Lessons Taught By Kids Learning Spanish

Starting several decades ago, taking at least one course of a foreign language became a requirement for high school graduation. We all spent months conjugating verbs and picking apart sentences.

Years later, how many people actually still remember and speak the language they learned? Likely very few.

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Kids learning Spanish don't waste a lot of time picking apart the language. They just speak it and years later, many of them still do. If we want to learn and retain what we do, we need to unlock the secrets that allow children to pick up a language so effortlessly.

When learning a foreign language, the goal really is fluency. Traditional courses generally spend a significant amount of time having the student examine the language itself.

Learn like children

While this can be a valuable tool in understanding what you learn, keep in mind that kids learning Spanish or any other language as native speakers don't grasp those concepts until years later. They first learn to speak and converse in the language and can then, later, understand the rules surrounding what they already know. That makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? As adults, we'd make faster progress by getting straight to the fun and fascinating parts of learning a new language.

As any good teacher knows, a child's work is learning and kids learn through play. Learning a second language is no different. Children want to be plugged into the world around them and as they grow, the become aware that language is the best way to do that.

If they can communicate, they can interact with the world and that is exciting. Kids learning Spanish plug into this almost effortless wiring of the brain that children have for any kind of learning. They are particularly wired for language when they are young. However, if learning becomes a drudgery, they unplug. Watch a baby and mother interact and you will notice much of their interaction is really lessons taught through play.

A second language opens many doors

Knowing a second language is very valuable, especially today. We live in an international society and people respond to being spoken to in their native tongue.

However, in order to be more successful in this endeavor, we need to do what kids learning Spanish do and make the learning fun and applicable. It's nice to know the rules, but even people who don't can speak the language.