I have been asked for recommendations on learning Spanish more times than I can possibly count, by people of all ages and all walks of life. I give them a different answer every time. Why? When it comes to learning a second (or third, or fourth) language, there is not a one-size-fits-all, cut-and-dry approach. The reason I know this is because of my own experiences and observations as well as all I have learned professionally.
So when someone asks me how to learn Spanish, my first thought is, “Do they really want to learn Spanish, or do they just want to be able to order a beer and talk about the weather?” If it’s a child we are talking about, I wonder, “Do they want a FLEX, FLES, immersion, or world language program, and how old is their child?”
My own professional and personal life has taken a zig-zag journey, allowing me to experience many approaches, and check lots of language expert boxes along the way.
I am:
- A lifelong Spanish learner (over 30 years of learning and using Spanish)
- A licensed Spanish teacher (Montessori and International Baccalaureate)
- A former bilingual classroom teacher (both one-way and dual language)
- A spouse to a native Spanish speaker who went from an intermediate English speaker to a fully fluent speaker in the 25 years we’ve known one another
- A former homeschooling mom to a bilingual son who has studied 2 other languages
- A Master’s Degree holder of Curriculum and Instruction with a Concentration in Bilingual Education
- A former ELL Coordinator
- A former ESL teacher
- A former Spanish tutor to adults
Furthermore, and this will ruffle a few feathers, it is not quite true that sequential language learners acquire a new language the same way they acquired their first language, as some educators profess. The older we get, the more we need those opportunities for grammar and vocabulary analysis, as well as a comprehensible input + 1 approach. Allow me to geek out about this for a moment.
First of all, our brains, in infancy, are able to make distinctions between language sounds in a way that adolescent and adult brains cannot. Not only that, but the way that toddlers learn their first language is primarily through use of a triad of hearing words and phrases, observing the related object or action, and witnessing the behavior or reaction of the important adults in relation to these. Primary school-aged children, with an already acquired language, learn second languages not only with the use of this triad, but also by applying their current language skills and knowledge to their learning. Yet they still have a higher aptitude for distinguishing and mimicking new sounds than older minors and adults do, and they are still learning their first language, to an extent. This is why dual language programs ask that students start at a young age, while their brains are still in a stage where they still depend strongly on use of that triad.
But this doesn’t mean that immersion experiences are not valuable and helpful for older students! On the contrary! I grew by leaps and bounds when I spent a semester abroad in Mexico. But you know what? I was drawing from my memorized vocabulary and grammar knowledge as I pieced together what I heard and observed in my experience. Those 4 years of combined high school and college Spanish paid off, for sure!
Ultimately, the way people learn a language is like snow – no two paths are exactly alike. The amount of time and real life exposure to the language determine the speed of our linguistic absorption. A student who is taking Spanish as a foreign language will not acquire it at the same speed as a dual language student, because the former have less time and exposure to the language, generally speaking. But that doesn’t mean their language acquisition path is not effective! People’s interests and skill levels in reading and listening, as well as prior knowledge of or openness to other cultures and languages also affect their learning.
The key to language-learning success is, for many, intrinsic motivation. In the school where I taught this past year, I had a group of about 85 students who I had the pleasure of teaching for two years (our first year being entirely online, distance learning). Some of those students are well on their way down a path toward developing fluency! I cannot take full credit for their success because it is largely due to their own motivation. As for the rest of my students, who have average motivation (let’s face it, many are taking a language simply because it is required as opposed to choosing to learn it) I am excited for them to move to their next level of learning and I feel confident that they are equipped to perform well as they move ahead. The few who did poorly are the same ones who regularly chose not to do the assignments they were given, with zero exceptions.
So, which way is best for your student(s), or for you? It depends upon circumstances and motivation, truly. Because I have worked with so many different types of learners and within various environments, the material I create is influenced by those experiences and helps a wide variety of learners. El Puente Bilingüe materials are geared toward independent learners (age 11 – 99), Montessori students, homeschooling students, emergent bilingual students, and foreign language students in traditional programs (including IB). To see what is available, please visit my products page or my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. You can also follow me on Facebook.