Hi
My grandaughter is struggling as although she understands some spanish she is not very confident speaking in her new school which is causing problems.

Can anyone recommend someone reasonable please to bring her along near Benalmadena

Many thanks

Is it any wonder? Just ask youself how you would feel being placed in a school where you can't speak the language - it's bad enough having to go to school when you're four anyway. Poor little thing.

The school is supposed to be bilingual!

Hi from the France forum! Rather than Spanish lessons for some one so young, maybe she could be encouraged to play with Spanish children out of school? In any case, it's early days yet and I'm sure that by Christmas she'll be more confident. Add to that she'll be fluent by the time she goes to Primary!

I think your grand daughter is acting quite normally.

Dont worry, she will speak spanish when she is ready but in the meantime is taking it all in.

One day soon she will shock you all.... dont rush her.

Thanks DMU she has got spanish friends and plays confidently outside of school its just school that is a problem

thanks paintermujer that is encouraging!

I agree! You are in Spain, find her some Spanish friends!

A 4 year old doesnt need lessons, she just needs to be exposed to the langauge

Also, try and speak some Spanish at home, on the TV, music etc

As for the bilingual school. Is that the state primary school there? The "bilingual" tag is a marketing thing for Spanish parents. Of course they are going to speak mainly Spanish in a Spanish school

I used to play tennis with one of the teachers there, he said none of the teachers could speak a word of English! In the English lessons they just copy words onto the blackboard and sound them out the best that they can

it's completely normal - she'll soon settle in & grow in confidence & gradually join in in class - lots exposure to teh language will help, as cricketman says - TV, radio, magazines - everything in Spanish & she'll soon get there

I'm often asked to teach Spanish to little children & I just about always say no - if they are in Spanish school they are better learning from the other children - it's much more natural & less stressful - no matter how 'fun' lessons are, they ARE lessons...........

you don't say if you or her parents speak Spanish - if you do, then speak Spanish with her - if you don't, then make a show of learning - I've known children refuse to speak Spanish in school because their parents couldn't - so why should they? (Yet they quite happily chatted away in Spanish in the playground when they thoughyt no-one was looking )

are the teachers at all concerned? If so, the school would probably be giving her some extra help (they would around here, anyway), if they aren't, then I wouldn't worry either, if I were you

so-called bi-lingual schools simply teach some subjects in English - not all of them & many of the teachers won't be able to speak English, either

Thanks, her parents are doing their best to speak as much as they can at home
Its not so much the lesson time its break time she just sits and cries as feels left out although she is usually outgoing and on the park etc will play with anyone. Maybe a bit clicky as they all know each other and she is the new girl?

How long has she been at the school?

it could just be that - you don't say how long she's been there

it might just be that she's shy & the same would happen if she was in the UK

Two weeks, on day 3 a spanish girl slapped her face but she got over that and went fine the next day. Its just this week she has been crying all the way to school. There is a spanish girl in another class who she knows and they play a little but she is still unhappy. The sad thing is the spanish girl has other english friends but they ignore her

I don't think this is anything to do with her not being able to speak Spanish at all - she's just the new kid & is being picked on/ignored

sadly that's kids (especially girls - I have 2 so been there, done that )

that said - slapping is unacceptable & I probably would have brought that to the school's attention - but if she's over it it's probably best left now

Crikey, only two weeks, please give her time. It may have taken here longer than that back in UK and with a new language as well.......

Our children were thrown in the deep end when we arrived here - and they didn't have any other English children at the school! All our children are now very happy and content.

The best thing to do is to put the TV on in Spanish (Disney Channel ?) and to encourage her to play with as many Spanish children as possible.