# Foreign languages in translated children's shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-languages-in-translated-childrens-shows/418134 "2007-09-05T16:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-languages-in-translated-childrens-shows/418134/1 "2007-09-05T16:12:00Z")
It seems like every one of my youngest’s favorite shows is trying to teach her Spanish - Handy Manny, Go Diego Go, Dora The Explorer. This doesn’t seem to be a new thing, I remember Sesame Street trying to teach me Spanish more than 30 years ago. I always wonder how effective that is at teaching foreign language skills as I don’t klnow anyone who learned Spanish from a children’s show. Or is the purpose to reach out to multi-lingual households. Sorry about that tangent. Here’s my question. - Do children’s shows in Argentina slip in English words and phrases? How about French shows? Russia? Japan? What happens with English children’s programs are translated into Spanish, how are the Spanish vocabulary lessons handled? Anyone know? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-languages-in-translated-childrens-shows/418134/2 "2007-09-05T16:29:04Z")
[QUOTE=Reloy3] I don’t know anyone who learned Spanish from a children’s show… [/QUOTE] What, you never watched [Speedy Gonzalez](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedy_Gonzalez)? ¡\*Ándale! ¡Ándale! \* 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-languages-in-translated-childrens-shows/418134/3 "2007-09-05T16:32:08Z")
I don’t watch children’s TV (don’t watch TV at all in fact) but I’ll ask around and get back to you, because now I’m intrigued. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-languages-in-translated-childrens-shows/418134/4 "2007-09-05T17:50:01Z")
The Hebrew version of \*\*Dora \*\* has English as the “second language.” ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-languages-in-translated-childrens-shows/418134/5 "2007-09-06T22:38:20Z")
Bump Pardon my bump, but it slipped off the front page very quickly and I’m still hoping for a more complete answer. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-languages-in-translated-childrens-shows/418134/6 "2007-09-06T22:52:13Z")
[QUOTE=Reloy3] I remember Sesame Street trying to teach me Spanish more than 30 years ago. I always wonder how effective that is at teaching foreign language skills as I don’t know anyone who learned Spanish from a children’s show. [/QUOTE] I don’t either think anyone is going to become fluent by watching a Sesame Street Spanish lesson. It’s probably more an attempt to encourage tolerance–i.e., don’t freak out because some kids speak a language you don’t understand. It could be worse. Teletubies encourages children to speak like idiots. In their own language. I’ve never understood the tendency of people to talk to babies and children in “babytalk.” Do you want them to speak like normal people or like babies for the rest of their lives? Save the babytalk for your cat.