As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Spanish was my first language. Growing up, my father insisted that we speak Spanish exclusively at home; he reasoned that we could learn English in school, and that retaining Spanish would benefit us in the long run while allowing us to communicate with our elders.

I won't lie; like many children of immigrants, I chafed at my dad's rules from time to time, especially during those awkward teen years where all I wanted to do was fit in like a normal, American kid.

Now that I'm grown, I am so grateful to my father for forcing me to retain my Spanish. It has opened up a world of literature and culture that I treasure, and given me a valuable edge in my career. I can jump between the English and Spanish-speaking spheres with ease, and that's invaluable.

I always planned to teach my children Spanish, but life threw a wrench in those plans when I fell in love with a gringo of Polish-Italian descent. No matter; with my husband's unflagging support, I resolved to teach my daughter Spanish anyway. The plan was for me to speak Spanish to her exclusively so that she would be bilingual.

It started out great; I cooed, sang and read to Maya in Spanish. Her first words and sentences were all in Spanish, as were her favorite lullabies. Her Spanish vocabulary blossomed, even as my skeptical mother-in-law questioned whether or not Maya would ever learn English. I assured her that against all odds, I had managed to learn English, so I was pretty sure Maya wouldn't wander through life muttering "Que?".

I was right. Maya is now 3 years old, and she has learned English effortlessly. Too effortlessly.

She is stringing long, complex sentences together in English. She is spelling English words. She has even started to correct me when I speak Spanish! "No Mami, no es leon, es lion!" WTF?

I feel like I'm waging a losing battle. English is everywhere...when she hears me and my husband talk, it's in English. At preschool, it's all English. Her favorite cartoons and music are in English.

Sigh. What's a Mami to do? I am bloodied and bruised, but have resolved to keep fighting. I still speak Spanish to her. I still translate English words. I still sing to her. She will continue to spend time around my Spanish-speaking family.

I even signed her up for a Spanish for toddlers class offered here in my community, but it was too basic for her. I guess I am stumped as to how to take her Spanish to the next level, or just maintain all she knows now. My hope is that when she gets older we can spend time traveling in Mexico so she is immersed in the language, or that we can find a Spanish immersion charter school for her to attend.

In the meantime, I just want Spanish to feel familiar and comfortable to her. Which reminds me, I think it's time for a weekend with the Abuelitos...

What do you all think? Am I being unrealistic? Is English-only unavoidable in this country? What have you done to help your children learn and retain a second language?

Crossposted at
The Mom Blog.