If I got a penny for each time I have heard a parent say “We’ve been doing Spanish for months and my kid still won’t speak,” I would probably be a millionaire. And if you are a mamma that has had this thought, it’s okay. I get it.
This is even more true for families that don’t speak Spanish themselves. How can you tell if your kid is learning Spanish when you don’t speak the language yourself, right? I get it.
But as both a bilingual mom and a language teacher, I can tell you the following with total confidence:
Your kid is learning Spanish… even when it doesn’t look like it.
You see, language acquisition is sneaky. Quiet. Invisible. And if we are being honest, very inconvenient for impatient parents (I will include myself here).
So, let’s go over real quick about what goes on in your kid’s brain, why silence is not failure, and how science backs up what so many bilingual families experience.
Why Language Learning Doesn’t Look Like “Learning”
One of the reasons why might wonder if our kid is learning Spanish is because language acquisition doesn’t happen on command.
When our kid learns math, we see worksheets.
When our kid learns to read, we hear sounds.
So it is easy to feel or think that we need to see or hear something to verify if our kid is learning a second language properly.
But you see, according to decades of research in linguists and child development, children go through predictable stages of second language acquisition, and speaking is not the first one. In fact, speaking often comes last.
The silent period: Yes, it is real and necessary.
One of the most misunderstood stages of language learning is the silent period. And during this phase, children may:
- Say very little (or nothing) in Spanish
- Respond in English instead
- Nod, gesture, or act things out
- Seem distracted or uninterested
But internally? Their brain is doing serious work.
Researchers like Stephen Krashen (University of Southern California) explain that during this stage, children are:
- Mapping sounds to meaning
- Learning grammar patterns subconsciously
- Building comprehension before production
🧠 Comprehension always comes before speaking. Always.
This is true for babies learning their first language, and it’s true for kids learning Spanish.
Understanding vs. Speaking: A Huge Gap Parents Miss
As parents, one of our biggest mistakes when thinking if your kid is learning spanish or not is wanting to measure progress by output only.
But we need to understand something very important. And that is: Language has two very different skills.
Receptive language (what your kid understands) and Expressive language (what your kid says).
And the truth is: your kid can understand far more Spanish that they can produce and first.
That doesn’t mean it’s not working.
It means it’s working exactly as it should.
Understanding vs. Speaking: A Huge Gap Parents Miss
As parents, one of our biggest mistakes when thinking if your kid is learning spanish or not is wanting to measure progress by output only.
But we need to understand something very important. And that is: Language has two very different skills.
Receptive language (what your kid understands) and Expressive language (what your kid says).
And the truth is: your kid can understand far more Spanish that they can produce and first.
That doesn’t mean it’s not working.
It means it’s working exactly as it should.
Repetition is still the most important thing.
Sometimes I will hear parents say things like “But we’ve read this story a hundred times.”
Good. That is, in fact, perfect. That’s how the brain learns.
Neuroscience shows that repeated exposure strengthens neural pathways. So, each time your child hears the same phrase, song, or question, their brain processes it faster and more efficiently.
What looks repetitive to us feels secure and predictable to kids, which is ideal for learning.
Consistency Beats Intensity (Every Time)
From a teaching perspective, one of the clearest findings in language acquisition research is this:
Small, consistent exposure beats occasional intensity.
That’s why:
- 2–3 short classes a week work better than one long session
- Daily Spanish questions matter more than cramming
- Long-term exposure matters more than fast results
So please remember, whenever you find yourself wondering if your kid is learning Spanish or not: Language is built the same way muscles are, through regular use, not one big workout.
