I teach Spanish at the college level in Texas. My wife speaks no Spanish, so I don't speak a lot of Spanish at home. Everyone asks why my kids are not bilingual since I am. I should make more of an effort to speak Spanish around my kids. My youngest is 5 months and I have started a routine to get her going. I think this could work for kids up to three years old. Whenever we are taking a walk, going for a drive or just playing in her room alone I make a point of speaking in Spanish only. I make it my goal to spend about an hour a day doing this. If you tell yourself that you are going to spend an entire activity with just Spanish you are likely to keep to it, since there is an end in sight. When I just attempt to speak to my daughter in Spanish in general for the day it never seems to work. My wife is around and she wants to know what the heck I am saying! So setting aside a designated time, I think, is the best way to go.
Andrew Lawton
http://drewseslfluencylessons.com
How to make a child bilingual?
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