GREENSBORO, N.C. — Mid-September through mid-October is National Hispanic Heritage Month. According to the Pew Research Center, most U.S. Adult Hispanics 75% speak conversational Spanish. Of the 25% who don't speak Spanish, a little more than one-half of them said that someone has commented about or made fun of them for their Spanish-speaking inability or mistakes.
Traditionally speaking, people from Spanish-speaking countries speak Spanish. However, migrating to the U.S., there's an assimilation of the culture and language. Initially, the zeitgeist was that if you were in the U.S., you had to speak English. For families to survive within the U.S., they tended to speak more English at home. There was a cultural sensitivity as there is now. There are bilingual signs in stores, and more people speak both languages.
Research shows that children who juggle two languages have academic benefits such as improved problem-solving and multitasking abilities. Additionally, children have a broader worldview of people and acceptance of diversity. And they tend to have more job opportunities.
Learning Spanish with your children is a great way to expose them to another language. Listen to music and books in Spanish. Attend Spanish community events in your area. Find out what resources your children's school has. Also, find classmates who speak Spanish.
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