school, college, and beyond. I can now speak and read in five languages. I passed fluency exams in two.

Do it, OP! If nothing else even a little Spanish for you and nanny is of value.

[Anonymous]

Any exposure to anything educational or cultural is a plus! Some of you posters are nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Outlier here! I think any and all exposure to foreign languages is a benefit. The brain-conne ruins are valuable as well as just exposure to the fact that people have different words for the word “apple”, for example.

I grew up with exposure to French and Spanish, taught informally by a grandmother and nanny (both who also spoke to me in English, and languages were always easy for me to pick up as a student in high school, college, and beyond. I can now speak and read in five languages. I passed fluency exams in two.

Do it, OP! If nothing else even a little Spanish for you and nanny is of value.

I agree. Through language you also learn culture. If you're fine with proficiency not being the goal, OP, learning another language can be very enriching. And later, if there are opportunities for more studying and/or immersion (study abroad or whatnot), it could eventually turn into fluency.