Waiting for Abuelita!

My mum or abuelita as she is known around here is coming to visit for Spring Break and Easter. The kids cannot wait to see her and neither can I! I love having my mum here, I feel like a little kid again. She cooks for us all my favorite childhood dishes and she loves to play with the kids, but must important of all is that she speaks Spanish to them.

The kids have been practicing their Spanish more than ever without complaining. It is great! All because they know abuelita is coming and we are trying very hard to speak to her in Spanish - my son is also very eager to teach her English.

Abuelita's English is not too bad, she can defend herself out there. However, sometimes she switches between languages without realizing, it is quite funny really.

One day we were in NYC waiting to cross the road. My mum kept telling me how she was so much better at English. A Mexican family approached the corner where we were waiting for the lights. They were having a nice conversation. The light went green and we crossed the road alongside the family. On the other side we went our separate ways. When they were a little far away, my mother said: "See, I DO speak English, I understood every single word that family was saying, every single word!!!" To that, I could not stop laughing and replied to  my mum: " Mum I am sure your English is great, but that family was talking in Spanish!"

Another time, we were in Scotland on vacation and we were in a store and wanted to claim our tax free goods. She kept asking the store employees: "where are the free taxis?" to which they politely replied: "Madam, in this country taxis are not free, you need to pay for them"

I could go on and on about my mother's journey with the English Language. She has been studying it forever, she has never given up - I am very proud. Now we have a deal, my son will teach her a little English and she will teach him Spanish!

It is amazing, but my kids suddenly remember all their lessons while she is here. They do for her all they do not do for me - and that is OK. It is my little reassurance that I am doing the right thing by sending them to Language Stars every week. Because truly that is why I am doing it, so they can speak to the most wonderful abuelita in the entire world (I am not bias off course :) )


Disclosure: I will receive discounted tuition from Language Stars as compensation for this post. However all facts and opinions expressed in this post are true and my own. Language Stars have not asked me to write about anything in particular, only my true and honest opinion about my experience with their program.  This post have not been edited by a third person.