Since starting this journey to bilingualism three months ago, part of our routine has become me talking to my boys in Spanish in the car as we drive somewhere. My three yr old LOVES talking and at this point still expresses almost everything in English, although he is starting to take ownership of some Spanish. (On his own this week, he approached me and said, "Tengo hambre!" This was a pretty big milestone for us considering it's been only a short time since introducing a second language.)
Today, on our way to a Spanish play date, he was asking his usual questions and I was answering in Spanish.
"Mommy, what color is the sky?"
"El cielo es azul."
"Where is the sun?"
"Está en el cielo, detrás de las nubes."
"Behind the clouds?"
"¡Sí!"
(He often repeats what I say in Spanish in English, to verify that he understands. Eventually, I hope to phase that out, but for now it's a great tool for knowing how much he is understanding.)
Then, one of his favorites:
"Mommy, can you see me?"
"No, en este momento no puedo verte."
His response to this made me pause, he said, "Mommy, I'm not green!"
Now, my first thought was, "Ok-captain random. Thanks for that." But then as I thought about what I had said, it occurred to me that "verte" to him sounds just like "verde." He was using the context he knew and applying it to what he heard. What does this mean? He's listening, the wheels are turning, and he is learning. All a very important part of the process and also a big encouragement in this journey.
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