FAQs

FAQs  |  Tips for Parents  |  Language Programs

What is Spanish immersion? “Spanish immersion” means children learn Spanish by hearing and speaking only Spanish. No English is spoken. Whistlefritz Spanish DVDs and CDs help children learn Spanish using this immersion method. Why use Spanish immersion? Why not translate? Our DVDs and CDs teach Spanish to children using immersion for an important reason: switching back and forth between English and Spanish makes it harder for a child to master Spanish. Skeptical? If you don’t speak Spanish yourself, listen to a Spanish-language radio station. Even if you don’t understand the Spanish words, you’ll start to develop a feel for the “sound” of Spanish -- the cadence, the accents, the typical endings of words. Even if you can’t say the words, you can quickly start to mimic the way the language sounds. This is how children all over the world learn their native language and it’s the best way to learn Spanish or any other language!

Children are great mimics. If you immerse children in Spanish, they will learn more than just a word here or there – they will learn the “feel”, sound, and structure of Spanish. When my son was learning Spanish, he would put “el” and “la” before English words, then end them with “a” or “o”. “El monkey-o, la flower-a, mi blanket-o.” This was an important step: he understood how the language worked and sounded, even before he knew many words. He was breaking the language code.

Young children are enthusiastic language students, who are less self-conscious than older students. Young children focus on immediate communication and do not worry about making mistakes.

Skipping translation is the key to fluency.
The best case I can make for immersion is my lack of mastery of French. I studied French in junior high and high school. I learned every word in French by translating it from English. Now, when attempting to speak French, I speak extremely slowly. Why? Because I have to first plan out everything that I want to say in English, then translate every word into French. This is not a quick process. This is a tedious process. It’s also why you never hear me speaking French. In contrast, my children learned to speak Spanish through full Spanish immersion. They learned words by seeing photos, illustrations, or real images and making a direct connection between the images and the Spanish words. They saw a picture of a dog and heard “el perro.” They learned that “el perro” is what you call the thing that they’re seeing. Here’s the crucial part: they skipped the step of thinking “That’s a dog. The word for ‘dog’ in Spanish is ‘perro,’ so that’s a ‘perro.’” My children see a dog and make a direct connection between the image of the dog and the Spanish word “perro.” I see a dog and think “dog”, then I think “What is the French word for ‘dog’?” and finally I think “chien.” By that point, the dog has run away.

Can children learn Spanish from DVDs without translation?
Absolutely! And Whistlefritz Spanish DVDs can help them on their way. Not only can children learn Spanish without translation, this is the best way for children to learn! Why? Children are born without understanding any language, but they have the ability to learn every language. An English-speaking two-year old doesn’t understand every English word she hears. But, over time she collects different pieces of the language puzzle and begins to piece them together. This same two-year old will approach learning Spanish in exactly the same way. While an adult may be frustrated if he does not understand every word that is being said, a toddler is used to not understanding everything she hears. She tries to figure it out anyway.

Don’t take our word for it – watch the Whistlefritz Spanish DVD, Los Animales, one time with your child. Then ask your child to show you where “el perro” is. You will see that your child has already absorbed Spanish words through immersion from just one viewing. Skipping the translation stage is the key to fluency. Being fluent in Spanish doesn’t mean you understand every word, it means you can express yourself in Spanish and understand others. Children can achieve fluency more easily and more permanently through Spanish immersion.

Why start so young?
Early childhood is the best time to learn Spanish, or any other language. According to the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL), studies show that babies can hear all the sounds in the world. However, from birth on, brain paths start to be developed only for the language or languages that they hear on a regular basis in early childhood. All others are trimmed out. The ability to detect sounds that have not yet been “registered” in the brain diminishes with age, and after puberty this ability is extremely difficult to develop (NNELL, 2007).¹

Do you have a question for Whistlefritz? We’d love to hear from you.

¹ National Network for Early Language Learning (2007, March). Are Children Language Sponges? The Home/School
     Connection: Collaborating to Promote Best Practice in World Language Education, 5,1