It’s been almost a month already since Adrian started his Spanish Immersion school and we really love it! There are so many little anecdotes that happen each day, it has been a definite change in our lives. We like it. So today I wanted to tell you some of the things we love about the Spanish Immersion School and about back to school in general.
1. New words. He comes home telling me for example: Mami, did you know kite in spanish is said Papagayo or papalote? I love this!!! And I act like oh yes? wow! Thanks for telling me hijo!
2. He is speaking more Spanish! You know this is huge cause Spanish does not come first for Adrian but now it is more prominent. I immediately noticed how he uses more vocabulary when he speaks Spanish, words that he wasn’t using before!
3. Questions and more questions. This is amazing, he asks lots of moe questions and deeper ones, and being prepared to answer more is quite fun! It’s the part were you think, oh yeah, I would like to explain this to him, glad you asked! And he is understanding more and more of our explanations and doesn’t care:)
4. Opened to learning Spanish. Sometimes he says things in spanish using new words that I know he just learned because he never used it before like Elote (means “corn” -the way they say it in Mexico) and then I tell him, you can also say maizito (the way we say it venezuela) and he is very very opened and interested in the new word, he asks me a LOT what does a word mean now when I speak to him.
5. Meeting like-minded friends. This goes for him and for us. It’s nice to know that the friends he will make at school will know how to speak spanish and also the parents that we meet have the same interest of wanting their kids to grow bilingual.
6. Multi-cultural surroundings. Given the fact that the school is for kids that want to learn a new language, there are families with lots of different backgrounds, they are not all latinos! And there are many races, something we love, so they can all learn that we are all different and can learn and be together.
7. The small problems. Watching how Adrian has to deal with his day-to-day at school reminds us how simple life can be, if we only had their problems! I asked him if there was anything he didn’t like about his new school. He said: Yes, when the teacher tells us to be still and sit with or hands on our lap, I don’t like that! I can’t stay still Mami! 🙂 This is true, I know he can’t! LOL! But thank goodness it was just that!
8. All the new activities. They have many after-school activities that we can sign him up for. And they also have a running club in the morning before class, they have the field set-up and they give cards to the students and the parents who want to join, the cards get punched for each lap which is one mile and they get awards for so many miles and then some of them can also participate in marathons. Adrian LOVES it! It’s perfect for him since he needs to drain out so much energy. I run with him sometimes 😉
I am the one that takes him everyday. At the beginning I stayed with him until they went in the classroom but little by little I leave earlier, I am also learning to let-go! it was hard! But I’m also getting used to it, he is getting big quickly!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as a Britax Latina Advisory Board Member. As always, all opinions, ideas, and stories are 100% my own.
1. Nuevas palabras. Viene y me dice por ejemplo: Mami, sabías que “kite” se dice papagayo o también papalote en español? Y yo le digo, ah que interesante hijo, gracias!
2. Habla más español! Esto como saben es sensacional, porque es mi principal foco, que lo hable más y si ahora habla mucho más y con má vocabulario, me dice frases con palabras que se que nunca antes había utilizado.
3. Preguntas y más preguntas. Esto es impresionante, hace preguntas un poco más profundas y hay que estar preparados para responderle lo cual es divetido, ahí es cuando pienso, ah si, yo le quiero explicar esto que acaba de preguntar, que buena pregunta! Aparte no le molesta que le conteste en español!
4. Abierto a aprender más español. Algunas veces usa una nueva palabra como Elote y yo le digo, si, y también se dice maizito (así le decimos en Venezuela!) y se interesa mucho en mi explicación y además me pregunta BASTANTE a cada rato cuando hablo qué significa alguna palabra que no entendió.
5. Nuevos amigos con los mismas ideas. Esto es para él y para nosotros también. Es chévere saber que los amigos que está conociendo en el colegio van a aprender español también y quieren que sus hijos sean bilingües.
9 Comments
Elvira
September 29, 2012 at 6:42 amESta super interesante este post hija. Me encanta como describes las cosas y como eres coherente.
Es importante para que luego puedas hacer un libro, seria chevere,
Besos,
mamita
Ana Maria
September 29, 2012 at 2:39 pmawww cute post. Me encantó también la simplicidad de los problemas de Adrian!
Creo que donde yo vivo tienen un bilingual program donde la mitad de clases es en español y la otra mitad en inglés.
Es la escuela de Adrián sólo español?
Dariela
October 4, 2012 at 10:17 pmHola! Si, esta es inmersión en español 100%. Empiezan a aprender en inglés en el 3er grado con un 15%. Aquí hay otro post donde expliqué como es la escuela hst el octavo grado: http://www.mamitalks.com/2012/05/spanish-immersion-school-yay.html Es impresionante!! Ojalá que si puedas meter a tu hija en la bilingüe, es de tanta ayuda para ellos y para tí!! Saluditos Anita!
Cecy
October 4, 2012 at 8:28 pmQue fantastico, Dari. It's great that he's learning so much at such a young age. It will benefit these children later in life.
Dariela
October 4, 2012 at 10:18 pmYes, I know. It's really so exciting that I am not the only one teaching and in charge of his spanish. I feel I have a whole army now! 🙂
Ruby
October 9, 2012 at 1:45 amThis is awesome Amiga I wish we had stayed in San Diego for this very reason. Perhaps one day we will return and be able to take advantage of the bilingual immersion schools in the area!
Dariela
October 11, 2012 at 5:26 amIt would be so nice if you could come back and be close by!!!! Oh I can imagine! Hopefully one day there will be something close-by to you, ojalá que si!!!
Ana Flores
October 9, 2012 at 4:32 amSo excited for all of you! Me encanta que diga Elote! Jajaja!
Y qué tal todas las canciones nuevas que aprenden español? Estoy fascinada!
Dariela
October 11, 2012 at 5:28 amDerek and me keep talking about how great it is every day!
El no ha cantado mucho pero si hace como 2 días me fijé que en el baño estaba cantando en español, una belleza!!!