This Deja Tuesday post on dual immersion was originally written late last summer, before Mia entered first grade.
Speaking to my children in Spanish, like the morning cup of coffee or hot water beating on my back, is a small pleasure that polishes each of my days.
I exaggerate my accent and send my gestures sailing straight across the top of ridiculous. My voice swells, especially when my tongue rolls along the outside of a double R, or when I’m delighting in the oral treasure of an Ñ.
Amid the million daddy do’s of any given day, it’s brilliant fun to steal a moment and step inside the skin of a character that isn’t quite me as though I’m dressing up for a kind of verbal Halloween.
I am not fluent in Spanish, in fact I struggle for every well constructed sentence. This is part of the reason for my inflated accent. I treat Spanish exactly like singing: since I cannot do it well, I make sure to do it loud.
I long for the authority of a second tongue. Spanish is my first new language, but I plan to follow it with something more eclectic, I’m considering Klingon. I never learned Spanish as a child, despite my Honey and Papí both being born in Mexico, and raising their daughter with fluency. As an adult, I struggle to absorb new vocabulary into a mind already littered with everything from next week’s list, to every thread from the last five seasons of Lost.
I want my children to have what I did not. As some Writer Dad readers already know, Mia attends a Dual Immersion program. 90% of her school day is in Spanish. Yes, I love my daughter, and no, this isn’t cruel.
“Why don’t you just drop her off in Tijuana?” That’s what one of my best friends said when I first told him (quite excitedly) that we wanted to place Mia in this particular program. This beautiful philosophy, not everyone understands. Music and language are highly beneficial to the development of the mathematical mind. The internet is an awfully big place, filled with towering terabytes of text, but you’d have to comb it all day to find a half pile of research that disagrees with this elemental truth.
But Writer Dad, how will I know when my child is ready for music, or a second language?
Because you will look down and see their ears. Children are sponges, and we should not ever underestimate them, because they will absorb all that we ask. Delivery is important, of course, which is why we would never throw her into a school in Tijuana. That would be immersion, not dual immersion.
What makes dual immersion successful is the consistent practice of full body response. This means that the teacher employs language, in addition to gestures, when teaching their class. This was wonderfully illustrated one day at the dinner table, sometime toward the end of Mia’s first month of Kindergarten. “Is it hard sometimes,” I asked. “Not knowing what Sra. is saying,”
“Only if I’m not paying attention,” she said, barely lifting her head.
Exactly.
How is this different from life? How much do we miss, simply because we’re not paying attention? Being in the Dual Immersion program has not only taught our daughter the basics of another language, it’s taught her some of the fundamentals of a fulfilling life. If you really want to learn, you have to pay attention.
Our last summer was wonderful. I helped Mia with her Spanish and she helped me with mine. I had a bit more vocabulary than she, but Mia strings what she has together as beautifully as if she were born in Barcelona (Gracias Señora Mochila).
The two of us exchanged words all day long in a room full of toddlers without anyone wise to what we were saying. It was like we had our own secret code. Of course, we were also using our bodies as we spoke, so if the toddlers were paying attention, eventually they’ll get it too.
Writer Dad
Sean Platt is a ghostwriter, creative blogger, and occasional potty training expert.
About Sean Platt
You’re totally right about the fact that kids are sponges, waiting to be filled with knowledge and ideas. It’s us adults who are stubborn and set in our ways. Filled to the brim with to-do lists and stress over this and that, we struggle to learn new things.
The big picture…what a great reminder. I can get so caught up in my daily to-dos that I often forget to look up from my tiny bluetooth keyboard to smell the roses that are constantly scattered around me. Excellent thoughts, Sean and good luck on learning the language of the Klingon. Hey, to each his own, right? :-) Eric
You’re totally right about the fact that kids are sponges, waiting to be filled with knowledge and ideas. It’s us adults who are stubborn and set in our ways. Filled to the brim with to-do lists and stress over this and that, we struggle to learn new things.
The big picture…what a great reminder. I can get so caught up in my daily to-dos that I often forget to look up from my tiny bluetooth keyboard to smell the roses that are constantly scattered around me. Excellent thoughts, Sean and good luck on learning the language of the Klingon. Hey, to each his own, right? :-) Eric
Muy bien, Sean. Another beautifully crafted and interesting post. I think it’s wonderful that you and Mia are learning Spanish together. Here’s the flip side of that situation.
I grew up in Miami Beach amid many Cubans, studied Spanish in high school and college, and even spent a semester abroad in Madrid. Last year we went on a family vacation to Costa Rica. It wasn’t until I started speaking Spanish to the cab driver, waitress, etc. that I realized I had never told my children I was fluent in Spanish. It just had never occurred to me to mention it.
My kids were shocked. Every time I opened my mouth to speak espanol, they looked at me wide-eyed, as if to say, “What else don’t we know about you Mom?”
Muy bien, Sean. Another beautifully crafted and interesting post. I think it’s wonderful that you and Mia are learning Spanish together. Here’s the flip side of that situation.
I grew up in Miami Beach amid many Cubans, studied Spanish in high school and college, and even spent a semester abroad in Madrid. Last year we went on a family vacation to Costa Rica. It wasn’t until I started speaking Spanish to the cab driver, waitress, etc. that I realized I had never told my children I was fluent in Spanish. It just had never occurred to me to mention it.
My kids were shocked. Every time I opened my mouth to speak espanol, they looked at me wide-eyed, as if to say, “What else don’t we know about you Mom?”
I’m a huge proponent of Dual Immersion programs! I worked at one for 2 years and would love to put my daughter in one if we end living near one when she enters Kinder. My only complaint is there aren’t more of them! I’m so glad you are praising the system when so many people are ignorantly accusing them of not being productive. In a county so close to the border (I’m in San Diego), it blows my mind that there are only a handful of these programs throughout the county! It truly amazes me to see these kids acquire language faster than I ever could. As a non-native speaker who didn’t learn until high school, I’m totally jealous of the kids that are privileged enough to go to a Dual Immersion program!
I’m a huge proponent of Dual Immersion programs! I worked at one for 2 years and would love to put my daughter in one if we end living near one when she enters Kinder. My only complaint is there aren’t more of them! I’m so glad you are praising the system when so many people are ignorantly accusing them of not being productive. In a county so close to the border (I’m in San Diego), it blows my mind that there are only a handful of these programs throughout the county! It truly amazes me to see these kids acquire language faster than I ever could. As a non-native speaker who didn’t learn until high school, I’m totally jealous of the kids that are privileged enough to go to a Dual Immersion program!
Eric: They will learn anything we throw at them. It’s amazing we collectively throw so little. I know how fast these first years fly. I don’t want to look back and think about all the should haves, I want to make sure I do all I can as soon as I can do it. Nice to see you up there at the top, my man.
Susan: That’s too cool, Susan. I wished my mom had taught me. Not only did she not teach me, she made fun of my accent when I tried to pick it up in my late teens. Sigh. Does your son take it in school? Have you ever thought about having a Spanish night at home where you only speak Spanish and see how much they can pick up through other visual cues? Could be fun. Max right now is uber excited to start Kindergarten and already knows a shocking amount of español just as a trickle down from Mia.
Nicole: Ridiculous, right? I’m in Long Beach, so I totally hear you. We have a giant school district and there’s two schools that offer this program. We have to drive thirty minutes in each direction, after waiting on a waiting list to get in. We barely got our spot (still don’t quite know how that happened). Finding a slightly out of the box alternative education solution should be common practice, not a regular barrier. We’ve got a long way to go in a lot of areas, language is one of the worst. We are one of the only countries in the world where only a single language is taught. Our excuses are running thin.
Eric: They will learn anything we throw at them. It’s amazing we collectively throw so little. I know how fast these first years fly. I don’t want to look back and think about all the should haves, I want to make sure I do all I can as soon as I can do it. Nice to see you up there at the top, my man.
Susan: That’s too cool, Susan. I wished my mom had taught me. Not only did she not teach me, she made fun of my accent when I tried to pick it up in my late teens. Sigh. Does your son take it in school? Have you ever thought about having a Spanish night at home where you only speak Spanish and see how much they can pick up through other visual cues? Could be fun. Max right now is uber excited to start Kindergarten and already knows a shocking amount of español just as a trickle down from Mia.
Nicole: Ridiculous, right? I’m in Long Beach, so I totally hear you. We have a giant school district and there’s two schools that offer this program. We have to drive thirty minutes in each direction, after waiting on a waiting list to get in. We barely got our spot (still don’t quite know how that happened). Finding a slightly out of the box alternative education solution should be common practice, not a regular barrier. We’ve got a long way to go in a lot of areas, language is one of the worst. We are one of the only countries in the world where only a single language is taught. Our excuses are running thin.
I think some are starting to realize what young children are capable of , but so many expect so little. Such a shame. So, it is not just understandg that they can, but expecting that they will. Plus, yes, yes, yes, to dual immersion styles of learning – that is paying attention – beautiful – the child gets it. Yet, so many adults miss it. So many teachers do not require it. So many parents miss the boat on preparing their children to do it – pay attention that is :-) Where we are, we have charter schools as an alternative to the public system. The one I chose for my children k-4 required feedback from everychild throughout the day, and the teacher roved the room to ensure each child was participating. In addition the administration, staff and parents willingly participated in a triangle of cooperation, ensuring success of the kids, program etc.
I think some are starting to realize what young children are capable of , but so many expect so little. Such a shame. So, it is not just understandg that they can, but expecting that they will. Plus, yes, yes, yes, to dual immersion styles of learning – that is paying attention – beautiful – the child gets it. Yet, so many adults miss it. So many teachers do not require it. So many parents miss the boat on preparing their children to do it – pay attention that is :-) Where we are, we have charter schools as an alternative to the public system. The one I chose for my children k-4 required feedback from everychild throughout the day, and the teacher roved the room to ensure each child was participating. In addition the administration, staff and parents willingly participated in a triangle of cooperation, ensuring success of the kids, program etc.
I’ve always been shocked by people who think Dual Immersion is somehow harmful for small children. What precisely do they think all the kids who speak something other than English at home do? I was lucky enough to grow up in a diverse area so as a child I could carry a short conversation in languages ranging from French to Thai. I never picked up Spanish even though it was the first language of both my parents (all my sisters did, I got too flustered when our cousins would make fun of me), but now that I’m older I’d like to try re-igniting the part of my brain it’s all stored in.
Actually, I’d like to learn as many languages as possible. Not only is it useful, it’s just fun to be able to hold conversations without anyone knowing what you’re saying. As a kid that was my main reason for wanting to learn Irish, what’s better than being able to have your own secret language?
I’ve always been shocked by people who think Dual Immersion is somehow harmful for small children. What precisely do they think all the kids who speak something other than English at home do? I was lucky enough to grow up in a diverse area so as a child I could carry a short conversation in languages ranging from French to Thai. I never picked up Spanish even though it was the first language of both my parents (all my sisters did, I got too flustered when our cousins would make fun of me), but now that I’m older I’d like to try re-igniting the part of my brain it’s all stored in.
Actually, I’d like to learn as many languages as possible. Not only is it useful, it’s just fun to be able to hold conversations without anyone knowing what you’re saying. As a kid that was my main reason for wanting to learn Irish, what’s better than being able to have your own secret language?
I love the idea of dual immersion! Too often we think that it’s the rest of the world’s job to learn English.
When I’m teaching I love it when I am able to teach the kids a word or two of Spanish. I took four years of Spanish in high school, sort of. By the time I got to 3rd and 4th year Spanish, there was just another kid and me in the class so they just stuck us back in with 2nd year Spanish. So I actually had 2nd year for 3 years. I was robbed. :) I am not fluent but can read better than I can speak.
I took my daughter Megan to the laundromat when she was six. I had already taught her some basics. There were some Mexican men there also doing laundry. Megan walked up to them and said, “Hola! Como estas?”
They laughed and one answered, “Estoy bien, gracias. Y tu?” She replied, “Estoy bien tambien.”
One of the men then said, “Cuantos anos tienes?” She became flustered because they had asked her something she didn’t know. She ran back to me in near tears. I told her, “Go back and tell them, ‘Tengo seis anos’.” She did but had had enough after that. [sorry I couldn't figure out how to get the ~ symbol above my n]
Children have this amazing ability to recognize different languages. Although Megan did not understand what the Mexican men were saying to each other, she recognized it as Spanish and so greeted them. When my son was nine, we took him to a national park to see some petroglyphs that had been left on canyon walls by Native Americans. A French family was there. My son has never been taught French, yet he walked up to the father and said, “Excuse me, I heard you speaking French. Have you ever seen the Eiffel Tower in person?” The father switched to English and my son had a new friend. One who’s actually seen the Eiffel Tower–my son’s obsession.
I love the idea of dual immersion! Too often we think that it’s the rest of the world’s job to learn English.
When I’m teaching I love it when I am able to teach the kids a word or two of Spanish. I took four years of Spanish in high school, sort of. By the time I got to 3rd and 4th year Spanish, there was just another kid and me in the class so they just stuck us back in with 2nd year Spanish. So I actually had 2nd year for 3 years. I was robbed. :) I am not fluent but can read better than I can speak.
I took my daughter Megan to the laundromat when she was six. I had already taught her some basics. There were some Mexican men there also doing laundry. Megan walked up to them and said, “Hola! Como estas?”
They laughed and one answered, “Estoy bien, gracias. Y tu?” She replied, “Estoy bien tambien.”
One of the men then said, “Cuantos anos tienes?” She became flustered because they had asked her something she didn’t know. She ran back to me in near tears. I told her, “Go back and tell them, ‘Tengo seis anos’.” She did but had had enough after that. [sorry I couldn't figure out how to get the ~ symbol above my n]
Children have this amazing ability to recognize different languages. Although Megan did not understand what the Mexican men were saying to each other, she recognized it as Spanish and so greeted them. When my son was nine, we took him to a national park to see some petroglyphs that had been left on canyon walls by Native Americans. A French family was there. My son has never been taught French, yet he walked up to the father and said, “Excuse me, I heard you speaking French. Have you ever seen the Eiffel Tower in person?” The father switched to English and my son had a new friend. One who’s actually seen the Eiffel Tower–my son’s obsession.
My parents spoke French at home and my Father signed the news every night to stay in practice….Our English was corrected to perfection and our grammar was never ignored…
My siblings could understand and my sister was very good in Spanish also.
I – with much hard work could read French and recognize some words. When I was the only one left at home, they stopped trying to teach me and spoke only English….
Not every kiddos just learns by their ears….I read Encyclopedias when I was 5 and knew what I was reading but anything mathematical and many things spacial were just awful for me to try to master – now discover it is amazing that I can drive a car.
My brother and sister now in their 60s can barely read, but wow can they do math…
I have always been so disappointed not to speak French….and all my cousins still tease me…
The other good news besides still being able to read so well…is that my children enable me to be on the internet and write here – they are so encouraging and helpful around their busy lives.
Keep writing about this it is important stuff of life!
My parents spoke French at home and my Father signed the news every night to stay in practice….Our English was corrected to perfection and our grammar was never ignored…
My siblings could understand and my sister was very good in Spanish also.
I – with much hard work could read French and recognize some words. When I was the only one left at home, they stopped trying to teach me and spoke only English….
Not every kiddos just learns by their ears….I read Encyclopedias when I was 5 and knew what I was reading but anything mathematical and many things spacial were just awful for me to try to master – now discover it is amazing that I can drive a car.
My brother and sister now in their 60s can barely read, but wow can they do math…
I have always been so disappointed not to speak French….and all my cousins still tease me…
The other good news besides still being able to read so well…is that my children enable me to be on the internet and write here – they are so encouraging and helpful around their busy lives.
Keep writing about this it is important stuff of life!
Trina: I LOVE what you’re saying about your child’s K-4. Sounds terrific. Many parents do miss the boat. There is no waiting period for music and language. It should be offered to a child from birth forward. Their minds at that age are so hungry for anything they can absorb, there is absolutely no reason to keep them from the very best our world has to offer.
Tobias: That’s really cool, Tobias! I’d settle for one other language. Unfortunately I have to work really hard on my Spanish. I hope, at some point, to spend several months in Spain. I think I would absorb the language with rapidity if I were surrounded by it every day. Or I could just speak to my children who can learn so much faster than me.
Randi: Ha! I have a six year old at the laundromat story too. Mia was there with her mom. We live in a neighborhood that’s approximately 80% hispanic. It is assumed you speak Spanish. Cindy was loading clothes into the dryer when this lady came up to her shooting machine gun syllables en español. Cindy was trying so hard to understand, but certainly sinking more than swimming. Mia stepped up from behind and gave Cindy a flawless translation. This, after one year of the immersion program. Why every school doesn’t offer SOME TYPE of program like this is just totally beyond me.
By the way. You hold down the option key and then press n. Automatic ñ.
Patricia: Ah, the last child. I understand. Birth order is a funny thing, I think. Sounds like you’re a lot more right brained then left. My grandfather could do crazy math, even in his late 90′s, but I don’t think I saw him ever read a single time. We are each different, but we share the need to learn. Hopefully the scaffolding of tomorrow’s educational institutions will be able to support it.
Trina: I LOVE what you’re saying about your child’s K-4. Sounds terrific. Many parents do miss the boat. There is no waiting period for music and language. It should be offered to a child from birth forward. Their minds at that age are so hungry for anything they can absorb, there is absolutely no reason to keep them from the very best our world has to offer.
Tobias: That’s really cool, Tobias! I’d settle for one other language. Unfortunately I have to work really hard on my Spanish. I hope, at some point, to spend several months in Spain. I think I would absorb the language with rapidity if I were surrounded by it every day. Or I could just speak to my children who can learn so much faster than me.
Randi: Ha! I have a six year old at the laundromat story too. Mia was there with her mom. We live in a neighborhood that’s approximately 80% hispanic. It is assumed you speak Spanish. Cindy was loading clothes into the dryer when this lady came up to her shooting machine gun syllables en español. Cindy was trying so hard to understand, but certainly sinking more than swimming. Mia stepped up from behind and gave Cindy a flawless translation. This, after one year of the immersion program. Why every school doesn’t offer SOME TYPE of program like this is just totally beyond me.
By the way. You hold down the option key and then press n. Automatic ñ.
Patricia: Ah, the last child. I understand. Birth order is a funny thing, I think. Sounds like you’re a lot more right brained then left. My grandfather could do crazy math, even in his late 90′s, but I don’t think I saw him ever read a single time. We are each different, but we share the need to learn. Hopefully the scaffolding of tomorrow’s educational institutions will be able to support it.
Amazing Mia story! She is more fluent after one year, than I was after four! I’ll bet Cindy was so proud of her at that moment.
And WHAT option key? I have looked over my entire keyboard–no option key. My kb is a loser.
Amazing Mia story! She is more fluent after one year, than I was after four! I’ll bet Cindy was so proud of her at that moment.
And WHAT option key? I have looked over my entire keyboard–no option key. My kb is a loser.
Having two languages under your belt (especially Spanish) is such an asset. Employers jump on hiring bilingual folks. Besides, the sense of accomplishment that you can communicate to folks when others cannot is such a boost. A duel program sounds great. Way to go!
Having two languages under your belt (especially Spanish) is such an asset. Employers jump on hiring bilingual folks. Besides, the sense of accomplishment that you can communicate to folks when others cannot is such a boost. A duel program sounds great. Way to go!
Randi: Sorry, I’m on a Mac. I think it might be called the “alt” key on a PC, though now that I think about it, the entire keystroke might be Mac specific. If so, sorry. : > (
Laurie: No doubt. Out here, there’s often a separate pay scale for bilingual employees. We are fortunate to have found such a wonderful program for our children.
Randi: Sorry, I’m on a Mac. I think it might be called the “alt” key on a PC, though now that I think about it, the entire keystroke might be Mac specific. If so, sorry. : > (
Laurie: No doubt. Out here, there’s often a separate pay scale for bilingual employees. We are fortunate to have found such a wonderful program for our children.
“Children are sponges, and we should not ever underestimate them, because they will absorb all that we ask.” I don’t think there’s such a thing as a vocabulary”too rich” for children. Perhaps someone with a wonderful passion for writing should write children’s books for parents who are intelligent enough to see that. (And to hell with what agents say.) ;=) I have always spoken to my children like adults, and they ask when they hear a new word. We throw in a little Spanish, Italian, and Pig Latin. It creates fluent children who are excellent communicators. Couldn’t we all use a few more of those?
“Children are sponges, and we should not ever underestimate them, because they will absorb all that we ask.” I don’t think there’s such a thing as a vocabulary”too rich” for children. Perhaps someone with a wonderful passion for writing should write children’s books for parents who are intelligent enough to see that. (And to hell with what agents say.) ;=) I have always spoken to my children like adults, and they ask when they hear a new word. We throw in a little Spanish, Italian, and Pig Latin. It creates fluent children who are excellent communicators. Couldn’t we all use a few more of those?