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.