9 Comments so far ↓

• NSnoekums // Jan 15, 2009 at 12:08 am

  My girlfriend had the same issue. My friend during the day was home alone with her daughter. During this time, she would only speak English to her daughter and would not respond to any thing the daughter said to her unless her daughter had spoken it in English. After her daughter started speaking English more and more, my friend started a little reward system for her.

  I don't know if this would work for you or not, but it helped my girlfriend.

  Good Luck.
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• Tropica // Jan 15, 2009 at 12:16 am

  You have to practice with her. Like if you call her to eat. Say it in English, if it seems she don't understand repeat it in Spanish. When you talk to her whatever it is she says pretend you don't understand so she will be forced to say it in English. Just keep that up. Since you want her to learn. Make English for the time being the main language you use. To communicate with her.
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• westsida // Jan 15, 2009 at 12:56 am

  continue to speak english in the home. She is at the age where kids pick up the language quickly. Don't stop the spanish though – it will be useful to her to know both languages.
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• Elizabeth L // Jan 15, 2009 at 1:11 am

  If you are currently speaking only Spanish in the home I would start by figuring out her favorite picture books in spanish and then going and buying them in english. You can read and discuss them and she can enjoy them just as much -just in a new language. This may help her to begin to feel more comfortable with the language. All kids go through a non-verbal period where they can understand but don't yet speak. Don't worry! She will also learn rapidly once she is in school!
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• yanks7 // Jan 15, 2009 at 1:37 am

  I agree with everyone else that said to speak English to her in your home. I have kids in my class that come from homes where English isn't the first language. It's so hard to get them to become fluent in English because even though they are speaking and hearing it in school, they go home every night and speak Spanish or Vietnamese or whatever with their parents. To learn a language you have to be completely submerged in it. 5 year olds can pick it up SO quickly, just keep talking to her in English! Good luck!
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• pattycarrillof // Jan 15, 2009 at 2:09 am

  I have read all the replies and disagree with most almost all of them. I went to live in the states when I was 8 and my sister 6. My mother would not permit English at home, not because she couldn’t speak it, but because she wanted us to be completely bilingual. And… it worked. We had all our classes in English and of course everywhere we went, everyone would use English. By the time I was 11, I was bilingual. I spoke fluent English and Spanish. My sister learned how to read and write from my mom. I am an English as a Foreign language teacher now and I think the system works if you are consistent and do not use Spanglish, (both English and Spanish at the same time) as many people do.

  P. S. If you speak to your daughter in English only, she will speak English only. Have patience. Your daughter will pick up both languages with time.
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• g // Jan 15, 2009 at 2:36 am

  Your daughter is going to learn when she starts school. A friend of my daughter spoke spanish only when she entered Kindergarten. She is now finishing up second grade and the child refuses to speak spanish now. Her english is perfect and she has no accent. Recently we were at a restaurant and an Asian child (she's 6) began speaking to us and to our surprise her english was perfect despite the fact her parents only spoke Chinese. I asked her how she learned to speak so well. She proceeded to tell me that she learned by watching television. The child has no accent at all. My suggestion is that you continue to speak to your child in spanish because she will leave it behind soon enough. Ninos tienen la capacidad de aprender otras idiomas con rapidez. No te preocupes porque cuando empieza la escuela ella va dejar de hablar espanol y su preferencia va ser ingles. Enjoy her spanish now all that you can!!! =D
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• Ollie // Jan 15, 2009 at 3:07 am

  Hi,

  There is an article that may get you the idea of how children learn how to read and speak English…

  http://www.groundreport.com/articles.php?id=2833916
  References :
  http://www.groundreport.com/articles.php?id=2833916

• adriana // Jan 15, 2009 at 3:16 am

  Try using this website as a guide: http://www.english180.com/

  It is completely FREE, easy, and makes learning English fun. They have podcasts, videos, interactive lessons, quizzes, games, and more.

  Since it has really nice drawings and animations I think it could really catch her interest.
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