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Teaching Children To Speak Spanish Actually Helps Their English

Spanish is now the third most spoken language in the world, and is becoming increasingly more popular here in the United States. While French was once the language most often taught as a second language to children in the US, many parents are now teaching children to speak Spanish instead. These parents realize that a fluency in Spanish will be very beneficial to their children in the future.

By Martha Satten

Spanish is now the third most spoken language in the world, and is becoming increasingly more popular here in the United States.  While French was once the language most often taught as a second language to children in the US, many parents are now teaching children to speak Spanish instead.  These parents realize that a fluency in Spanish will be very beneficial to their children in the future.

Young children, especially those under the age of ten, have a much easier time learning a second language than adults do.  That’s because their brains are still developing and have the incredible ability to store different languages in separate areas, unlike the brains of adults which store all languages jumbled together in one area.  It is this unique quality that enables children to learn to speak everyday Spanish with far less effort than an adult.

And these days, it is very easy to teach children Spanish.  There are all sorts of Spanish children’s books, online tutorials, learn to speak Spanish audios CDs and other helpful tools that will have your kids chattering away in Spanish in a matter of months.

Of course, not every parent agrees that teaching a child a second language before they have mastered a first is a good idea.  They think that young children who learn to speak everyday Spanish while they are still learning English can become confused have their learning abilities compromised.

Some parents are worried that teaching children to speak Spanish, or any other language, will compromise a child’s ability to speak English proficiently.  Numerous studies have proved this concern to be completely unfounded.  In fact, children who were taught multiple languages at a young age usually speak their mother tongues much better than those who were not taught a second language.

Teaching children to speak Spanish can also have a very positive impact on their reading abilities.  Learning a second language helps develop a child’s cognitive skills, so their reading skills are often superior to those of their classmates that only speak English.

Sometimes parents that would like to teach their young children a second language refrain from doing so because they are afraid of delaying their speech.  But there is absolutely no reason to put off introducing a young child to another language because children who are exposed to multiple languages develop at about the same rate as those who are only exposed to one.  It may take a child a little bit longer to process and begin speaking two languages than it would just one, but the amount of time would be insignificant.  Besides, there is no specific age for a child to start talking.

Teaching children to speak Spanish is an easy way to help prepare them for the future, so do what you can to help them learn while they are still young.  Check out the many tools and resources that are available, like kid-friendly learn to speak Spanish audio CDs and online tutorials.  Just get something that is interactive and fun, and your child will be speaking Spanish before you know it.

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