6 Benefits of Learning Spanish for Kids

Our brains are like computers with countless programs that help us navigate the various aspects of life through all ages. However, just like computers, as they age, they can become less efficient when it comes to retaining new things. Although learning a second language can be done at any age, this is one reason why children are best suited for it. 

When it comes to learning Spanish, here are a few additional reasons why your child will benefit from learning a second language.

Strengthen Muscles

Not body muscles but the muscle we know as the brain. And - as with any muscle - the more we use it, the stronger it gets. Specifically, the frontal lobe of the brain is where the Broca and Wernicke areas are. 

The Broca region of the frontal lobe is commonly understood as the part of the brain responsible for the movement aspects of speech such as the palate, tongue, and mouth. The Wernicke region assists in comprehension of new languages and sounds, among other things.

Together, these two regions of the frontal lobe are vitally important to learning a second language and the sooner we begin exercising these (or any parts) of the brain, the stronger they will be.

Additionally, children of younger ages (before age six) are able to learn new languages quicker than older individuals. There are a number of reasons for this.

They don't fear mistakes

Children are less likely to be embarrassed when they make a mistake while learning than adults are. They're not as self-critical and are able to learn from these mistakes rather than demean themselves or give up.

They are not linguistically programmed

In the Japanese language, there is no "L" sound and this is why many native Japanese speakers are not able to pronounce it (they pronounce "L" as "R"). Similarly, studies show that young Japanese Americans were able to develop the skills to pronounce the "L" sound with the use of immersion while older subjects were not. Their brains were hard-wired to the point where they could not unlearn what they had been taught.

They retain things faster

Babies and children's brains form neural and synaptic connections much quicker and UNICEF experts report this not only helps them with learning as children, but helps to "form the basis of a person's lifelong capacity to learn, adapt to change, have resilience in case of unexpected circumstances, as well physical and mental health."

Cultural Opportunities

The right teaching methods can help children not only learn Spanish but also help them understand cultures. In fact, research shows that understanding a different culture augments the teaching of the language. With Spanish-speaking communities all over the world, having the ability to speak the language affords students the opportunity to experience the Spanish culture right in their own communities without concern over miscommunication or misunderstanding.

It also allows them the opportunity to make friends with children from Spanish-speaking families who may not otherwise be able to connect with other children or students.

Travel Opportunities

There are 20 nations with Spanish as the official language (and Puerto Rico) but your child doesn't need to go to Argentina or Columbia to find it beneficial to speak the language. Spanish is the second most popular language in the world, spoken by more than 570 million people and experts suggest the number of Spanish speakers in the U.S. will surpass the number that speak it in Spain!

Wherever your child goes, they will have the comfort of knowing they can speak the language of where they are.

Boosts Confidence

Everyone has experienced at least one moment when they felt they did not fit in. Whether in the boardroom, at the office, with the in-laws, or at school. These experiences can wreak havoc on our confidence levels but when we understand what is needed and/or expected, we are better able to feel confident that we can handle the situation.

The same can be said for children who are attending school or activities with Spanish-speaking peers. Fitting in at school is often a challenge. When a child can merge themselves into a crowd of foreign language speakers and be able to speak their language, this not only boosts their confidence because they can relate to them, but also because others can see their capabilities.

Another bonus? The Spanish-speaking peers can learn from your child and your child can learn more from them.

Career Advantages

It's no secret that having a resume stuffed with additional training and certifications on top of your specialty can boost you to the top of applicants but experts say that being able to put "bilingual" on your resume has multiple benefits. In fact, companies who demand bilingual workers has doubled in the past five years and some of today's largest employers such as Bank of America, H&R Block, and Humana are among them.

Additionally, today's workforce is different than those in the past. Remote work is increasing allowing individuals to work from anywhere in the world for anyone in the world - including Spanish-speaking companies. In the global workforce, over half of companies report they are using flexible workers and that "dynamic" teams (ie, teams made up of different cultures) are becoming the norm and experts predict this trend will continue to increase.

What this means is bilingual children who speak Spanish and grow up to go into the global workforce, will have far more opportunities to work for companies overseas without ever having to leave their homes.

Increases Ability to Learn More Languages

Many Spanish words have similarities to other languages, including - but not limited to - English and Italian because of their Latin roots. For example, the word "Love" is rooted in the Latin word "amare." In Spanish, it is "Amo" and in Italian it is "Amore" and in French, it's "Amour."

Learning Spanish is a start to learning many Latin commonalities the language has with other languages so that even if they don't know the full language of Italian, they might be able to gleen a little bit just based on the similarities with Spanish.

Additionally, researchers have found that students who learned a first language were better able to learn third and even fourth languages. If being bilingual looks good on a resume, imagine the career benefits of being trilingual or quadrilingual.

We believe in the many benefits that come from learning a second language and we believe the sooner the better. We invite you to contact us today to find out more about our specialized language training program.

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Spanish for Kids: How Grocery Shopping Helps Strengthen Their Spanish Skills

Grocery shopping with your children is sometimes tough simply because there is so much to ask about and question in a shop so full of items! One way to make the grocery shopping trip fun for your child while also teaching them a valuable skill is to use the store as an object lesson for learning Spanish words. Children learn very quickly but usually appreciate concrete items they can see and touch, so the grocery store and food preparation time can be wonderful opportunities for learning.

Making the Shopping List

If you have a child who is learning to read and write, have them help you with making the shopping list for the week in both English and Spanish. If they are not writing any letters yet, you'll still begin their curiosity about language learning if you let them look on as you write, watching you form letters with a pen. If they are children who love getting up and looking around the pantry and the fridge, have them survey the cabinets and cupboards and ask, "what are we missing? What do we need more of?" Each time your child identifies a needed ingredient, translate the word into Spanish and have them try saying it one time, or even multiple times.

Inside the Store

You can visit a traditional grocery store, since many have an aisle with Latin American specialty products that have Spanish on the product packages, or you can choose a local specialty store that focuses on Mexican or another Latin American country's products. Have your child remember or read the items on the list and look around for them. Have them say the names of the different products as they are looking for the products and as they put them into the cart or basket. Ask them questions about the different products as you shop - it may seem like shopping takes longer this way, but with a little preparation, this kind of shopping actually creates more engagement with your child which means they are less likely to get bored and get into mischief. 

• In the produce section, have children practice Spanish colors with "the green cucumber" (el pepino verde), teaching the basics of article use and adjective use from the start. Don't worry if they see it all as one jumbled word at first - small children are amazing at learning auditorily and they may have an easier time remembering than you think.

• In sections where you want to comparison shop, like choosing a box of crackers from 20 different varieties, you can introduce Spanish numbers: "tres" for three, or "dos" for two, and see if they can figure out which one is less expensive (menos caro)!

• Little games, like playing "I Spy" in Spanish can keep small ones entertained when you have a long walk to the next section or need to backtrack. In Spanish, there is a version you can use called "Veo Veo: the exchange goes like this:

  • Veo veo (I see, I see)

  • Response: ¿Qué ves? (What do you see?)

  • Una cosita (A little thing)

  • ¿Qué cosita? (What thing?)

  • Empieza con la "A" (It begins with the letter A)

  • Then the child begins guessing; clearly, children who know their alphabet well will do best in this game.

Putting Groceries Away

Repetition is the key to growing one's vocabulary in Spanish, and luckily, a perfect repetition opportunity exists with groceries, since they need to be put away. Have your child take out groceries, mention how they feel - cold, dry, etc. - and remind them of those words in Spanish. See if they remember what the item is called or if they can sound out the Spanish writing on the package. As they put the items away, you can introduce more words: refrigerator, cabinet, kitchen, and more. Clearly, if you and your child are full-up on Spanish words for the day, that's fine! Grocery shopping happens often in most families, which means that each grocery trip is an opportunity to reinforce past words and encourage the next ones!

Cooking With Kids and Spanish

Children love feeling skilled and independent, and the kitchen is a great place to begin giving children the opportunity to help around the house and feel proud of the food they create. Let them look through recipe cards with you or through parent-approved recipe boards on Pinterest to help you select a recipe that fits the ingredients you have. Many fun words will come up, from apron to whisk, as you assemble the needed ingredients and begin to practice the actions needed for preparing food. You can combine Spanish with kitchen safety, reminding your child that the tasks involving knives or extreme heat, for instance, are for the parents. Your child can practice writing the letters of the Spanish name for the food you create and make a label for the dish before it is served to the family. Once again, the ingredients in your dish will be another reminder of the words your child has learned: you'll be amazed how this simple 4-step repetition exercise will teach your child so quickly!

Many children's books exist that include information about food; look for Spanish language picture books to read together that will help to inspire your child to come up with the next recipe for cooking. Spanish-language children's television programming can also provide a source of excitement to get your child interested in groceries, food, and cooking with you. This can be a good way to ease into cooking together if your child tends to be a picky eater, since many children take much more ownership over meals they come up with themselves and become slightly more adventurous eaters in the process.

The process of grocery shopping with children can seem tough when they get the wiggles or decide to run around the store, but engaging them with a lesson in Spanish can help them to feel focused and engaged. With a little prep ahead of time, grocery shopping can be the educational highlight of your week.

Photo by David Veksler on Unsplash

4 Fun Ways to Teach Your Child Spanish

With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, it's the perfect time to start teaching your child Spanish! Cinco de Mayo commemorates the unlikely 1862 victory of the Mexican army over the French army in the Battle of Puebla. Celebrations around Mexico and the United States highlight Mexican culture, cuisine, and music. We've compiled a few Spanish vocabulary words that follow the theme of the festivities, as well as 4 fun ways to teach your child Spanish!

La batalla – battle La revolucion – revolution La bandera – flag El heroe – hero La independencia – independence La victoria – victory

Teaching your child Spanish has benefits that go beyond the obvious advantage of a bilingual child; the opportunity to strengthen your bond with your child as you work together learning a new language is invaluable. As you and your child begin the journey of learning Spanish, remember to have fun. According to research, learning actually takes place best when the child is having fun. Here are 4 fun ways to teach children Spanish:

Music

Music is an excellent way to aid in memory. John Hopkins University had this to report, “Music can also create a highly focused learning state in which vocabulary and reading material is absorbed at a great rate. When information is put to rhythm and rhyme these musical elements will provide a hook for recall.”

Little Pim's Spanish Bop will have your whole family singing while learning Spanish at the same time! And don’t worry if you don’t know Spanish–the album comes with a 16-page lyrics book that highlights vocabulary from our Spanish video series and includes an English translation of all the songs. Incorporating Spanish music in your lessons is definitely helpful for gaining your little one's attention and makes language learning fun!

Visuals

Research reveals that the mind is able to process visuals 60,000 times faster in the brain than textual information. Simply put, your child will learn more quickly and effectively when visuals are a big part of the learning model. By utilizing pictures, flashcards, videos, and board books, the information will solidify in his/her mind.

Games

Everyone loves a fun game. Furthermore, for the tactile learner (which is the child who learns through touching and doing), games are a tremendous way to connect positive experiences with the act of learning the language. Depending on the age of the child, you will have to modify the games. Here are a few suggestions for an older child.

Once the child knows a few basic words (learned from the Little Pim videos or flashcards), set flashcards on the floor in a path leading to a surprise, treat, or just a big hug. The object of the game is the child says either the word in Spanish or tells you the translation (what it means in English). As they advance along the path, they pick up the cards and if they get the right answer, they move on to the next card until they win by reaching the end.

A variation of the game above is to use the flashcards, but for each one that the child gets right, he or she can put a stuffed animal in the “zoo” (a sectioned off area you designate to be a zoo) to be with all its friends. When she gets all the animals in the zoo, then the game is over.

Play a Spanish song that your child knows pretty well, then periodically pause the CD for your child to fill in the missing word. To add some child fitness exercises to the mix, you could make learning new words into an action game. For each word your little one is able to say, they get to do a jumping jack, hop like a bunny, or some other fun action your child enjoys!

You can also try this free online game from Scholastic: Spanish Heritage – Piñata Game

Multicultural Events

Learning about the Spanish culture, experimenting with Mexican foods, and even taking a trip to Mexico are also wonderful ways to immerse your child in the experience of the Mexican culture. As the child identifies with and learns about the culture, he or she will have a more well-rounded educational experience.

Learning the Spanish language is an asset for children. Making it enjoyable goes a long way in making it stick in the child’s mind. At Little Pim, we produced the #1 language learning program for kids ages 0-6 and products such as flashcard sets and board books to make language learning fun for little ones.