About the "Mom"

ABOUT THE "MOM" : I grew up in Miami, in a home where both parents spoke Spanish. (Almost) effortlessly, I was raised bilingually, English/Spanish. I later learned French and German, just for fun. Today, I have two toddlers of my own. I want them to grow up loving foreign languages, too. I want them to learn about their cultural heritage and be fluent in Spanish, and maybe even have a bit of "fun" learning a third language conversationally. One little hiccup: my husband speaks only English. I don't have the benefit of two parents in the home literally "speaking the same (foreign) language." So how do you raise bilingual, bi-cultural children in a primarily monolingual home? Can it be done? All I know is that with a lot of effort and creativity, I am sure trying and because I firmly believe it is beneficial for my children to speak multiple languages fluently, I hope against hope that it all works out. I know that there are many of you out there in similar situations and I am excited to share my successes (and a few foibles) with you. I'm equally eager to hear what others of you are trying and experiencing in raising your children bilingually, whatever that second language might be. So enough chit-chat...let's start TALKING!!

-Consuelo Bova,

Mom of 2, Speaker of 4 and CEO of SmartMouthLearning.com


Thursday, September 8, 2011

Want to teach your children Spanish? Don't delay, SAP to it!

If you're like me.. I feel a tiny bit guilty when my children are sitting in front of the TV set- shouldn't they be doing something a little more productive?  Certainly I limit what they watch to the children's shows with a slightly more "educational" spin (think "SuperWhy!" for reading, or "Curious George" for Math & Science- check local listings).  But when they are home, I also want them to be working on Spanish learning with me.  Solution?  If I "can't talk" (making dinner, for example) - a little TV is fine.  And the Spanish learning can happen to... just SAP to it!  Remember that funny button on your remote for SAP?  Aha!  It's actually useful.  SAP stands for "Secondary Audio Programming" and is often used for Spanish language programming.  Many childrens' programs are SAP enabled (check on the lower part of the screen when the show begins- you will see a "SAP" symbol if SAP is enabled for that program).  All you have to do is set your TV to SAP, and SAP enabled programs will run in Spanish-  including their favorite children's shows and cartoons!  Besides watching shows they already love in Spanish (win!)- let's be honest, they probably have many of their favorite episodes memorized, right?  Great!  It's easier for them to make the connections and understand the program in Spanish if they are already very familiar with the language used on the show in English. 

So what are you waiting for- SAP to it & you'll marvel at how quickly your children start "hablando"!

-Consuelo Bova,
CEO, SmartMouthLearning.com
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2 comments:

  1. Denisse FosterSeptember 8, 2011 at 2:31 PM

    I tried to post on your 10 ways article but couldn't. I agree that it is hard to work to speak spanish to my three year old child. I have found it harder recently. It doesn't come as an instinct anymore. I'll try some of those tips. I'm especially interested in the preschool option of choosing one that is more bilingual friendly. Haven't actively started searching yet.
    Thanks for posting! I'm Jessie's friend btw :)

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  2. Consuelo C. Bova, Esq. , C.E.O. ForTheFit.comSeptember 12, 2011 at 12:48 PM

    Of course I remember you! I can't believe Maya is 3 already! Thanks for checking in to the blog- stay tuned- I plan to interview some of the local schools offering foreign language or bilingual ed. If you need info sooner- friend me on facebook or send me a message via FB- I can t ell you where the kids are. Their school is local, and bilingual Spanish/English. Thanks again for reading & posting! -Connie

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