Taking stock

Today I stopped and figured out what my youngest (3 and a half) can say in and understand of Spanish.

• He knows that there are 2 different languages and what words belongin which linguistinc filing system. He, having aquired this power, reserves the right to ban me from using any Spanish near him at certain times.
• He appreciates a good song in any language and his favourite today was Juan Pequeño Baila. He laughs out loud! This shows that he's equally at ease with both languages.
• He demonstrated, while jumping up and down in an excitable fashion, being able to count to ten in Spanish in a game of hide and seek.
• He knows and uses vocabulary including big and small, up and down, in and out, open and shut, yes and no, body parts such as hands, head, feet, shoulders, knees, shoe, coat, scarf.
• He understands some statements and commands like Dinner's ready, where is my car?, we're going, stop, wait, careful, cross over.

Why was this important? Because, as his mum and teacher I'm always thinking about what to teach him next. Looking forward is what I do on his behalf because, unlike the adult students I meet, he can't.
Most students are pretty critical of themselves. Stressing because they can't seem to retain this week's grammar; verb endings, subjunctive; past tenses; reflexive... It's a torture he is mercilessly saved from! Unencumbered by self-doubt he is learning almost without me noticing.
Most adults also would benefit at these moments of self-doubt from taking stock. Questions like 'what could I do last year/month/week?' help us as students to feel more positive about our ability to overcome this newest obstacle.
I am often asked "Are your children fluent in Spanish too?". Learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint. I can't remember what I knew at 3 and a half, or even what his big brother knew at that age 20 months ago... it doesn't matter. Every individual learns at their own pace and fluency, like time, is relative.