Jessie L. United Kingdom Local time: 18:37 Spanish to English + ...
me too
Dec 28, 2010
I'm glad I stumbled across this thread, despite the fact that it's ancient! Your situation sounds similar to mine, so I understand the predicament.
This is something I've been thinking about a lot recently, too (although I do not YET have children...). My partner and I are both native English speakers (a nice BE and AE combo!), but I also speak Spanish and would like to open up the world of foreign languages to my future children from an early age.
In all likelihood, however, we would be living in the UK, to be close to family and friends. I grew up in a military family and had a new set of friends every year, and still only get to see half of my family every 3-4 years as they live thousands of miles away across the Atlantic. I want my children to grow up with their extended family at their side, so living in a Spanish-speaking country for any extended period of time would not be ideal.
In an ideal world, I'd buy an apartment on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, where we'd spend our summers and get to know our Spanish neighbours, letting our kids grow up together every summer. I suppose it's not entirely unrealistic... just need to figure out a way to get 3 months of the year off work and afford a second home!! RIGHT!
It's been a while now since the original poster started this topic - would love to know how you are getting on!
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I'm also wondering how to get my family to speak English!
Jun 21, 2011
Glad to know I'm not the only one out there who feels like they've done things wrong...
I live in Argentina, and am married to an Argentine. I feel so guilty my 2 boys (currently 14 and 5) aren 't learning English. The truth is I'm home all day, but I work too much, so I feel too tired to really take it seriously.
I feel like bringing someone into our home (either an exchange student or an au pair), although I don't think that my husband would be too keen on either one...
Any ideas?
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Berni Armstrong Spain Local time: 19:37 Member (2002) English + ...
Never too late...
Jun 23, 2011
If you feel strongly that you would be giving your children a real gift by allowing them to absorb the English language, then you should make an extra effort to switch to English at home (if only from you). Your five year old will doubtless pick up the language more rapidly, but the 14 year old might still appreciate the ease with which he passes his next English exam. (I am guessing that English is just a big a millstone around Argentine necks as it is around Spanish ones ).
An exchange student or an au pair could only aid any plans to create an "English at home" environment... (and if she's pretty, maybe hubby won't complain )
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A while back I had a similar issue with my kids who are now 8 and 6. My husband is American and I am American Peruvian and we live in the US. I do speak both languages perfectly so English becomes the dominant language at home. However, every time I get a chance, I do speak Spanish to the kids. At first they would reply back in both languages until they started school and then it all became English replies. I continued to speak Spanish to them and even took them to Peru for a month last year. I put them in my school as guests and the oldest came out speaking pretty fluently. She has a small accent and at times she mixes verb tenses but she's doing great! This summer I plan to only speak in Spanish at home - I told them I am holding a camp at home that is all in Spanish from 9-4pm M-F. Rewards at the end of the week. We'll see how long this lasts.
I was surprised that my kids understood Spanish so well since I tend to speak more English in my opinion. Going to Peru really helped because they were put in a school environment and having kids their age speaking the language prompted them to have to communicate.
You might want to introduce maternal commands at home - put on your shoes, come here, etc. That can be a beginning - especially for the little one
Good luck!
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