# 8 months of language classes and then Spanish high school



## Sweetpea68 (Mar 15, 2016)

Hi. My husband wants to get twice weekly Spanish classes in UK for 8 months for our 10 and 12 year old and then put them in a Spanish state school? Pros and cons?


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Well, it is absolutely the right idea to give them Spanish lessons but at their ages they are right on the cusp of finding it ok/not finding it ok. In my opinion, there simply is no substitute for learning Spanish by speaking Spanish with Spanish people. You haven't said, at least on this thread, how you and your husband are with Spanish? Either you can already speak Spanish or you will be learning as well. If that is the case, try having an hour a day where only Spanish is allowed to be spoken at home.


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## BMC77 (Aug 15, 2009)

Hi there,

As a language teacher (English not Spanish), my feeling is that three hours a week of classes over 8 months wouldn't adequately prepare them for studying in a Spanish school. That said, if they've already been studying Spanish for a year or so, and they are good language learners, they might be OK.

Indeed, when my parents moved us to Ireland in the mid-80s, they unwittingly rented a house in the Gaeltacht (all Irish-speaking area) and my brother, then aged 9, had no choice but to go to the local school where everything was taught in Irish. By the end of the first term, he was at the same level as the other kids in the class. 

Briona


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

BMC77 said:


> Hi there,
> 
> As a language teacher (English not Spanish), my feeling is that three hours a week of classes over 8 months wouldn't adequately prepare them for studying in a Spanish school. That said, if they've already been studying Spanish for a year or so, and they are good language learners, they might be OK.
> 
> ...


I agree

As a teacher of Spanish I can say that it will certainly help - & for most 10 year olds will give a great start before total immersion. Many kids of 10 do just fine in Spanish school even with no Spanish beforehand.

For the 12 year old it's a different matter. In secondary school they study around 12 subjects, and it's hard enough for fluent Spanish speakers - constant testing & evaluation - more than one exam per subject per term..... If I had a 12 year old, I'd put him/her into an International/English school


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## JulyB (Jul 18, 2011)

If it were three to five hours daily, I'd say no problem. I've seen teenage Chinese kids start high school here with that kind of study and be fine. But that's likely to be far too expensive. 

What I would do is supplement their classes massively. TV now only in Spanish or dubbed DVDs. Spanish radio (you can listen and watch rtve in the UK online). Favourite books? Spanish versions only. Audio books in the car in Spanish. Try to practise what you learn in class at home daily. Find a local Spanish speaking family (with so many people coming to the UK from Spain and Latin America, there's probably one around) and make friends/pay them to spend an hour with the kids every now and then. 

Immersion, as best you can manage it, is key.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

JulyB said:


> If it were three to five hours daily, I'd say no problem. I've seen teenage Chinese kids start high school here with that kind of study and be fine. But that's likely to be far too expensive.
> 
> What I would do is supplement their classes massively. TV now only in Spanish or dubbed DVDs. Spanish radio (you can listen and watch rtve in the UK online). Favourite books? Spanish versions only. Audio books in the car in Spanish. Try to practise what you learn in class at home daily. Find a local Spanish speaking family (with so many people coming to the UK from Spain and Latin America, there's probably one around) and make friends/pay them to spend an hour with the kids every now and then.
> 
> Immersion, as best you can manage it, is key.


Immersion is the answer, I agree, but if you do what you suggest in the UK I imagine the response would be rejection of Spanish. Real immersion is all day in Spanish, and that's in Spain or Spanish camp and I'm not sure that that exists in the UK. Therre are plenty in Spain though so perhaps private classes to start with and then in the summer a full 6 - 8 week Spanish camp.


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## xolo (May 25, 2014)

thrax said:


> Well, it is absolutely the right idea to give them Spanish lessons but at their ages they are right on the cusp of finding it ok/not finding it ok. In my opinion, there simply is no substitute for learning Spanish by speaking Spanish with Spanish people. You haven't said, at least on this thread, how you and your husband are with Spanish? Either you can already speak Spanish or you will be learning as well. If that is the case, try having an hour a day where only Spanish is allowed to be spoken at home.


I agree with most of what is being said on this thread. But, just not to be completely euro-centric, immersion should be with spanish-_speaking_ people, not just Spanish people. Spain has about 10% of the Spanish speakers in the world and has a distinct accent that is not mainstream as measured by numbers of speakers.

The OP should consider how their children feel about this major commitment, and talk amply with their children to encourage the adventure.


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## Sweetpea68 (Mar 15, 2016)

Hi. Thanks for all your helpful replies.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

I would add that their classmates here will all have had many years of Spanish education and accrued general knowledge that your children will not have. Amongst other subjects, they will be studying the geography and history of Spain, building on that knowledge, for example, and doing maths in the Spanish way. We had to learn how to help our children with their maths homework as the maths they were being taught was worked out in a different way. Out children arrived aged 2 & 4 so it wasn't a major problem, but 10 & 12 sounds very scary for all concerned.
See here: Education in Spain : Spanish Division explained in English

It is altogether much more complex than simply speaking the language. You need to pass a broad range of subjects here to progress - either to move up a year or to pass a set educational stage, like to pass secondary education. There are often retakes before the school year begins, for those who have failed end of year exams, with the prospect of repeating the year if unsuccessful the second time. Your educational level is much more important here, too, with all manner of official forms asking your educational level, even oldies have to answer! There are many jobs and courses which have closed doors unless you have reached a certain level. With unemployment levels so high here, education and qualifications can make a big difference.

Educating one in an international school and the other in a Spanish school is hardly going to be a recipe for family harmony.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Madliz said:


> I would add that their classmates here will all have had many years of Spanish education and accrued general knowledge that your children will not have. Amongst other subjects, they will be studying the geography and history of Spain, building on that knowledge, for example, and doing maths in the Spanish way. We had to learn how to help our children with their maths homework as the maths they were being taught was worked out in a different way. Out children arrived aged 2 & 4 so it wasn't a major problem, but 10 & 12 sounds very scary for all concerned.
> See here: Education in Spain : Spanish Division explained in English
> 
> It is altogether much more complex than simply speaking the language. You need to pass a broad range of subjects here to progress - either to move up a year or to pass a set educational stage, like to pass secondary education. There are often retakes before the school year begins, for those who have failed end of year exams, with the prospect of repeating the year if unsuccessful the second time. Your educational level is much more important here, too, with all manner of official forms asking your educational level, even oldies have to answer! There are many jobs and courses which have closed doors unless you have reached a certain level. With unemployment levels so high here, education and qualifications can make a big difference.
> ...



Good post.

The children will be 11 and 13 by the time they get there, IMHO the parents would be putting far too much pressure on them to expect them to cope in Spanish School.


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## Sweetpea68 (Mar 15, 2016)

Hi thanks for your reply. Just confirmed that idea probably wasn't a good one. But needed to look at all options.


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## HarryB (Jan 17, 2013)

My daughter went into Spanish High School at age 11 - she found things extremely hard. In actual fact Spanish was her best subject and she excelled, however the other subjects were a different story. I cant repeat what she thought if maths in Spanish! Children who are not bilingual have to, in my honest opinion, go into International school. We came back to Scotland due to her education and she is now studying Spanish at Higher and will continue at Uni.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Spanish*



Sweetpea68 said:


> Hi. My husband wants to get twice weekly Spanish classes in UK for 8 months for our 10 and 12 year old and then put them in a Spanish state school? Pros and cons?


If you live in an area close to a uni that has erasmus students from spain, and indeed have a spare room, you could be topping up the twice weekly more organised classes with a Spaniard in the house. 
My theory, for what it is worth, is it depends very much on the child's peronality. If he or she is very outgoing then it is well worth a try. 
Briona mentioned her brother and how he adapted to his new school. Too often we project our adult worries on to the child.


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## Lily91 (Mar 10, 2016)

My daughter (German) is going to a Spanish school since January and I have to say that her improvement is less than expected. I am not "pressuring" her, but try to surround her with Spanish everywhere. For her, it definitely would have been a good idea to hire a Spanish teacher beforehand. I think it depends from child to child. Some kids are rather talented in languages and others are more into mathematics.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

How old is your daughter Lily?


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