My Project
• My project was about
teaching a foreign
language to young
children
• My final product is a
board game learning
some animals and some
colors in Spanish.
Why I Chose This Project
• I know first hand what it’s like to learn Spanish
when you are older and it doesn’t work so
well.
• My 3 year old daughter watches Dora the
Explorer & picks up on the Spanish in an
instant.
• With her starting to speak some Spanish it has
helped her clear up some of her English.
What I Found Out
• Benefits to teaching a
foreign language at
young ages:
– Improves their
communication skills
– Learn to Appreciate
Diversity
– Have the ability to learn
multiple languages & not
get confused
– Will be able to speak as
well as natives
– Builds a firm foundation
for education & career
• Elementary schools
across the U.S. are
starting to offer second
language
What I Found Out Cont..
• Two effective ways of
teaching to children:
– First is by reading to
children from books or
them watching videos
– Two favorite shows to
watch:
• Dora the Explorer
• Go Diego Go
What I Found Out Cont..
– The second way is
placing the child in a
class solely conducted in
the target language
• Absolutely no translations
occur
• Every single word spoken
is in target language
• The best ages to teach
your children a 2nd
language is Birth-10
– Experts say that after
age 10 it is harder to
comprehend it
• Researchers found
children through age 5
can learn and process 5
languages
What I Found Out Cont..
• Many parents don’t feel that it is a good idea
to start teaching them a different language at
a young age. Why?:
– Some parents are afraid it will mess up their kid’s
English skills
– Some are afraid their kids will develop speech
delays
– Some are afraid it will hinder reading abilities
What I Found Out Cont..
• There is no evidence that teaching a foreign
language to a young child is going to mess up
their English.
• In fact, children who learn a second language
derived from latin, does higher on SAT Scores
• Many parents are starting to realize the
importance of teaching a 2nd language
Who Benefits?
• Do you know what
these words are:
– El Perro(a)
– El gato
• How far can you count
in Spanish?
– Uno, dos, tres, cuatro,
cinco, seis, seite, ocho,
nueve, diez
• The children benefit
greatly in present time
and future.
• Adults can also learn
some Spanish while
playing with their
children
My Thoughts
• I am pleased with what I had found
• I am continually talking Spanish with my
daughter
• I believe everyone should try to teach their kid
a second language because there is more
positive in the long run
• There are so many ways to get your child to
learn, you can buy software or games
My Thoughts Cont..
• Don’t be scared to try to teach your child a
second language, besides who knows it could
be beneficial to you as well
• Just remember to keep it fun and interesting
so they don’t loose interest too fast, but don’t
be to hard and restrictive where they don’t
want nothing to do with it
My Sources
• iGoogle at
http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en&referrer=ign
• http://daycare.suite101.com/print_article.cfm/f
oreign_language_in_preschool
• http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/parenting/s
econdlanguage.htm
• http://www.earlyadvantage.com/Articles/teachingspanish.aspx
My Sources Cont..
• http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/fa
mily/story/334633.html