1. Professor Pocket isn’t a native Spanish speaker. Shouldn’t my child only learn Spanish from native Spanish speakers and teachers?

No. Every opportunity your child has to interact in a second language is important. The frequency and interactivity of the exposure is more important than “perfect accenting”.

To read more on this subject, we highly recommend reading The Bilingual Edge by Kendall King and Alison Mackey, parents and linguistic professors at Georgetown University. Here is an excerpt from page 23 of the book:

“Research shows that as long as children have experiences with adults or older siblings interacting through language, they develop the ability to use it. So, is it critical to have a native language model who speaks in complete sentences? Children seem to be responsive to language that is tailored to their developmental levels, complete sentences or not. What is critical is not that children hear complete sentences but that they are directly engaged in conversation.”

2. Won’t my child get confused if I introduce her to a second language before she’s mastered English?

No. Research shows that children can distinguish the differences among multiple languages from birth. In fact, exposing children to additional languages early on builds a basis for proficiency later in life. In addition, bilingual children often show superior problem solving and math skills, increased overall school performance, and better cross-cultural understanding. They also have an easier time acquiring their 3rd, 4th, etc. languages.

3. When is Professor Pocket going to offer products in French? Mandarin Chinese? Etc.?

We are excited to hear that so many of you are interested in exposing your kids to so many different languages from around the world!

For now, Professor Pocket is developing Spanish/English products only. We are a small family-owned company and have developed our products based on our own firsthand knowledge of growing up and raising children in Spanish and English speaking homes.

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States, and it is estimated that 25% of the US population will be Hispanic by 2050. In order to become bilingual, children must have frequent interactions in a second language. We hope our products will provide yet another opportunity for children to interact in a language that they’ll increasingly hear and see on a daily basis in the immediate world around them.

4. Isn’t immersion the best way to introduce a child to another language? Why aren’t your CDs all in Spanish?

Immersion is a great way to teach your child Spanish! Every opportunity a child has to interact in a new language is valuable. The key is to engage the child and make language learning meaningful and playful. Our products are designed to mirror what it’s actually like to grow up and raise children in a bilingual home where mixing languages is natural and shows a high mastery of both languages.