(The Agony of) Teaching Kids a Second Language
November 5th, 2008 @ 9:56 | Filed under Family Travel, Resources | 296 comments
Written by Jamie Pearson
I used to be the world’s biggest cheerleader for teaching kids a second language. When my daughter wasn’t yet out of diapers, I dragged her to ¡Juguemos en Español! classes. Each week the comely Argentine teacher Susanna played her guitarra and led us all in canciones about frutas, and animales.
Avery thought it was just ok.
When Max was old enough to join in, I enrolled us all in Wild About Spanish where we spent a pleasant year singing together about whales, starfish, and crabs. The next year a friend and I pooled our resources and hired a teacher from Berlitz. The year after that it was a private tutor.
The kids barely tolerated it, but I was determined. For years I rearranged my schedule, spent hundreds of dollars, and drilled my kids on vocabulary at home.
“¿Quieres un plátano?” I might say, or “¿Donde está el gato?”
They just rolled their eyes.
*
When it came time to re-enroll last year, the kids pushed back—they were sick to death of Spanish. I was a little sick of it myself to be honest, but I wheedled them into taking one more year. We were traveling to Spain that summer you see, and I just knew the experience of speaking Spanish in Spain would change their minds.
What finally sold them, I think, was my promise that we would order weird food for their non-Spanish speaking father in restaurants. “El pulpo para mi papá por favor,” we practiced.
Ha ha ha.
Imagine my consternation when both kids were struck mute in Spanish the second we stepped onto actual Spanish soil. They wouldn’t utter so much as a single palabra, despite all those years of instruction—the brats.
Our congenial host in Granada was muy feliz to hear that Avery and Max had studied Español, and wanted to ask them a few questions in her native tongue, just for fun. I told her that sounded bueno as long as she stuck to the approved topics (numbers, colors, and animals).
She ambushed them at the pool later that day, and asked them what their favorite colors were. Max responded by submerging. Avery shot me a panicked look. After some coaching, she whispered “azul.” Then she went underwater too.
*
I don’t know whether or not there’s a language learning window in the brain that slams shut at the age of six, but I do know when I’m beaten. I’m no longer convinced that once-a-week foreign language lessons are worthwhile. Daily? Yes. Immersion? Absolutely. Weekly? Notsomuch.
And on that note, we’ve got a really cool giveaway. Want to inflict Spanish lessons on your own kids? Here’s your chance:
The nice people at RosettaStone have donated some Level 1 interactive Spanish language learning software. The set comes with a headset microphone for speech recognition, and retails for $220.
To win, please leave a comment here in a foreign language by midnight, November 11th. Special consideration will be given to comments that are grammatically disastrous or totally nonsensical. Also, please be willing to check back in with us to let us know how you and your kids like the software. U.S. only please. ¡Vaya con queso!
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