| As a Spanish teacher, I'm always being asked | | | | Certainly, we as teachers will always strive |
| for recommendations about which language a | | | | to bring that excitement into our classrooms |
| child should take. | | | | and instill that love in all students. But |
| | | | sometimes, as in any relationship, the heart |
| This frequently comes up when children are | | | | is elsewhere. |
| moving up from elementary school - where in | | | | |
| many cases, Spanish is the only language | | | | In languages, as in love, el corazón tiene |
| offered - to middle school, where they | | | | razones que la razón desconoce. The heart |
| actually have a choice for the first time. | | | | has its reasons that reason knows nothing of. |
| And this is what I often hear: | | | | |
| | | | But what about those "wasted" years, the time |
| "Joey want to take French, but I think he | | | | spent on another language that would be |
| should keep taking Spanish. I mean, he's been | | | | abandoned if a child moves on to another |
| learning Spanish since kindergarten, and it's | | | | language? |
| such a useful language ...." | | | | |
| | | | No te preocupes. Don't worry. I don't believe |
| To which I reply .... | | | | any of that time, or any of that language |
| | | | learning, is wasted. In fact, the opposite is |
| Joey should take whatever language he wants! | | | | true. In languages, anything that you have |
| | | | already learned will enhance what you study |
| Parents are almost always surprised by my | | | | in the future - you have programmed your mind |
| response, especially since I am a Spanish | | | | to learn vocabulary, sentence structures, and |
| teacher. And in fact, there are a number of | | | | different ways of expressing things. And |
| language experts who would disagree with me. | | | | anything that you study in the future will |
| Neither one likes to see what was learned in | | | | reinforce what you have already learned - "Oh |
| elementary school "wasted" if the child moves | | | | yes, that's like what I learned in Spanish," |
| on to another language. | | | | or "Oh, that's different from the way you say |
| | | | it in Spanish." |
| But to me, language is about a passion to | | | | |
| communicate, a connection to the people, a | | | | To reinforce my point, I always point out to |
| love for the sound and feeling of the | | | | parents - whose children, in many cases, |
| language, an interest in the culture and the | | | | started learning Spanish in kindergarten - |
| countries where the language is spoken. | | | | that I didn't learn a word of Spanish until |
| | | | 11th grade. I studied Latin for four years, |
| So as much as possible, you should be | | | | and only after that did I begin to learn |
| studying the language that appeals to YOU. | | | | Spanish (and the following year, Italian as |
| | | | well). Despite that "late" start, I achieved |
| I don't want people in my Spanish classes | | | | near-native fluency and now spend much of my |
| because they think it's useful or - even | | | | day speaking Spanish. |
| worse - that it's easy. (Hello?? Por vs. | | | | |
| para? Ser vs. estar? A gazillion irregular | | | | How and why did I become fluent? Because I |
| verbs? Subjunctive????) | | | | loved the language, the culture, the people, |
| | | | the music, the food, the poetry, the |
| I want students who want to learn Spanish | | | | literature .... all of it. Because I followed |
| because they love it, because they love the | | | | my heart and my interests and my passion. |
| sound of it, the culture, the music, the | | | | |
| people, the poetry, the history, the | | | | So, which language should your child take? |
| literature ... all of it. | | | | |
| | | | Ask your child! |