Hmm, my kids seem to like studying the Spanish language. So why don’t they respond to me in Spanish? Am I doing something wrong?
You might have asked yourself questions like these while helping your kids in their journey to Spanish fluency. And that’s OK. After you’ve put so much energy into helping them learn Spanish, it’s normal to feel frustrated when your kids don’t seem able to use the language in everyday situations.
Don’t worry, though. There are solutions. So let’s talk about five things you may be overlooking if your child struggles to respond to you in Spanish.
1. You Let Them Fall Back on English Too Often
Yes, there will be times when you’re all tired and stressed, and practicing Spanish is the last thing on your minds. But beware: Accepting replies in English “just this once” can turn into twice, then three times and so on. You’re basically training your kids that it’s fine to slip into English.
So how do you correct this situation? Start treating Spanish as one of the “non-negotiables” in your kids’ lives. You don’t, for example, let them slack on brushing their teeth, right? So why does responding in Spanish have to be any different?
Micah Bellieu, TruFluency Kids founder and CEO, understands your struggle. She’s a mom too! And she’s exposing her daughter to different languages, so she can achieve fluency. Micah shares this approach you can use the next time your kid uses English instead of Spanish:
Your kid: Mom!
You: Oh, that’s a beautiful word! What if you say it in Spanish? I bet it sounds awesome too!
Sometimes your kid will know the answer, sometimes not. But either way, the process of trying to find the word is shaping your child’s multilingual skills.
If your kid doesn’t know the Spanish word for what they want to express, you have a couple of different options:
- Give them the word.
- Try to find a fun way to help them figure it out. They’ll probably enjoy this very much!
2. They Need More Exposure to Spanish
Responding to you in Spanish will become more automatic for your kids the more they’re around the language. Speaking Spanish with you at home is great for their language journey, of course.
But if they’re hesitating to answer you in Spanish, it may just be because Spanish doesn’t feel “natural” to them yet. If this is the case in your family, here are a few strategies to try.
- Watch popular TV shows. You can even search for the top Netflix shows for kids to watch in Spanish.
- Listen and speak Spanish with other kids their age, whether that’s a Hispanic neighbor or a friend from language class.
- Do activities that they love in Spanish. There are tons of options — from singing to crafting to playing games — so just find your kids’ favorite.
- Here’s a tip that Micah puts into practice: Pay a fun, energetic young Spanish speaker to hang out with you and your children every now and then.
3. They Lack the Spanish Vocabulary to Respond
Another common reason that kids don’t respond in Spanish is simply that they don’t know words and phrases related to the topic you want to discuss with them. Even if they readily talk with you in Spanish about everyday routines, there will always be new experiences — and new Spanish vocabulary to learn.
For example, let’s say your 9-year-old will be getting braces soon. While the two of you are used to talking about things like homework, dinner and household chores, discussing their orthodontist appointment requires some Spanish words they haven’t encountered yet.
Don’t worry if those words are unfamiliar to you as well. Learning them alongside your child sets a great example.
Here’s another tip that Micah uses with her daughter. Kids are often invited to their friends and classmates’ parties. That’s a great opportunity for language learning.
After the party, you and your kid can look up the words in Spanish for the things they saw and experienced at the party. For example: candy, gifts, the bouncy house, saying “thank you” and “you’re welcome.”
In the coming days and weeks, reminisce (in Spanish, of course) with your kid about that awesome party. By recalling the memory, they’ll solidify the new Spanish vocabulary they learned.
Give Your Child the Gift of Spanish!
4. You’re All Stuck in Your Comfort Zone
With our kids, we’re often using the same vocabulary every day. It’s good to reinforce what they know, but we also need to keep adding new Spanish words and phrases, as well as new ways to learn Spanish. Getting out of your comfort zone will make you and your kids grow as Spanish speakers.
What can you do? Explore different topics in Spanish — the more varied, the better. Get curious, even if a subject might not seem interesting at first. For example, maybe your children aren’t fans of soccer, but their Spanish-speaking buddies at school are.
So you could plan an outing to a soccer game as both a fun, new experience and a chance to expand their Spanish vocabulary.
5. You’re Not Reading Enough in Spanish
We’ve saved one of Micah’s most important strategies for last: Books are key when children are learning Spanish. Buy many different children’s books in Spanish. Plan a schedule to read them all together — and think beyond bedtime stories. You can read:
- One book in the morning
- Another one afterschool
- Finally, another at bedtime
Why are books so important in helping kids learn Spanish? Books are great because your children can look at them and remember the words and story that they heard, even if you aren’t there. And if they truly loved a specific book, they’ll want to talk about it all the time!
They’ll constantly retell you the story, even if they can’t read. This really helps with retention, new vocabulary, and learning how to tell a story.
Telling a story and having all the words for it is one of the hardest things to do in your non-native language. So it’s good to practice daily, and books are a great way to do that.
Try The Bellieu Method to Get Your Kids Speaking Fluent Spanish
One of the best ways to get your kids responding in Spanish and speaking fluently is the Bellieu Method. This is the teaching method that we used at TruFluency Kids Spanish immersion. It was created by our founder and CEO, Micah Bellieu.
For years she tried to become fluent in different languages using the common academic method. But she realized that it was better to learn using the language in real life. That’s exactly what the Bellieu Method does.
We encourage students to speak in every class using what they learn. Our students also have tons of fun, because we teach Spanish through all kinds of activities, including:
- Singing
- Dancing
- Cooking
- Doing crafts
- Playing games
Take a trial class now! It feels super personalized, because there are no more than four to six students per trial class. After the trial, you can join us for a parent Q & A to answer all your questions.
