From the very start: OPOL

May 2011

From the very start, we have used the OPOL method. That is, One Parent, One Language. I have always spoken to Amelia in Swedish and Eva always in Spanish. We never mix languages for example, I hav never spoken to Amelia in Spanish or English.

This is because a child usually identifies one person with one language and avoids confusions. You can read more about OPOL here:

One person, one language

It has been working really well. Actually Amelia always say: "Daddy, you are speaking to me in Spanish!". I might have hada few slip of the tongues over the years but extremely few. Usually in those cases it is because I was saying something to both Amelia and my wife.

The only problem (relative) is that most people around me in Spain don´t understand anything when I speak to Amelia in Swedish. Not even her mother. Some people find this awkward but once you start and get in to it, you get used to it quickly. And my wife understands that this is very important and has never complained about it.

New start: The Story of Our Trilingual Daughter

Hey again,

Long time no hear... Got absorbed by paternity, how time flies my friends!

Amelia is already 8.5 years old. It has been truly an adventure so far. No one can ever be prepared for parenthood! You just have to live it...

Amelia is such a beautiful and clever child. And with a heart of gold. And she is perfectly trilingual: she understands and speaks Spanish, Swedish and English.

And I will try to tell you story of how she became trilingual. I should have started this like 8 years ago but ok, better late than never.

I will use English as lingua franca, most of my friends and family will understand English.

Recent photos - november 2019:

November 2012

Amelia Tatiana Heljestrand Arteaga

November / Noviembre / November 2012

1.6 years old.

Amelia Tatiana, Amelia Tatiana Heljestrand Arteaga, Amelia´s book, Amelia´s book, Book of Amelia, Heljestrand, Seville

October 2012

Amelia Tatiana Heljestrand Arteaga

October / Octubre / Oktober 2012

Grandma and granddad on visit from Sweden. Granddad for 1 week at the beginning of the month and grandma from the 23rd of September until the 17th of October. Very hot in Seville until around the 12th of October. Mum and dad was trying another IVF (the treatment started in July and the big day was the 16th of October) to give me a brother or a sister but unfortunately it didn´t work out this time.
End of the month, Halloween.

Amelia Tatiana, Amelia Tatiana Heljestrand Arteaga, Amelia´s book, Amelia´s book, Book of Amelia, Heljestrand, Seville

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