frequently asked questions
Q: What is included in one month of classes?
A: One month of classes includes 1 class each week (prices are based on 4 classes/week so some months you get a freebie fifth class!). In addition to weekly classes, all currently enrolled children have access to our lending library of Spanish books for Spanish learners, take home activities and a copy of our monthly parent resources brochure which includes the current month's songs, poems and activities that reinforce what your child is learning in class.
Q: When does the new month of classes begin?
A: On the first day of the month classes begin and enrollment opens for the following month.
Q: Do you offer anything for children who already know Spanish?
A: Because we teach Spanish through immersion, classes are easily adapted to meet the needs of the students in class. Our lessons are carefully tailored to the needs of the students enrolled. Even 2 classes of the same level, in the same day, don't look the same because different students are enrolled. While beginners pick up on nouns, verbs and the rhythms of the language, very advanced students pick up on more advanced vocabulary and grammar concepts, all during the same activity.
Q: Can both of my children attend the same class, even if one child is a little too old for the class?
A: Of course! The ages listed for each class are guidelines rather than rules. They help you know what developmental level the activities are geared towards. It is not uncommon for a family to have a 10 month old and a 2 year old together in our Discovery class for 1-2 year olds or to have a 1 year old and a 3 year old in that same class. For some families, their children do well together and it is easiest to come to one class instead of two. For other families, one child 'helps' the other by translating or their children distract each other so it's best to have them in separate classes. Our classes are easily adapted to meet the needs of the students in class and we encourage you to find the best fit for your family. If you're not sure which class is right for your family, feel free to ask. If you choose a class that doesn't work out, you can always transfer to a class that fits your situation a little better.
Q: My child has never been exposed to Spanish. Is this class right for him/her?
A: The wonderful thing about immersion methods is that children of all levels are able to learn at their own level and pace. We use the world around us to make language understandable so absolute beginners will learn things such as names of frequently used objects (ball, puppet, dog, etc), and common commands (sit down, stand up, etc) while students who speak and understand more advanced Spanish will pick up on the finer details of grammar and the more difficult vocabulary. Our lessons are carefully tailored to the needs of the students enrolled.
Q: How will my child understand if you don’t tell them what the words mean in English?
A: We use the world around us to give meaning to the words we are using. When we ask the students to sit down, we demonstrate, gesture and repeat ourselves to help students learn the meaning of the words. When we talk about a dog, we play with a stuffed dog, feed the dog, pet the dog, sing songs about dogs and read simple dog stories. You can see how your child would learn the word for dog (among others) by the end of class.
Q: My child is already 5 years old. Is it too late for him to learn a new language?
A: No! In fact, we teach Spanish not only to the students enrolled in our classes, but also the parents that accompany them to class! You are never too old to learn a new language and never too old to reap the many benefits of learning such an important skill.
Q: How will my child learn Spanish grammar without textbooks and grammar drills?
A: Your child will learn Spanish grammar in the same way he/she learned the grammar of their native language. Children do not study textbooks and complete grammar drills to learn the grammar of their native language. They listen a lot, practice when they are ready and make a lot of mistakes along the way. By spending time listening to many, many spoken words arranged in a variety of different sentence structures, the brain is able to sort it all out like pieces of a grand puzzle. Children are masters of acquiring language without using textbooks or grammar drills, which is a good thing because they must learn language before they can learn to read!
Q: What is the best age to learn a new language?
A: There are many schools of thought on this but at Las Lengüitas, we operate under the belief that the best time to learn a new language is right NOW! Each stage in life has advantages and disadvantages when it comes to learning languages, and depending on the methods you choose for language learning, it can be easy or hard no matter what your age. We aim to use methods that make learning Spanish easy for our students and the parents that accompany them.
Q: Won’t learning more than one language at the same time confuse my child?
A: Absolutely not! Children are designed to learn whatever combination of languages they are exposed to on a regular basis. Research shows that even children learning 5 languages simultaneously don't get confused. There is always room for one more.
Q: What if my child starts mixing up the two languages, using them both in the same sentence?
A: This is absolutely normal. In fact, it is so normal that almost every child raised with multiple languages mixes them at some point. This mixing of languages is how the child’s brain sorts out which words go together and how to use the languages separately.
A: One month of classes includes 1 class each week (prices are based on 4 classes/week so some months you get a freebie fifth class!). In addition to weekly classes, all currently enrolled children have access to our lending library of Spanish books for Spanish learners, take home activities and a copy of our monthly parent resources brochure which includes the current month's songs, poems and activities that reinforce what your child is learning in class.
Q: When does the new month of classes begin?
A: On the first day of the month classes begin and enrollment opens for the following month.
Q: Do you offer anything for children who already know Spanish?
A: Because we teach Spanish through immersion, classes are easily adapted to meet the needs of the students in class. Our lessons are carefully tailored to the needs of the students enrolled. Even 2 classes of the same level, in the same day, don't look the same because different students are enrolled. While beginners pick up on nouns, verbs and the rhythms of the language, very advanced students pick up on more advanced vocabulary and grammar concepts, all during the same activity.
Q: Can both of my children attend the same class, even if one child is a little too old for the class?
A: Of course! The ages listed for each class are guidelines rather than rules. They help you know what developmental level the activities are geared towards. It is not uncommon for a family to have a 10 month old and a 2 year old together in our Discovery class for 1-2 year olds or to have a 1 year old and a 3 year old in that same class. For some families, their children do well together and it is easiest to come to one class instead of two. For other families, one child 'helps' the other by translating or their children distract each other so it's best to have them in separate classes. Our classes are easily adapted to meet the needs of the students in class and we encourage you to find the best fit for your family. If you're not sure which class is right for your family, feel free to ask. If you choose a class that doesn't work out, you can always transfer to a class that fits your situation a little better.
Q: My child has never been exposed to Spanish. Is this class right for him/her?
A: The wonderful thing about immersion methods is that children of all levels are able to learn at their own level and pace. We use the world around us to make language understandable so absolute beginners will learn things such as names of frequently used objects (ball, puppet, dog, etc), and common commands (sit down, stand up, etc) while students who speak and understand more advanced Spanish will pick up on the finer details of grammar and the more difficult vocabulary. Our lessons are carefully tailored to the needs of the students enrolled.
Q: How will my child understand if you don’t tell them what the words mean in English?
A: We use the world around us to give meaning to the words we are using. When we ask the students to sit down, we demonstrate, gesture and repeat ourselves to help students learn the meaning of the words. When we talk about a dog, we play with a stuffed dog, feed the dog, pet the dog, sing songs about dogs and read simple dog stories. You can see how your child would learn the word for dog (among others) by the end of class.
Q: My child is already 5 years old. Is it too late for him to learn a new language?
A: No! In fact, we teach Spanish not only to the students enrolled in our classes, but also the parents that accompany them to class! You are never too old to learn a new language and never too old to reap the many benefits of learning such an important skill.
Q: How will my child learn Spanish grammar without textbooks and grammar drills?
A: Your child will learn Spanish grammar in the same way he/she learned the grammar of their native language. Children do not study textbooks and complete grammar drills to learn the grammar of their native language. They listen a lot, practice when they are ready and make a lot of mistakes along the way. By spending time listening to many, many spoken words arranged in a variety of different sentence structures, the brain is able to sort it all out like pieces of a grand puzzle. Children are masters of acquiring language without using textbooks or grammar drills, which is a good thing because they must learn language before they can learn to read!
Q: What is the best age to learn a new language?
A: There are many schools of thought on this but at Las Lengüitas, we operate under the belief that the best time to learn a new language is right NOW! Each stage in life has advantages and disadvantages when it comes to learning languages, and depending on the methods you choose for language learning, it can be easy or hard no matter what your age. We aim to use methods that make learning Spanish easy for our students and the parents that accompany them.
Q: Won’t learning more than one language at the same time confuse my child?
A: Absolutely not! Children are designed to learn whatever combination of languages they are exposed to on a regular basis. Research shows that even children learning 5 languages simultaneously don't get confused. There is always room for one more.
Q: What if my child starts mixing up the two languages, using them both in the same sentence?
A: This is absolutely normal. In fact, it is so normal that almost every child raised with multiple languages mixes them at some point. This mixing of languages is how the child’s brain sorts out which words go together and how to use the languages separately.
