We Start Teaching Children from an Early Age
Studies have shown that in order to achieve fluency learning a language from an early age is essential. Younger children are more likely than older children to be fearless at trying out a second language and this makes it easier for them to learn, pronounce words accurately and speak without translating. Research has demonstrated that the earlier and the more often you expose children to a foreign language, the more likely they will become truly fluent.
At Isabella & Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures™ our goal is to teach Spanish from an early age in order to give children a critical leg up in learning a foreign language. From 12 months, children can learn Spanish from teachers who are all native speakers, fine-tuning their ears to what it means to speak the language correctly. In addition, through our Cultural Immersion™ method, they will learn by directly experiencing the culture of Spain and Latin America through exposure to Ibero-American literature, history, poetry, art, music, games, plays and more, so that their understanding of Spanish and the Spanish-speaking world is comprehensive.
Our Teaching Methods Are Effective
Isabella & Ferdinand’s curriculum is based on the standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Instituto Cervantes in Madrid. We seek to make sure that children master correct pronunciation and verb tense usage, learn a broad set of vocabulary and become conversational as soon as possible. We teach children the best, most proper standard of Spanish, free of Spanglish, anglicisms or slang. Our original Isabella & Ferdinand Learning Gems™ system incorporates best practices for teaching children foreign language, incorporating activities geared towards comprehension and conversational ability. Children are taught the fundamentals of Spanish by qualified teachers who are all native-speakers of the language.
In addition to linguistic excellence, Isabella and Ferdinand™ focuses on cultural understanding. By becoming “culturally fluent” as well as linguistically conversant, children gain a greater perspective of the Spanish-speaking world and eventually will be able to use their Spanish in a more comprehensive and effective way. Using our Cultural Immersion™ method children will learn about the most iconic authors, artists, music, food and traditions of Spain and Latin America, experiencing writers such as Miguel Cervantes and Rafael Pombo, artists such as Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera and Velázquez and music such as flamenco, cumbia and samba in new and exciting ways. In some classes, children will “meet” cultural heroes from the Spanish-speaking world and will also be able to role-play themselves, donning costumes and acting out their lessons in Spanish.
Isabella & Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures™ collaborates with the cultural and educational departments of the Embassies of Spain and Latin America as well as GALA Hispanic Theatre, the Washington Ballet, the National Gallery of Art, the Spanish Department of Georgetown University and the Instituto Cervantes, drawing on the rich resources and content provided by those institutions and others.
