Do I still try to teach my son Spanish if I'm not fluent myself?

[iamhereftw]

My grandparents were born and raised in Guatemala before moving to New York in the 60s. My family has lived here ever since and growing up, I heard Spanish all the time, to the point I understand it very well. I almost never spoke it growing up, however, and now that I have a four-month old, I really really wish I did.

I'd love for him to be bilingual. I speak to him every day in my very basic (I'd place my skills around the lower levels of intermediate) Spanish, hoping it gives him at least a baseline. But when I make mistakes, which I do practically every day, I wonder if I'm doing more harm than good? Is it actually a bad thing to speak Spanish around the house when A) I'm the only one doing it and B) I'm not fluent in the language myself? Will he pick up my bad grammar or vocabulary because I'm the only one exposing him to the language?

Assuming I'm the only one who can expose him to the language this early in his life, should I continue what I've been doing or just enjoy my little man in English instead?

 

[emmierose80]

@iamhereftw Yes. If you are willing to, your efforts will still go a long way. Imperfect language acquisition is still language acquisition.

 

[iamhereftw]

@emmierose80 That makes a lot of sense. Thank you!

 

[gellmannamnesia]

@iamhereftw I would keep going and also try t9 switch your own media input to Spanish. Change your language on your tv to Spanish with Spanish subtitles (this way you can see and hear at the same time), listen to Spanish music and try to think in Spanish. Kids songs are a great way to learn it yourself and because they usually have a catchy tune they will stay in your head.

I can also highly recommend babbel or a similar app/program to boost your own vocabulary and grammar skills.

You have got this! And any language is better than none so don’t worry about the mistakes.

You can also put sticky notes all around your house with labels for things in Spanish too. For example inside your cupboard with cups and plates have the Spanish words so when you go to get something you are exposing yourself to the language too

 

[bellemem]

@gellmannamnesia Oh yeah this, too! I’m currently forcing myself through Harry Potter in Spanish and I barely understand it but it’s getting better and at least not un-fun.

 

[iamhereftw]

@gellmannamnesia Those are great ideas! Thank you!

 

[bellemem]

@iamhereftw Do it This is actually a topic I did a little research on because we wanted to add Spanish to our household but I’m the only one with (fairly basic) knowledge.

Apparently even if you make mistakes the exposure helps and is beneficial, plus you can always supplement with books or eventually YouTube Kids in Spanish once the kids are older.

 

[chapmic]

@bellemem

 

[williamstarks]

@iamhereftw Yes! My baby is learning the Spanish that I can teach her, and it’s exciting! I was never fluent but I want her to know as much as possible. She asks for most food items in Spanish, including milk and water. I always felt so left out, when I would visit my family, including my own grandmother. I could never communicate without a translator. Terrible. Also, I grew up in an area where Spanish is commonly used, and it made me feel insecure that I couldn’t communicate with other people from my own culture. My father’s first language was Spanish, and he never took the time to teach any of my siblings. Please take the time to teach your child, it will be a great way to bond and play together. Something your child will appreciate one day!

 

[_ari]

@iamhereftw learn it together!

 

[rhemalog]

@iamhereftw My mom is Thai but never taught me growing up. I learned it on my own as a young adult, so I have an accent and say things wrong still. But I'm teaching my two-year-old son Thai, and he sounds like other Thai kids his age. I would say keep speaking to him because he needs someone to speak Spanish with and it will help you improve too. He can work on accent and everything else later with other native speakers, books, TV, etc.

 

[christianfriend2023]

@rhemalog May I ask what helped you learn Thai as an adult?

 

[rhemalog]

@christianfriend2023 I was lucky to live in Thailand for almost three years and had to use Thai daily. It was a sink-or-swim kind of situation. But even without full immersion, I think it is possible. I think a speaking partner would be needed though

 

[sebe]

@iamhereftw Yea go for it! Your Spanish will improve rapidly as he grows. It will be a beautiful bonding experience. Surround yourself with Spanish things you can both enjoy.

Music: I really love the cantacuénticos albums - Cumbia del Monstruo, Jose Luis Orozco, Dúo Karma, Rita del Prado, Los Musiqueros

Books: No tengas miedo cangrejita; presiona aqui; que esta pasando allá arriba; gallito pelón
*with books your best bet is the library. We go ever 2-4 weeks and check out a pile of books. Kids books are super expensive so libraries are amazing.

Shows: if you can gain access, most Disney+ shows have Spanish dubbed options. We currently love Gabby’s playhouse on Netflix in Spanish.

 

[opranda]

@iamhereftw I want to follow responses on this post because I am trying the same. Never grew up hearing Spanish but lived in Guatemala teaching ESL for a couple years. I want our daughter to be bilingual. Reading the responses, thanks for posting!!

Edit: my girl is only 2 months. Around 6 I plan to put her in Spanish music classes, and as she gets older proper Spanish classes. Maybe your city has something similar?

 

[iamhereftw]

@opranda I will certainly be on the lookout for that. Thank you!

 

[tristiannicole]

@iamhereftw Keep doing what you are doing and enroll him in formal classes at a young age. Try to expose him to the language as much as possible. Do some research and figure out if he's eligible for a foreign citizenship and, if he is, make sure you get all his paperwork done. Focus on making it interesting for him and someday he might teach you the language.

As a multilingual parent who never learned foreign languages from my parents I encourage my kids to learn languages but leave it to them to figure it out, with the help of experts or with my help if they have questions. It's a personal approach that diverges from a majority who thinks foreign languages should be taught by parents at home. You can also use this opportunity to learn together with them. I've known too many families who tried to teach multiple languages at home and the kids either lose interest or feel they can never excel in any language. It does work for some families but in my experience it usually backfires in unpredictable ways. I am aware this is an unpopular approach but I prefer them to focus on their interests rather than mine. I also prefer them to master English early and then learn any languages they want later. I do plan on sending them to study abroad in the future as well, if that's something they would like to do. Just don't blame yourself for not teaching them, maybe it's not the role you should be playing. Give them the inspiration and the tools and they will learn by themselves.

 

[ctilly]

@iamhereftw I would say to improve your own Spanish first, or at the very least get him Spanish speaking friends, because he will get your mistakes and it will be very hard to iron them out for him

 

[seekinggracefully]

@iamhereftw I was probably an A2 level in Spanish when my first son (almost 3 years old) was born. The daily practice has been amazing for my Spanish and I’m now a B2 level with very little formal studying, literally just looking something up here or there, and what I’ve picked up from watching kids shows in Spanish. I also have a 14 month old. For both my kids, their first word (besides mama, dada, and no) was agua. My husband is a C1. We speak both English and Spanish to each other, just depending on the topic and how tired we are, haha.

I will say that my older son almost exclusively speaks in English, but he understands almost everything we say to him in Spanish. He just recently started describing that he’s aware that there are two languages (e.g., sometimes he’ll say “No not Spanish! Say it in English!”), which I’ve found fascinating. He is starting to produce more Spanish now though. Just this morning I heard him playing pretend by himself and his toy counted to 10 in spanish. It’s really a mishmash over here but we’re happy about any progress at all!

 

[barsomo]

@iamhereftw Keep going! But if I were you, I would make a serious effort to increase my own Spanish exposure in order to develop. The thing with languages (whether non-native or native) is that the versatility of the language you use with your child makes the biggest impact on their learning. We tend to have the largest vocabulary in our native language but that doesn’t mean that everyone can speak their native language in a versatile way Similarly, if someone puts in a lot of effort to get better in their non-native language, they can achieve great results and help their kids become bilingual. Exposing yourself to lots of literature, music, series, movies by yourself and with your kids will be a big help. Don’t get discouraged by some occasional mistakes!