Teaching a second language even if you don't speak it...

Do you think that can be done? Andrew loves watching Plaza Sesemo. I was wondering if he could pick up the language just by watching spanish shows.

TIA

Re: Teaching a second language even if you don't speak it...

I would think so. Especially at this age -- they are very impressionable. In fact, I've heard that this is the time when they are most likely to become bilingual.

Re: Teaching a second language even if you don't speak it...

DS has definately learned some words from TV, but even with us speaking spanish to him sometimes, he doesnt speak it as well as english. In fact he understands more than he can actually speak.

Re: Teaching a second language even if you don't speak it...

If your goal is for them to pick a word or two then yes they will definitely get that from things like Dora, Diego and watching Sesame in Spanish. If you really want them to learn the language and really use it then you have to do it right.

I am a language teacher and my plan was for me to only speak Spanish to my daughter and my husband to only speak English to her. To be honest I was too tired most of the first year to put the effort in ALL the time. When I was trying it I was seeing that she was confusing words. Though I know it would eventually straighten out I didn't want to take a chance on messing up her development so I stopped for awhile. I have started again showing her pictures and telling them what they are first I tell her in English this is a cat and in Spanish it's a gato and make her repeat it. We are making some progress.

The German teacher in my school did it right. He never spoke English to his daughters on his wife did and his girls are completely bilingual in German and English. They will even translate their converasations for their mom since they know she doesn't speak German.

Hope that helps