Your child understands, but answers in the other language

You ask in Spanish. Your child answers in English, and clearly understood every word. It can feel as if the language is slipping away while you watch.

What this does not have to mean

It does not mean your child is refusing you, and it does not mean the language is lost. Understanding is a large part of a language, and your child has it. In any language, speaking usually comes after understanding.

This page cannot assess your child. If you are worried about how their speech is developing in every language, talk to a speech and language professional. Voci is an educational tool and cannot tell you that.

What tends to matter at home

Who speaks the language to your child, and how often. One person is a small world to speak in.
Whether your child ever needs it. If everyone who speaks it also understands the other language, answering in the easier one works every time.
Whether the same words come back. A phrase heard once is easily lost. One that returns at every bath is easier to say.
How it feels to try. A child who is often corrected or asked to repeat may choose the safer language.

How Voci approaches it

Voci starts by asking which languages your child hears and who speaks each one. If you tell it your child understands but answers in another language, it builds the week around that.

You get three or four short lines for a moment you already have, like bath time or breakfast, with what they mean and how they sound.
The same question comes back a few days later in another moment, so your child meets it often enough to answer.
A short story with Voci the fox uses the same words and gives your child a reason to answer out loud. A tap counts too, so nobody is pushed.
Voci writes down what happened in words you can read. First your child understands, then points, then answers with a little help, and one day on their own.

There are no scores and no streaks. Voci cannot promise when your child will speak. It gives the language more chances to be used, a few minutes at a time.

Try it first

Play one free story. It takes about four minutes and needs no account. If it suits your family, Voci is free for 7 days with no card, then €9.99 a month or €79.99 a year for the whole family.