Who are these strangers who float in and out of the classrooms? How can we get to know them?

Everyone agrees that private tuition is always beneficial, be it for languages, maths or music.

Why are our children too embarrassed to speak English? Are there any tricks to help encourage them to speak English?

Have you ever wondered what “Ip Dip” is in Spanish or whether there is an equivalent to “Eeny Meeny? Let me put you out of your misery!

If, like me, you always start each New Year with a handful of resolutions but find that by mid-February they are all but forgotten, how about sharing these resolutions with your children?

Can English games be played by Spanish children and their non-English speaking parents?

With so many Spanish children learning English at school from the age of three, it’s no wonder that many parents find themselves trying to decipher the lyrics their children are humming so as to be able to download a copy from the internet.

When should my child start learning English?

If your children see English more as a subject at school than a life skill they are learning then there is the chance that, come the holidays, all the language learnt will remain frozen at the back of our children’s minds during the summertime.

Spending a fortnight with a host family in UK will give your children the perfect chance to observe our quirky habits as well as taste our cuisine. Seeing the steering wheel in the passenger’s seat of a car, driving on the wrong side of the road, catching double decker buses or getting up and going to bed much earlier than in Spain are just a handful of things that may surprise your children when they are there.

What is the most useful piece of advice I was given before I came to Spain for the first time?

Welcome to the first article commissioned by Kids in Madrid which is based on my experience as a bilingual parent and expert in children’s literature for English as a Second Language learners. I look forward to receiving your feedback and comments!