We have been speaking to Lucas in Spanish since the day he was born. However I have to admit, English is my first language. It is natural for me to speak in English before I talk in Spanish. My mama would ask me a question and my first reaction would be to answer in English. After having Lucas I realized the importance of speaking to him in Spanish right away. I wanted him to be bilingual and feel comfortable talking in both languages. On the grandparents side we are covered. All the abuelitas and abuelitos (grandmas and grandpas) speak to him ONLY in Spanish. This has been an immense help. The hubs and I have made a big, conscious effort to bring this home. I can’t tell you how good it feels to watch him respond, understand, and speak in Spanish! These are a few of the phrases/words that Lucas understands:
- acuéstate // lay down
- siéntate // sit down
- leche // milk
- almohada // pillow
- dame // give me
- ven aquí // come here
- patea // kick
- quiere agua // do you want water?
These are a few of the words he can say:
- mas // more
- pato // duck
- leche // milk
- nariz // nose
- bobo // pacifier (this is more of a slang word, but it counts in my book! 😉
It truly makes my heart so unbelievably happy to watch him pick up the language so quickly! It’s true what they say: babies are like sponges! If you’d like your little one to learn a second language, I highly recommend starting now. This has been such a satisfying accomplishment and I plan to continue talking and teaching Lucas in Spanish. My love Karla is also writing about language over on her blog and I couldn’t agree with her more. Knowing a second (or third, or fourth..) language can bring you so many opportunities both in everyday life and the work place. This mama plans on giving Lucas every stinkin’ chance to succeed that I can.
My heart soars when I hear my baby girl speak Spanish. While I feel more comfortable speaking English, it’s a daily effort to make this a priority.
Isn’t it just the best feeling in the world? It’s deff a daily effort but so so worth it! I love that you’re passing such a special gift to your daughter!