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