Why should your kids learn Spanish?
Spanish for kids is easy and fun!
With growing Hispanic communities around the world, there are more and more resources to learn Spanish, a lot of which can be attributed to the entertainment industry as well. How do we go about teaching Spanish for kids? We integrate fun in all of our Spanish lessons through storytelling, games, music and dance. Our Spanish classes are designed to both enhance your child’s language skills and stimulate their creative thinking.
Today, Spanish for kids has been made easier with more movies, TV shows and cartoons. Many popular Spanish cartoons, TV shows and movies for kids can be found on Netflix and not only do they serve as great sources of entertainment for your child, but watching these will help them pick up some Spanish vocabulary along the way.
Some of our favourite Spanish shows for kids recommendations include:
Octonauts
Octonauts follows a team of ocean explorers who embark on adventures to explore and protect the underwater world. The show is available to watch on Netflix and is a popular favourite amongst young kids everywhere.
Dora the Explorer
Of course, we have Dora the Explorer, a beloved classic! The show tells the story of a young explorer who sets off on all sorts of adventures with her monkey companion, Boots.
Tadeo Jones
The popular animated film revolves around a misunderstanding where a dreamer, Tadeo, goes on an adventure after becoming a famous archaeologist. With the help of his faithful companions, he hopes to save the mythical lost city, Paititi from the clutches of an evil treasure hunter organisation.
As your child grows up as well, there are plenty more tv shows and movies they can enjoy to maintain their Spanish. We also have a range of books and resources your child can start learning Spanish from today.
Earn Language Skills
Learning spanish at a young age tends to be easier than attempting to learn it later during adulthood. During childhood and early adolescence, the cognitive capacity to learn and pick up languages is quite different compared to adults. From the moment they are born to around the age of eight, children are developing their language skills, with a more natural inclination to learning about communication. This includes developing their ability to think, process situations and problem solve, which also teaches them about understanding their own feelings and how to express them.
Whilst anyone can learn a language and at any age, the learning abilities children possess are different to the ones we are left with as adults, as the brain tends to store information and memories differently with age. As a child, they have a greater capacity to learn a new language as they have less existing knowledge of more complex language structures, making it significantly easier to pick up.
English and Spanish both stem from the same Latin roots, which means that learning both languages at the same time when they are young will provide them with a better understanding of how languages evolve and the English language itself.
Once your child develops the mental foundations of learning a language, their bilingual abilities will also equip them with the same tools to pick up more languages easier and faster as well, especially with languages sharing similar linguistic roots. There have also been studies that have shown that children who are bilingual or multilingual, are able to excel better academically and often have greater creativity.
Spanish is widely spoken
Undoubtedly, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with over 450 million native speakers. After Chinese, Spanish is actually the second most spoken language, with English coming in at third place. Around the world, there are 20 countries where Spanish is the official language. It is the main language for most of South and Central America. A few of the countries with larger Spanish-speaking populations include Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Argentina and Peru. Additionally, the United States also has a large number of native Spanish speakers and is also the next most popular language after English. By choosing to enrol your child in Spanish classes at a young age, they will be able to interact and make Spanish speaking friends as well, especially as it is one of the fastest growing languages in the world.
If your child is able to speak Spanish, their travels to Spanish-speaking countries will be more adventurous as they’ll be able to interact with and explore the more local areas, fully immersing themselves in the culture.
Cultural and social development
By engaging your child in Spanish lessons at an early age, they will also develop a greater sense of cultural awareness, not just for the Hispanic community, but in general, as it forms the mental building blocks that will allow them to process different cultures they will be exposed to later in life. Learning Spanish also may also help them to become more appreciative of different cultures in the future as they will be able to understand them.
Many bilingual children who were taught a language a second language at an early age are usually linked with an increased sense of empathy and open-mindedness as they can better understand and tolerate diversity. Learning Spanish will allow them to connect with others easier, especially due to the increased empathy and understanding of different perspectives.
Spanish for kids at Farolito
In addition to our intensive Spanish courses or group Spanish lessons for adults and teenages, we also provide Spanish programs for kids.
Our Canta Cuentos group program runs on 10-week terms and is tailored towards children from 0-5 years old. This program immerses children in the Spanish culture in a fun and meaningful way, to broaden their cultural horizons.
Aside from the Private Spanish Tutors and lessons we have, Farolito offers private Spanish lessons for kids aged 5 – 12 years old, which can be delivered online or at your home.
Learn Spanish at Farolito
Feel free to contact us if you would like to know more about our Spanish for kids programs or other Spanish courses.
We also offer different private or group Spanish lessons for adults at a range of levels from beginners to advanced Spanish as well. So why wait? You can enrol your child or yourself into one of our Spanish classes today to get started on an exciting cultural adventure!
To find out about the Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language (DELE) certifications for your kids future progression click here.