How To Teach Your Child Spanish: Introduction

Since children learn much faster and easier than adults, childhood is an ideal time to teach your kid another language like Spanish. In today’s world, it’s beneficial to know more than one language for many reasons, such as learning about other cultures and having an edge in many jobs. Research also indicates that bilinguals are likely to think more creatively than people who speak only one language.

The question is, how do you teach your child Spanish?
There are several ways to give your son or daughter the opportunity to learn a new language, whether you speak it or not.

What age do you begin?
The earlier you expose your child to a second language, the easier it will be for her to pick it up. Before the age of 3 is ideal. Children can easily manage more than one language without the difficulty that adults have. But this doesn’t mean you have to start teaching her the entire language before she’s out of diapers; just introducing her to some words and sounds – via a television show or music CD, for example – at this age will enable her to learn it easier in later childhood.

What if I don’t speak Spanish?
Whether you speak Spanish or not, you can still teach your child this new language. Remember, they will be starting with the very basics, such as ‘dog’ and ‘apple’, and won’t be required to write a 5-page essay anytime soon, so you needn’t be overwhelmed. In fact, you can learn to speak Spanish, too!