Learning Spanish

A big reason I chose to move us to Mexico was for all of us to become fluent in Spanish. It's been interesting to observe how the change is taking place.

Both girls are immersed in Spanish all day at school. Only art class is taught in Engligh (by an American). And Calliope generally chooses to play with English speaking friends at recess (all in the grade above hers, so she doesn't see them at other times, except her after school circus class). It's interesting to me that all these other children are fluent in Spanish as well as Engligh and prior to this year, generally played in Spanish, not English. I'm not sure what caused the change. And while I know Calliope would learn faster if she was only speaking Spanish, I'm also glad for her that she can relax and play with confidence, without worrying about her language skills.

Amelie was with a bilingual nanny in Brooklyn until she was nearly three and a half (not including summers), so in many ways, she had a huge advantage. I don't think she spoke much Spanish with Susie but I believe she understood what Susie was saying.

Both girls went to a Spanish immersion daycamp for two weeks this summer and last summer but I don't think they really learned much. A few words here and there but that was it.

Amelie also has a big advantage in naturally being fearless. She has the confidence to just dive in, without fear of looking stupid. She's also youngest, with the most "plastic" brain (plastic in the sense of ability to change and grown new neuronal synapses). Her class is also entirely in Spanish -- I think she is the only child who wasn't already fluent in Spanish and many of the children don't speak English. And of course, the "work" of preschool -- which is techinically called kindergarten at their school -- is pretty simple. There's no academics. They have stories and songs and playing and mealtime (the children take turns helping to prepare the food and set the table). Lots of concrete activities that get repeated every single day. Ideal for solidfying one's grasp of a new language.

Calliope is more cautious. More risk averse. And also more dreamy and less imitative than Amelie, by nature. And she's in first grade (Waldorf has grades a year behind -- you have to be eight to be in second grade so she is repeating first grade since she was just barely seven at the start of  first grade) where the work is a bit more challenging. First grade in Waldorf schools focuses on fairy tales, a favorite of Calliope's but certainly challenging in a new language. Luckily her teacher translates for Calliope as needed (she is also the only non-fluent Spanish speaker in the class). But they are also learning the letters and number in Spanish, things she knows well in English already, so this is really helpful. So she is learning more slowly than Amelie but is progressing. The Waldorf approach is MUCH more relaxed than what we experienced in the States and C's teacher is not concerned, and so neither am I. Even better, her teacher shared with me that when Calliope volunteers a word in Spanish during class, all the other children cheer for her! This makes my heart sing.

As for me... well, I had six years of Spanish in middle and high school (plus one terrible semester of college Spanish). But of course, that was a long ago. But I was lucky to have had a teacher who made us speak nothing but Spanish for the last two years. I didn't like her very much at the time but I am so grateful now! However much I've forgotten -- no doubt a lot! -- I've retained a lot, too. And little phrases and verbs bubble up into my consciousness now and then which is entertaining.

I'm also working with a fellow parent from the school, a trained teacher, as my Spanish tutor once a week. It's surprisingly fatiguing -- I'm sympathetic, now, to how tired my girls were the first few weeks of school! -- but I do think it's helping a bit. Slowly. No doubt if I did more it would help more but for whatever reason, I'm not terribly motivated. But last night I went to a parent meeting for Amelie's class and was completely shocked to find that I could understand almost everything that was said! That was a first. A lovely surprise.