Operation Interpreter

My Spanish sucks.  I claim that I speak a little Spanish, and most people I meet claim they speak a little English.  However, there seem to be conflicting definitions of "little bit," since their little bit is far superior to mine.  Inevitably whenever I actually do try to use my limited vocabulary, most people in Tijuana just start speaking to me in English.  They don't want to be bothered with "la gringa's" slow grappling for words and horrible conjugations.  While I appreciate their help at the time, it hasn't inspired much mastery of the language for me.

So I came up with a new plan: make the boys learn Spanish.  Why bother learning the language myself when I have three potential interpreters at my disposal?  And they're young minds are perfectly primed for learning languages.  It was a full proof plan.

Phase One of my brilliant plan was to watch television in Spanish.  We started with Plaza Sesamo, or Sesame Street for English speakers, but I think that Andrew and I were getting more out of the 30 minute episodes than Jacob or Benjy.  The word of the day is sopresa. 

Phase Two was flashcards.  After drilling Jacob for days and Benjy for as long as I could keep his attention, I had actually learned more vocabulary than either of them.  Yet somehow, Jacob still kicked my butt at memory matching games.  Go figure.  I think pregnancy kills brain cells, which means I have three times less brain cells than a childless 30 year old.  Well, that's probably mathematically inaccurate, but it proves my point nonetheless.

Phase Three, hire a tutor, was implemented today.  For two hours a day, three days a week, Jacob and Benjy will have a full Spanish immersion in our home as they learn new vocabulary through fun games, songs, art projects and activities.  The tutor has assured me that by the end of summer, both boys will be speaking Spanish.  

The first hour went great with both boys paying attention and repeating words and following instructions as best they could.  Benjy, whose pronunciation is actually quite good, wandered off during the second hour to play with toys, but Jacob diligently prodded on, trying his best to understand and promptly forgetting every new word within ten seconds of hearing it.  I, however, now have a firm grasp on the parts of the body.

Tongue loosening exercises.  Seriously.  Learning Spanish may not be so bad if you get to lick up chocolate syrup with the bottom of your tongue.

We also learned this new chant, which however accurate from a Spanish language standpoint, is somewhat humiliating.

A, e, i, o, u.  El burro sabe mas que tu. (The donkey knows more than you.)  Fun, right?  And now I can't get it out of my head.  Maybe by the end of the day, with me walking around chanting it incessantly, the boys will learn it too.  Either that, or they'll be hiding in their bedroom, trying to escape my new mantra.  It's a win either way.

With all the time and money we're investing in this plan, it has to work.  The tutor remains confident that it will.  One thing's for certain, someone will be speaking Spanish by the end of summer.  

It might even be me.