| Note: This experience had to do with preserving | | | | a previous group of Latin immigrants to the |
| Spanish for our kids but the principles are valid for | | | | United States, the Italians. |
| anyone trying to help their kids speak and | | | | "Some social critics were aware of the |
| preserve any language and culture. | | | | consequences of sudden assimilation. Mary |
| COUNTRY OF MANY PEOPLES | | | | McDowell, a social worker, wrote en 1904: |
| This country,,, (The authors raised their kids in the | | | | 'The contempt for the experiences and languages |
| United States but they believe that their | | | | of their parents which foreign children sometimes |
| experience can be useful for people in other | | | | exhibit... is doubtless due in part to the |
| non-spanish-speaking countries.) This country is | | | | overestimation which the school places upon |
| made up of people from all over the world. We or | | | | speaking English. This cutting into his family loyalty |
| our parents came from Latin countries. We now | | | | takes away one of the most conspicuous and |
| live here. We function in two different worlds, the | | | | valuable traits of the Italian child.' She attributed |
| American world and the world of our parents. All | | | | the lawlessness of some of the immigrant children |
| of us live in these two different worlds in | | | | to their disrespect for their parents and therefore |
| different ways. Some of us were born in the | | | | for all authority." |
| countries our parents came from; others of us | | | | (La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American |
| were born here. This makes a difference in how | | | | Experience, Mangione and Morreale, p. 222) |
| and how much we live in our two worlds. | | | | Finally, the ability to speak another language can |
| COUNTRY OF MANY LANGUAGES | | | | be a great boost to a child's self esteem. If the |
| The one thing that is most important in our | | | | child's parents make it clear that they are proud |
| parents' world is their language which is also ours | | | | of their language and of their people, the child will |
| in different ways. The Spanish language of our | | | | feel closer to his parents and to their heritage, |
| parents is an issue to all of us every day. We | | | | customs, and most importantly to their values. |
| may be proud to speak it well. We may be | | | | HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN TO |
| ashamed at not speaking it well. Some of us may | | | | SPEAK SPANISH |
| have gone through periods of trying not to speak | | | | Start early. Try to speak only Spanish to the child. |
| it because we wanted to speak English better. | | | | If only one parent speaks Spanish well, that |
| We may only speak it when we come across | | | | person should always speak Spanish with the child. |
| someone who needs help in understanding English. | | | | Do not be afraid of "confusing" the child. Children |
| We may only remember some sayings of our | | | | can identify with different speakers of different |
| grandparents or children's songs taught to us by | | | | languages as they grow up. |
| our parents. | | | | 1. Read simple stories and fairy tales to the child in |
| You may want to review (or study it for the first | | | | Spanish. if you can't find children's literature in |
| time) your Spanish. We could only find one | | | | Spanish, then make your own translations as you |
| reference for you. It is expensive and is a | | | | go along. It is not necessary that the translation |
| textbook, not too appealing but complete. Take a | | | | be perfect. Make up your own stories. It is |
| look at Nuevos Mundos, Spanish for Native | | | | important for your child to have the memories of |
| Speakers 2nd Edition, Workbook : Curso de | | | | hearing nursery rhymes in Spanish. |
| espanol para estudiantes bilingues" | | | | 2. Leave your radio tuned de Spanish language |
| F. Bruce Robinson, assistant director in the National | | | | stations. Linguists place a great deal of importance |
| Endowment for the Humanities' division of | | | | on "passive listening" as part of learning a |
| education programs asks "How does America | | | | language, especially for young children. |
| preserve this important resource of people who | | | | 3. In most areas there is a Spanish language TV |
| are proficient in other languages? Instead of trying | | | | station. Put on the Saturday morning cartoons in |
| to depress the knowledge these students come | | | | Spanish. |
| to school with, we ought to be trying to build on | | | | 4. Teach simple nursery rhymes and simple songs |
| it." (Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 2, 1994, | | | | to your child. If you don't remember them or if |
| page A15) | | | | you were not taught any from your parents' |
| OUR CHILDREN AND OUR LANGUAGE | | | | traditions, look for them in garage sales, college |
| We all want our children to speak the language of | | | | bookstores, or your local library. Do you |
| their heritage. We discount the opinions of those | | | | remember el patito or pinpón? Look for |
| who say that it is better to forget Spanish and to | | | | songs in Spanish. |
| concentrate on speaking English well. These people | | | | 5. Rent videos in Spanish. They are beginning to |
| are just wrong. It does not hurt your English to | | | | be available - and not only in cities with a big |
| speak another language; it helps. Spanish is | | | | Spanish-speaking population! |
| particularly useful to children in their learning English | | | | 6. Use proverbs and dichos in Spanish. Some |
| vocabulary. Just today I taught my daughter the | | | | expressions that you would say in English are just |
| difference between vowels and consonants. | | | | as legitimate proverbs in Spanish. Get your child |
| Knowing Spanish really helped with the idea of the | | | | used to hearing them in Spanish. You can do this |
| consonants. I told her that the consonants have | | | | even if you don't speak Spanish well. For example, |
| no voice; they can only be pronounced with the | | | | say mejor tarde que nunca instead of "better late |
| vowels. The con-sonants suenan con the vowels. | | | | than never". Little by little, poco a poco, you'll feel |
| But although most of us agree that it is a good | | | | at home with more uniquely Latin expressions. |
| thing for our kids to speak Spanish, most kids in | | | | They have something of the culture wrapped up |
| the US whose parents were born in Latin | | | | in them. They are stubbornly different from Anglo |
| American countries do not speak Spanish well. | | | | Saxon proverbs. |
| Even if both parents speak Spanish at home, | | | | 7. Get used to saying menos mal in place of "just |
| quite often the kids answer their parents in | | | | as well". The English expression is "better than |
| English. Look around at your Latin friends and | | | | nothing"; in many Southamerican countries, the |
| relatives and you will see that most give up on | | | | equivalent expression is peor es nada. Find |
| teaching their kids to speak Spanish. Chicano and | | | | proverbs. |
| Puerto Rican families seem to have a little better | | | | 8. Don't correct their Spanish when they speak. |
| luck than Latinos from other countries with | | | | Don't interrupt the flow of their conversation. |
| keeping Spanish alive in their barrios but even their | | | | Don't make their speaking Spanish to be another |
| younger generation is losing fluency in Spanish. | | | | homework assignment. It should be something |
| However, parents who want their children to | | | | special, even something "secret" in your family. |
| speak Spanish can go against the current and set | | | | Kids like the mystery and intrigue of having |
| the stage for their children to grow up speaking | | | | something special of their own. Their speaking |
| Spanish. It is not easy. Most families fail in their | | | | Spanish should be a joyful, non-threatening |
| resolve but it can be done. This report will give | | | | experience. If they make mistakes in their |
| some hints on how to improve your chances. | | | | grammar, correct their errors by using the same |
| REASONS FOR OUR CHILDREN TO SPEAK | | | | expression correctly a few minutes after. Don't |
| SPANISH | | | | come right back at them with the correct form |
| There are many reasons why it is good for the | | | | or they will begin to feel conscious of their |
| kids to speak your language. One obvious reason | | | | expression and choke off their freedom of |
| is the advantage that it might be for them in the | | | | expression. |
| job market. As long as we live in a world with | | | | 9. Get a good syllabary to teach them the value |
| shrunken distances and growing international trade, | | | | of the letters and how to read in Spanish. If your |
| someone has to be able to talk with people from | | | | child's first language is Spanish teach them to read |
| other countries. | | | | Spanish before they learn English. You will be doing |
| Professor Francisco X. Alarcón of the | | | | them a big favor. They will learn to sound out the |
| University of California at Davis says that "now | | | | regular spelling of Spanish which will be a good |
| that we are moving toward a global economy, it's | | | | base on which to learn how to read in English. You |
| O.K. to be bilingual in the U.S." (Chronicle of Higher | | | | will get the same results as those who spend |
| Education, Feb.2, 1994, page A15) | | | | money on expensive Phonics programs. |
| Another good reason for you to work at your | | | | 10. The best way to get your children to grow in |
| children's learning to speak Spanish is because it | | | | Spanish is to send them to spend some time with |
| will make you proud to hear the compliments of | | | | relatives or friends where they will only speak and |
| your friends and countrymen because your | | | | hear Spanish. This works best at around 7 years |
| children are able to speak your language. You | | | | old when children play easily with one another and |
| grow in prestige as a person who values your | | | | when Spanish will just come naturally even to the |
| roots. | | | | child who has very little exposure to the language. |
| Your children will also be able to speak with their | | | | Another good age for a child to be exposed to a |
| relatives thanks to improved phone service which | | | | Spanish speaking environment is at around 12 |
| is entering the most remote villages of our | | | | years old. At this age, the child has greater mental |
| countries. Direct dialing from the United States is | | | | development and can observe customs and |
| economical enough to be able call a few times a | | | | situations in which certain expressions are used. |
| year. The thrill of being able to talk to their uncles, | | | | At twelve years old most kids are still |
| aunts, and cousins will get the kids interested in | | | | pre-adolescents and are not hampered by the |
| keeping up their language. | | | | embarrassment, self consciousness, and "feeling |
| They will be speaking to their relatives not only | | | | different" which hold back teenagers from learning |
| by phone but will be able to visit them. The | | | | a language or customs different from their own. |
| experience of knowing another culture will put | | | | Use any of the above methods but start! Your |
| them ahead of their classmates who have no ties | | | | efforts will communciate to your children the |
| to their roots. | | | | importance that you give to Spanish even if these |
| Another reason to encourage our children to | | | | efforts are not always completely successful. |
| speak Spanish can be gotten from the history of | | | | ©1994 F. |