For parents · Ages 7 to 18
Helping your child with Spanish when you do not speak it
Spanish is the language most UK parents say they would encourage their child to learn, and a foreign language has been part of the primary curriculum in England since 2014. The awkward part comes later, when a child brings home something you cannot help with. You do not need Spanish to be useful here. What follows is what tends to work in families where the parent speaks none at all.
By Anto · Certified ELE teacher · Updated 20 September 2026 · 7 min read
Your job is not to teach
A parent who tries to teach a language they do not speak usually ends up correcting pronunciation they are unsure of, which quietly teaches the child that speaking is risky. That is the opposite of what a beginner needs.
The useful roles are different ones: audience, timekeeper, and someone who notices. A child explaining something to you is doing real language work, and they can do it while you understand almost none of it.
Ask them to teach you one thing
Once or twice a week, ask your child to teach you a single word or phrase from their lesson, then actually use it that evening. Say buenos días at breakfast. Ask ¿cómo estás? in the car.
It works because retrieving something in order to teach it is harder, and more durable, than rereading it. It also flips the usual dynamic. For a child who feels behind at school, being the one who knows is not a small thing.
Make the input ordinary
Language sticks through repeated contact rather than intensity. A programme your child already knows well, watched in Spanish, is far more useful than an unfamiliar one, because they can follow the story and let the words attach to it.
Ten minutes most days beats an hour on Sunday. The aim is for Spanish to stop feeling like an event.
- Switch a familiar film or series to Spanish audio with English subtitles, then later Spanish subtitles.
- Put Spanish music on in the kitchen. Nobody has to understand it.
- Label four or five things around the house and leave them up.
- Look for dual-language picture books for younger children.
Protect the time, not the mood
Most home practice fails on scheduling rather than motivation. Pick a slot that already exists, such as after dinner, the school run or Saturday morning, and keep it short enough that nobody dreads it.
If a session goes badly, end it early and without comment. Ten minutes that finish on a decent note are worth more than forty that end in a row, because tomorrow's willingness is the thing you are actually protecting.
What to do when they get stuck
When a child says they are rubbish at Spanish, they usually mean something specific: they cannot remember verb endings, they hate speaking in front of the class, or they missed a fortnight and never caught up. Asking what the hardest bit is tends to produce a much narrower answer than the complaint suggested.
That narrower answer is what a lesson can be built around. It is worth passing on to a teacher or tutor directly, because otherwise the first few sessions get spent finding it out.
Signs it is worth getting help
Lessons outside school are not a default. They make sense when the same gap keeps reappearing, when confidence rather than ability is the blocker, or when an exam is close enough that time matters.
Poncho Spanish runs live online lessons for children and teens aged 7 to 18, one-to-one at £35 or in a small group of up to four friends at £40 per session. Every family starts with a free trial, which is mostly a conversation about where your child actually is.
Not sure where your child is with Spanish?
That is exactly what the free trial is for. Anto meets your child, has a proper conversation and suggests a sensible starting point. No payment details needed.
Common questions
- Can I help my child with Spanish if I do not speak any?
- Yes. The most effective things a non-speaking parent can do are asking the child to teach them one word or phrase regularly, keeping a short practice slot in the week, and providing everyday exposure such as familiar programmes in Spanish. None of it requires you to speak the language or correct pronunciation.
- How much Spanish practice should a child do at home?
- Short and frequent beats long and occasional. Ten to fifteen minutes on most days gives better results than a single long session at the weekend, because retention depends on repeated contact rather than intensity.
- What age should a child start learning Spanish?
- A modern foreign language has been a statutory part of the national curriculum at Key Stage 2 in England since 2014, so most children meet one from age seven. Children can start earlier or later. What matters more is regular contact and a low-pressure start. Poncho Spanish teaches learners aged 7 to 18.
- Are group or one-to-one lessons better for a child?
- It depends on the learner. One-to-one lessons at £35 per session suit a child who needs individual attention or feels self-conscious speaking. A small group of up to four at £40 per session suits a child who is more relaxed learning alongside friends. You can discuss which fits in the free trial.