http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/06/making-sure-spanish-is-not-lost-by-the-third-generation/ Raising bilingual and bicultural kids Thu, 26 Jul 2018 07:12:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2 http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/06/making-sure-spanish-is-not-lost-by-the-third-generation/#comment-361924 Ana Sat, 22 Jun 2013 15:09:15 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=35927#comment-361924 This post describes my exact situation! Until the age of 2 my daughter was at home with only my husband and I, and spoken to in 100% spanish. She is now about to turn 3 and has been for a year going to an all enlglish day care. We have been very strict in out house, and will allways speak to her in spanish, and try to limit her exposure even to english movies or tv shows when at home.
Also we forbid our bilingual relatives to speak to her in english.
In this year her english vocabulary grew exponentially. The first 3 months in day care she was shy and basically didn’t speak a word, because she did not understand a thing. Now she can have conversations in english with her teachers in school and out non-spanish speaking friends. It surprises us when we hear her, beause we are amazed of how much she learned in such a short period of time. I think at this point she knows both languages very well and somewhat to the same degree. But I know that eventually she will become more proefficient in english than in spanish.
Our task now is a difficult one, because it is up to us to continue to nurture her spanish, and find more ways and creative ones to keep it alive in our home, in her heart and keep her interested. But we know how much she will benefit and thank us in the future. So we hope all our hard work will pay off for her.

]]> http://spanglishbaby.com/2013/06/making-sure-spanish-is-not-lost-by-the-third-generation/#comment-361579 Shannon Bradley-Colleary Fri, 21 Jun 2013 21:24:28 +0000 http://spanglishbaby.com/?p=35927#comment-361579 I am an English speaking mom, but I’m fairly fluent in Spanish. I only speak to my daughters in English, but I made it a point to read books in Spanish to them since they were toddlers. I know the only thing that will solidify their Spanish is going to be when they start to study it in school. If it weren’t for my incredible high school Spanish teacher Paul “Pablo” Robertson, I never would have become fluent in the language. I hope my daughters are fortunate enough to find similar encouragement.

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