If you are thinking of sending your child to an International School, yet you still want your child to be bilingual, you really need to put in quite a lot of effort outside the home and do read the following.
My daughter goes to a Private International School. When she started at 3 years 9 months she was as bilingual as a 3 year old could be as she went to a Spanish Nursery.
In the first year of school, Early Years, some of the schools still have a Spanish Speaking Teaching Assistant in their class all day long. Her Spanish Speaking was good and due to her speaking better Spanish than her Spanish friends Spoke English - they mainly conversed in Spanish out of school.
Then in the following year I started to see a slight change. The Spanish Childrens English started to improve quite alot and I found my daughter not speaking half as much Spanish as she did the previous year.
Come the following year - Year 1 - this is when my concerns really started regarding her Spanish Language. She really stopped speaking Spanish, when her Spanish friends come to her house they speak English, when she goes to their house they speak English and at school they speak English.
I realised this is not right, as the only winners here are the Spanish Children and many of my friends whom are Spanish say the same. Some of these schools say they are "Bilingual" but with nearly 7 hours a day of English with just over 3 hours a week of Spanish - regardless of living in Spain there is no way my daughters Spanish will ever be as good as the Spanish Childrens´ English.
So having spoke to a number of people we decided that the only way our daughter will get a fair chance is if English is Spoken in the English Home and Spanish is spoken in the Spanish Home.
We live on an Urbanisation with mainly Spanish Families whos kids go to the same school and they are accustomed to speaking English. I have spoken to the mums and they will do their best to encourage our Children to speaking only Spanish in their home. I have spoken to a couple of other mums and they say they will do their best too to help and even correct my daughter when she says something wrong.
Its been quite hard for my daughter to suddenly change language as for a couple of years now shes always spoken English. But we are getting there and in just 2 weeks have definately seen an improvement. Shes gaining her confidence again in Speaking and its so lovely to hear but she still needs as much conversation as possible.
In the school the kids do follow the Spanish Curriculum are reading and writing in Spanish but the only thing they cannot offer is the conversation as they dont have the time.
If the Spanish Language is important to you...
1) Ask Spanish Parents to ALWAYS on ONLY speak to your child in Spanish from day 1.
2) Kids Speak Spanish in the Spanish House & English in the English House.
3) Ask parents to correct your child when they say something wrong - its the only way they will learn.
4) Spanish TV in the Home really does help.
I have thought about changing schools numerous times but she loves her school and we like it too and if we can get the help and support from other parents too then I can see my daughter getting the best of both worlds just like their children.
The minute you see the language changes in the homes - nip it in the bud straight away!
A note for Spanish Parents...
I know many Spanish Parents were very worried about their childrens English in the very first year of school. In their second year - Reception they really started to learn and speak a bit more English yet some Spanish Parents were still very worried that their children werent understanding or speaking any English.
But I can honestly say, by the third year in school these kids are speaking English brilliantly and with confidence and some have parents that dont speak a word of English. Some older children I know speak English so well you have no idea they are Spanish, German, Swedish etc - its really amazing.
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